Bell Family Tree research resources

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Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 56275 people with the Bell surname? In that year Bell was ranked number 48 for popularity in the UK.

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"BELL. Three derivations are possible for this name: (1) as a descriptive sobriquet, Peter le Bel ('the handsome, from Old French bel, handsome, beautiful), found in the English Hundred Rolls; (2) of local origin, as Middle English 'John atte Belle' or 'Richard atte Bell' (not uncommon in Middle English registers) from the sign of his public house; (3) as a metronymic, '%obert fil. Bell,' meaning Robert, the son of Bell or Isabel. 1 and 2 are, I think, the chief parents of the name. John Bell appears as a notary in St. Andrews, 1248 (Pap. Lett., i, p. 245). A family of the name appears to have been hereditarily connected with the church of Dunkeld. Master David Bell was a canon there, 1263 (LIM., p. 77), and William Bell appears as dean, 1329-42 (Pap. Lett., i, p. 301, 557). William Bel, vicar of Lamberton, witnessed a charter to Coldingham Priory, 1271. Adam Belle and Richard Belle of Berwickshire rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, n, p. 206). Thomas Belle was juror on an inquest at Dumfries, 1304 (ibid., p. 412), and Simon dictus Bell is in Perth in the reign of David n (Scon, p. 125). Thomas dictus Bell, canon of Dunkeld, c. 1340 (ibid., p. 124). Thomas Bell and Alan Bell witnessed confirmation of Snawdoun to the Abbey of Dryburgh, c. 1350 (Dryburgh, 232), Johnne Bell was a witness in St. Andrews, 1463 (CMN., 33), and Henry Bell was a witness in Arbroath, 1528 (Laing, 369). The name was common on the Border for centuries, and the "Bellis" are included in the list of unruly clans in the West Marches, 1587 (APS., ra, p. 466). The Bells of Annandale are said to be descended from Gilbert le fiz Bel, who was deprived of his lands by Edward i (Bain, n, p. 397). Families of the name long predominated in the parish of Middlebie, insomuch that the 'Bells of Middlebie' was a current phrase throughout Dumfriesshire. In the index to REB. the name is confused with the place name Biel. Patrick de Dunbar, dominus de Bele, is indexed under Bell. Robert Bell, born in Scotland, printer of the first edition of Thomas Paine's Common sense, died in Virginia, 1784. Rev. Patrick Bell (1800-1869) was inventor of the reapingmachine and founder of mechanical harvesting. (4) In Islay and Kintyre Bell is used as an Englishing of Mac Ittinamhaoil. This is said to have arisen from the marriage of a Macmillan with a Miss Bell, who possessed property, and took her name in English, but continued the old name in Gaelic. "_{(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)}

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