THE BELL FAMILY - CHIPPING BARNET

"Let not ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys and destiny obscure;
Nor grandeur hear, with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the poor"

                                     Thomas Gray 1750

When I started out of researching my family history, I concluded that the father of my great grandfather EDWIN (born 1852) was a JAMES BELL who is listed on the birth certificate. Further research by a family member in the early 1980's pointed to my great great grandfather JAMES BELL being born in Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshire, England in 1831. (christened 20th November 1831), the  youngest son of JAMES and ANN BELL.

His elder bothers and sisters were as follows

(1) William David, christened 15 September 1811 IGI 1490

(2) John, christened 20 February.1814 IGI 1486

(3) Eliza, christened 14 June 1818 IGI 1481

(4) George, christened 3 September 1820 IGI 1483

(5) Charles, christened 24 November 1822 IGI 1481

(6) Harriet, christened 22 January 1826 IGI 1483

(7) Sarah Ann, christened 10 May 1829 IGI 1489

(8) James, christened 20 November 1831 IGI 1484 (my great great grandfather)

The interesting element to note is the age span between the eldest and the youngest in the family - the eldest son would have been twenty when James was born in 1831.

In May 2006, I received a copy of the 1841 Census for Barnet and more particularly Barnet Common. Listed were

Ten years later in 1851 the family are still living in Barnet Common. The big difference is that ANN BELL is a now widow which means that JAMES BELL (born 1786) must have died in the intervening period. George BELL no longer lives in the house, but there is listed a 30 year unmarried daughter ESHER BELL, a laundress by trade. This is the first time that any mentioned has been made of an ESTHER BELL. The other point of note is that the ages seem wildly out for some reason. ANN for instance is down as being 47, three years less than in 1841. All three CHARLES, JAMES and ESTHER are down as being unmarried. CHARLES and JAMES are down as Agricultural Labourers whilst ANN, the head of the household, looks to be working as a charwoman.

By 1861, the family had moved in BARNET to a place called 58 DEARMAN's COURT (Ref RG9/788)

ANN BELL had stopped working by then and CHARLES and JAMES were still labouring but not as agricultural workers. Both her sons were unmarried

JAMES' father (my great great great grandfather) was also called JAMES BELL and would have been 45years old when his youngest son was born. He was christened on 3rd September 1786 in Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshire, England.  

JAMES was the fourth son of

DAVID and SARAH BELL nee SMITH who were married on 12 December 1774 in Chipping Barnet. (IGI Page Number 1481). DAVID and SARAH are my great great great great grandparents but what is more important is that they represent, in genealogical terms, my PATERNAL line. ( line of descent traced through the father's ancestry)

In total they had eight known children

(1) David, christened 16 April 1775 IGI 1481

(2) Elizabeth, christened 24 February1777 IGI 1482

(3) John, christened 5 February1779 IGI 1485

(4) William David, christened 1 Apri.1781 IGI 1490

(5) Sarah, christened 5 October1783 IGI 1488

(6) James, christened 3 September.1786 IGI 1484

(7) Thomas, christened 10 March.1790 IGI 1490

(8) Rebecca, christened 15 August. 1796 IGI 1488

The family seem to have lived in the Chipping Barnet area for a number of generations and so I have located an article that outlines the origins of the name Barnet. Chipping by the way is another name for "market"

Whilst on the origins of names this quote was on a Family History mailing list regarding the name SMITH (see above) "As to the name Smith, family history taught me something about this too. I came across a book on Newfoundland Surnames a few years ago and in it was this wonderful quote:
The primate and patriarch of our surnames, its form unchanged for over 1,000 years...a smith smites and his honoured name rings down the ages like an anvil."

HOWEVER this research looks as if it is erroneous. There is a strong possibility that the 1852 birth certificate of EDWIN FREDERICK BELL may contain information that is incorrect and JAMES BELL may not be his biological father at all. This is discussed fully on the page devoted to JAMES BELL and EMMA HOBBS

Note on references

Barnet, Hertford, England. Christenings and Marriages (FamilySearch.Org, IGI, (1) Marriages: Barnet, Herts parish register, 1560-1702, #0991347, Film No. 6911514; and (2) Christenings: Film or fiche number: 0991409-10 Parish registers, 1560-1916 Church of England. Parish Church of Barnet (Hertfordshire) (sources not yet viewed):

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This page was last updated on 21/02/07 12:52