BELL family of Deptford and Greenwich

The history of the BELL family is strongly linked to the water and to the area around Greenwich and Deptford on the south bank of the River Thames in London. There are several characteristics of this family that are a constant theme over nearly 300 years.

The men of the family were mainly watermen or pilots on the river but a few ventured far and wide as ocean-going mariners. The Bell women almost inevitably married men of that calling and a tight family group resulted. Those that did not sail lived in close proximity to the river and we are fortunate that a good deal of historical material is available to help build a picture of that life.

Henry Trubshaw BELL was born at Deptford St Nicholas in 1752 and was the first to be known by that name. That name appears in a further 5 generations.

I have a vast amount of information on this family and am keen to share it with anyone interested

Peter Enlund, Melbourne

Family Tree Maker Reports and Trees

• InterneTree: Descendant Tree of John BELL


• Descendant Tree of John BELL (PDF Format)


• Outline Descendant Tree: Descendants of John BELL (View PDF)

Related Files

• Ananais WEATHERLEY and Sarah Elizabeth BELL (7 KB)
  The marriage of Ananais WEATHERLEY to Sarah Elizabeth BELL in 1837 adds a significant dimension. That marriage reinforced the influence of the Greenwich area and the call of the sea to many descendants, as many of the WEATHERLEY’s were also mariners.

Related Links

• CLIPPINGDALE Family Page - Descendants of Elizabeth BELL
• Frederick William BELL VC