John Bell (son of John Bell and Celia Gough) was born 1803 in Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England, and died 14 Sep 1894 in Armidale, NSW, Aus142. He married Martha Dowzell on 1832 in Bristol, England143.
Notes for John Bell: BAPTISM John Bell was baptised on the same day (23 June 1807) as his brother, William, and sister Ann. They were baptised at Tortworth, Gloucestershire, England.
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According to his immigration records John Bell, a Farm Labourer, was aged 46 years when he came to Australian on board the 'Bejapore' arriving in Port Jackson on the 9th February 1853. His records indicate that he could read and that his religion was Church of England.
These records also indicate that his Wife, Martha, could read and of his children who accompanied him on the journey Elizabeth could read as could Joseph and Ann while William and Henry could both read and write. Neither Eliza nor John the two youngest could read or write.
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1851 CENSUS
John and Martha Bell living at Avening within Tortworth Parish, Gloucestershire, England (MF 308, Tortworth 139)
John Bell Head Married 44 yrs Gamekeeper Place of birth = Gloucestershire, Torthworth Martha Bell Wife Married 38 yrs Gloucestershire, Old Sodbury Elizabeth Bell Dau u. 17 yrs Gloucestershire, Torthworth William Bell Son 15 yrs Gloucestershire, Torthworth Henry Bell Son 10 Scholar Gloucestershire, Torthworth Joseph Bell Son 8 Scholar Gloucestershire, Torthworth Ann Bell Dau 6 Gloucestershire, Torthworth Eliza Bell Dau 3 Gloucestershire, Torthworth John Bell Son 11 months Gloucestershire, Torthworth
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Following their arrival in Australia John, Martha and their family settled at St. Leonards near North Sydney where their son William married Elizabeth Sharp at St. Thomas' Church. For some reason some of the children seemed to have settled in the Goulburn district of New South Wales with John, Martha and the other children travelling to the Armidale area.
John and Martha settled in the Armidale district in 1854 on Tilbuster Station which was then owned by Captain Dumaresq. At the time they had 8 children (John, Joseph, Henry, William, Elizabeth, Eliza, Ellen and Amy.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * John Bell Snr. had freehold land in the Little Plain/Tilbuster/Puddledock area known as 'Killalee' while his son John Jnr. owned land at Guyra. John Bell Snr had selected his land from part of 'Myall Creek Station'.
The Inverell Electoral District Roll lists the following:- No. 96 - John Bell, Residence - Little Plain. Situate - Little Plain
The New England District Roll lists the following:- No. 260 - John Bell Snr - Freehold, situate Puddledock. Residence - Puddledock. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PROBATE NOTICE - Armidale Express, 24 Dec 1895 p.5
In the Supreme Court of New South Wales Probate Jurisdiction. In the Will of JOHN BELL Late of Puddledock, near Armidale in the colony of New South Wales, Farmer, (deceased). NOTICE is hereby given that the Accounts in the above estate have this day been filed in my Office, Chancery Square, Sydney, and all persons having any claim on the said Estate, or being otherwise interested therein are hereby required to come in before me at my said Office, on or before the 3rd day of January 1896, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, and inspect the same, and if they shall think fit object thereto; otherwise if the said accounts be not objected to the same will be examined by me and passed according to law. Dated this 19th day of December, 1895. RC MONDAY (L.S.) Deputy Registrar John Adam McDonald, Proctor, Armidale, by Dibbs & Gibson, 92 Pitt Street, Sydney
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WILL OF JOHN BELL
8244 BELL, John late of near Armidale Farmer This is the last Will of me John Bell of Puddledock near Armidale in the Colony of New South Wales Farmer I charge my personal estate with the payment of all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses and subject thereto I give devise and bequeath all and whatsoever any real and personal estate and effects unto and between all my children in equal shares, share and share alike as Tenants in Common And I declare that the share of any and every child of mine who shall die during my lifetime shall go to and be received by the issue of such deceased child and if more than one to them in equal shares as Tenants in common I appoint Jacob Scheef of Puddledock aforesaid Farmer Sole Executor of this my Will and declarer this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Armidale aforesaid this twelfth day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN BELL
Signed by the said Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses. John A McO'Donald, Solr, Armidale, J.A. Glass, Clerk Armidale.
17th January 1895 By Act of Court Probate of the last Will and Testament of the said deceased granted to Jacob Scheef of Puddledock near Armidale, Farmer, the sole Executor in the said Will named.
J.H. MCDONALD by Dibbs Gibson Testator died 14 September 1894 Estate sworn under Seventy Two pounds.
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More About John Bell: Burial: 15 Sep 1894, Armidale, NSW, Aus (Church of England Section Plot 695). Cause of death (Facts Pag: 14 Sep 1894, Decay of nature - 3 months. Christening: 23 Jun 1807, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England. Immigration: 9 Feb 1853, Per 'Beejapore'. Occupation 1: 1853, Gamekeeper/Shepherd. Occupation 2: Bef. 1850, Labourer. Occupation 3: 1850, Gamekeeper. Occupation 4: 8 May 1865, Shepherd (Tilbuster). Occupation 5: Dec 1868, Shepherd ('Killalee', Tilbuster). Occupation 6: 1894, Farmer (Puddledock, NSW). Residence 1: 1850, Avening Green, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England. Residence 2: Dec 1868, Tilbuster, near Armidale, NSW, Aus ('Killalee'). Residence 3: 1894, Puddledock, NSW, Aus.
More About John Bell and Martha Dowzell: Marriage: 1832, Bristol, England.143
Children of John Bell and Martha Dowzell are:
+Elizabeth Bell, b. 1833, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England, d. 6 Nov 1897, Puddledock, NSW, Aus.
+William Bell, b. 1836, Tortworth, Gloucestershire, England, d. 16 Apr 1912, Marulan, NSW, Aus.
+Henry Bell, b. 1840, Bristol, England, d. date unknown.
Joseph Bell, b. 1842, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England, d. date unknown.
+Ann Bell, b. 1845, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England, d. 23 Nov 1891, Aberfoyle, Armidale, NSW, Aus144.
+Eliza Bell, b. 1848, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England145, d. 6 Aug 1925.
+John Bell, b. 21 Apr 1850, Torthworth, Gloucestershire, England, d. 17 Jul 1917.
John Bell (b. 1803, d. 14 Sep 1894)
Notes for John Bell: