The family of John Bell 1781-1867

 At last!  Here's a Bell family that is fairly complete, with sources I can find.  It's an interesting family and it was an honor to stand at the grave site of John and his wife, Hannah Finch, a few years ago.  

John is the son of Robert and Mary Yost Bell, and was born in Sussex County, New Jersey in 1781.  He went west with his parents as they settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, then Belmont County, Ohio, (where he married Hannah Finch, the daughter of Jesse and Hannah (maiden name not known) Finch), then Richland County, Ohio, before finally settling in Huron County, Ohio.  He was likely a veteran of the War of 1812, but it seems to be his uncle John Bell who is listed on public records as a soldier in 1812, from Belmont County.  Records for our John has not been located, but I keep in mind a comment from someone more expert than I that every male between the age of 16 and 60 would have been at least in the local militia during the War of 1812, and John was surely in Ohio then, and of the right age.

John and Hannah had a large family, and most of their children also had large families. This has been a fun family to research and I hope I have cousins from this family who will contact me.  

Robert was the first born son, in 1803. He was married three times.  His first wife was Louisa Fletcher, whom I can't further identify but there is a J.C. Fletcher who I'm trying to trace as a possible father.  Robert and Louisa had one known child, George.  His second marriage was Maria, possibly a daughter or other relative of Benjamin Wooley.  Their children are Catherine, Ezra, John, David, Louisa, and Mary.  Robert's third marriage was to Susan Butler, the daughter of Daniel and Mary Prentiss Butler.  Their children are Daniel, Junius, Charles, Robert, Susan, and an infant whose name I have not located.  Robert died in Steuben County, Indiana in 1871.

Jesse was born in 18047 and died in 1884 in Hamilton, Caldwell County, Missouri.  He married Alletta Wooley, who may or may not also be related to Benjamin Wooley.  Their children are Emily, Paulina, George, Hannah, Charles, Louisa, Franklin, Rocliff, and Nathan.  

Anna was born in 1807 and died in 1845 in Steuben County, Indiana.  She married John Knott, the son of Joseph and Mary Adams Knott.  Their children are Robert, Hannah, and Mary known as Mollie.  There may or may not be a Thomas; if so, he apparently died young.  

John was born in 1809 and died in 1879 in Huron County, Ohio.  He married Marilda Mead, the daughter of Abraham and Deborah Barker Mead.  Their children include William, Peter, Mary, Enoch, Elizabeth, Milton, Hannah, and Josephine.  

Hannah was born in 1811 and died in 1892 in Tipton, Iowa.  She married Thomas J Knott, who was also the son of Joseph and Mary Adams Knott.  Hannah lived many different places in her life but seems to have thought of Tipton as home.  Their children are Anna, Elzy, John Wilson, Harriet, Thomas, Louisa, Albert Adams, and James.  I hope to write about this family at a future time.

Enoch was born in 1814 and died in 1885 in Morrow County, Ohio, which is just west of Richland County,  His wife was Harriet Wheeler, whom I've not been able to further identify.  They seem to have had no children together, but raised Mary Knott, the daughter of Enoch's sister Anna, above.  

David was the next son, born in 1816 and died in 1906 in Huron County, Ohio.  He first married Emeline Slocum, the daughter of Alonzo and Lavinia Williams Slocum.  Their children are Stephen, David, and John.  His second marriage was to Clarissa Stewart, the daughter of Galbreath and Anne Russel Stewart.  Their children are Cora and Edwin.  

There was a son named Joseph, or possibly two sons named Joseph.  One may have been born in 1817, but I found nothing further about him.  There was a second (?) son Joseph born in 1824 (so he would have been the youngest of the Bell children), who died in 1826.  

Nathaniel  was born in 1819 and died in 1875 in Huron County, Ohio.  He married Nancy Reynolds, the daughter of William and Sarah (maiden name unknown) Reynolds.  Their children are Jesse, William, Harried, John, Sarah, and Hannah.  Nathaniel's second wife was Elizabeth Newman, with no children born to them.  Nathaniel was a Methodist minister.  

Stephen was born in 1821 and died in 1853 in Huron County.  (I should mention that Huron County is just north of Richland County, and John's home was at the south end of the county, about 25 miles from Bellville where Robert and Mary Yost Bell are buried.)  Stephen married Bethiah Rogers, the daughter of Almonzo and Melinda Fuller Rogers.  They had three children before Stephen's death-Anna, Sarah, and Albert.  

This list gives John and Hannah about 49 grandchildren, and though they were scattered, they were surely loved.  We can see that most of the family stayed in Huron or Morrow County, Ohio, with some traveling west to Steuben County, Indiana, one settling in Missouri, and one who lived in several places, mostly Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Some of these grandchildren likely fought in the Civil War, or their own children did.  They helped America grow, and I'm proud of my Bell family.