Blann-Watts Genealogy

Welcome to the Bell Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring six generations of Bells in the line of George Bell Sr. of County Durham, England as well as the line of Thomas Bennett of Somerset, England.
 

 

9. Hannah Bell --  Hannah Bell was born in Surry County, Virginia in 1723 and died in May of 1788 in Chatham County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of John Bell (born in 1696 in Surry Co, VA, and died there April 1, 1746) and Hannah Stokes (born 1690 in Surry Co, VA and died there in March 1768).  Hannah married William Thompson around 1744 in Surry Co. VA. They moved from Virginia to Chatham Co. NC (then Orange Co. NC)  in the early 1760s. Although Hannah Bell Thompson's 1784 will does not mention Charles Thompson, DNA evidence and marriage records support the likelihood that she is his mother. I have a 24 DNA matches to various children of William and Hannah, including John (b.1744), Balaam (1745-1798), Mary (Martha) Self (1751-1854), Elizabeth Ann Kendrick (1760-1800), Susannah Kendrick (1749-1845), Sarah Terryll (1754-1808), Mary Self (1751-1784), and Hannah Terryll (1757-1784). Amos Thompson may also have been a son but since he was already deceased in 1781, he would not have been mentioned in the will of 1784.
 

​10. John Bell -- John Bell Jr. was born ca.1699 in Spring Swamp Isle of Wight County, Virginia,, and died May 25, 1746 in Surry County, Virginia. His parents were John Andrew Bell (Sr.) and Anne Bennett. John's wife was named Hannah but her surname is unknown. Some sources identify her as Hannah Stokes (b.1690 in Surry Co, VA and died in 1768 in  Surry Co., VA) daughter of Sylvanus Stokes Jr. (1656-1748) and Susannah Jones (1660-1742). Another candidate is Hannah Jefferson (1700-1765), daughter of Edward Jefferson (1675-1760). John's brother, Joseph Bell, of Lawnes Creek Parish, named John as his executor.in the will of Jan. 5, 1732. The Will was probated July 18, 1733 and bequeathed 150 acres to his brother, Burrell Bell, and the rest of his estate to John. Both John and Hannah left wills which mention the following children: John (ca.1718-1748), married Phoebe Stokes, Burrell (1720-1784), Ann (b.1721), Benjamin (1722-17879),  Hannah (ca.1723-1788), married William Thompson, Balaam (ca.1724-1755), Rev. James Bell (ca.1726-1778), Mary (ca.1728-ca.1815). In the will he bequeathed to "my Daughter Hannah Thompson five shillings." A 1728 Surry Co., VA land purchase shows John Bell and his wife, Hannah, selling 180 acres of land to William Clarke, land which was previously owned by Richard Bennett Sr, and borders the property of James Bennett. Richard Bennett Sr. was the grandfather and James the uncle of John Bell's mother, Ann Bennett. (Deeds, Wills Etc. Part 3, 1715-1730, Surry County, Virginia: Surry. Deeds 1715–1732 of FamilySearch).

11. John Andrew Bell (Sr.) -- John was born in 1668 in Isle of Wight, VA. and died on June 17, 1713 in Surry Co, VA. He testified in a law suit in Surry Co. VA on July 9, 1705 that he was 37 years of age. His parents were Richard Bennett, Jr. and Sarah Young. John married Anne Bennett (1675-1736) in 1694 in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. The family of Ann Bennett is  discussed more fully at the bottom of this page.  The children of John and Sarah Bell were: Richard (1695- 1735), John (1696-1746), Benjamin (ca.1705-1751), Joseph, William (after 1705-1725), Thomas (ca. 1710-ca. 1758) and Rebecca (ca. 1695 - 1710). The parents of John's wife, Ann Bennett,  were Richard Bennett, Jr.  and Anne Pierce of Isle of Wight, Virginia. John died intestate in 1713 and an inventory of his estate was filed by Ann, his wife. Ann subsequently died about 1736 in Surry County, Virginia.
 

12. Richard Bell (Jr.) -- Richard was born in 1631 in Durham, England and died April 9, 1700 in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. His parents were Richard Bell Sr. and Sarah (Ashby?). Richard Sr. had immigrated to Virginia in 1648 and was a wealthy landowner who patented 500 acres in 1637; 400 acres in James City in 1638; 650 acres in 1642, 1100 acres in Isle of Wight; and in 1650 patented 560 acres and 300 acres at Green Springs." Richard Jr. may have stayed behind in England to become educated. After he joined his father, he likely lived, worked and helped manage his father's plantation and assisted in the business of shipping products from the colonies to England and elsewhere. Richard Jr. married Sarah Young (1630-before 1700?) about 1658 in Isle of Wight, VA. Sarah was thought to have been born in Northamptonshire, England. They had six known sons: George, Ross, John, Benjamin, Joseph and Andrew. Records for James City where Richard lived burned in a fire in Richmond destroying whatever records might have existed about his later life. Fortunately John Bennett Boddie has collected a great deal of information from available records and published them in several volumes called, "Southside Virginia Families," a source of much of what we know about the Bell and Bennett families of 17th century Virginia. Richard Bell died in 1700, likely predeceased by his wife, Sarah.

13. Richard Bell (Sr.) -- Richard was born  June 15, 1605 either in Sockburn, Durham, England (or Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England) and died in 1686 in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. Richard immigrated to Virginia around 1638 or 1648 (An immigration record shows a Richard Bell arriving in Virginia in 1638). His father was George Bell Sr. and his mother is unknown. The James City records were later burned in Richmond resulting in the loss of most of the records concerning Richard Jr. and Sr. However, there is a probate record of Richard Bell in 1686, which lists the names Richard Bell, his wife Sarah (surname uncertain) and names sons Richard Jr., George, Nicholas & Edmund and daughters Mary and Sarah. A Geneanet Community Trees Index on Ancestry.com gives Sarah's surname as Ashby, daughter of George Ashby of Northamptonshire, England, but I have found no records to substantiate this). It is unknown how many, if any, of thir children immigrated to Virginia. At least one son, George Bell  and his wife Hester Webster, born in 1630 and 1634 respectfully in County Durham, England and their two oldest children, John and Margaret, likely immigrated to The Colony about 1660.

14. George Bell (Sr.) -- George was born ca. 1576 in Wayneford, Northampton County, England and died
ca. 1655 in Northampton County, Virginia. His wife's name is uncertain but may be Lorna Willowby. George and his wife had two known sons, George Bell Jr. (b.1598) and Richard Bell, (b.1605).
George Sr. immigrated to America in 1650 after his wife died in about 1645 and he died in 1655 in Virginia, British Colonial America. Some researchers believe George may have been the son of William Bell ( born ca. 1530-1540 in Norfolk, England; died Northampton England), who may have been the son of a John Bell (born ca. 1490-1500 in York, Yorkshire, England and died in 1556 in Worcester, England) but this is unconfirmed. (Source: : Bell Family History by Al Barrs, oldest Son of Evia Adetha Bell; Southside Virginia Families Vol. I pg. 29).

BENNETT:

11. Ann Bennett-- Ann was born on June 1, 1675 in Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia and died there on June 1, 1753. She was the wife of John Bell  Sr. (1668-1713), who was the son of Richard Bell and Sarah Young.  John Bell and Ann married in 1694 in Isle of Wight, VA. Ann's grandfather, Richard Bennett, Sr., granted permission for John Bell to marry his grandaughter, Ann, and on Aug, 30, 1694 bequeathed her a gift of land as follows: "Whereas Ann, now the wife of John Bell, lately Ann Bennett , daughter of Richard Bennett (Jr.) of the Upper Parish of Isle of Wight County -- with the consent of Richard Bennett (Sr.) the grand-father of said  Ann -- I the said Richard Bennett, for love and affection I bear to said granddaughter 45 acres on Pocatink Swamp part of 630 A., granted said Bennett in Lower Parish of Surry, bounds on the land now in the possession of my son, James Bennett. Aug. 30, 1694." Signed Richard Bennett with witnesses: John Bell, James  Bennett, & Joseph Ford Rec'd: Sept 4, 1694." (Chapman collection of Virginia family names, Smithfield Branch, Isle of Wight on FamilySearch). The children of John and Ann Bell were: Richard (1695- 1735), John (1696-1746), Benjamin (ca.1705-1751), Joseph, William (after 1705-1725), Thomas (ca. 1710-ca. 1758) and Rebecca (ca. 1695 - 1710).  Ann's parents were Richard Bennett, Jr. (born ca. 1650- in Isle of Wight Co.,VA-ca.1720 in Virginia) and Ann Pierce (born ca,1655 in Isle of Wight Co., VA-1710 in Surry Co., NC ). Ann Pierce's parents are unknown.

12. Richard Bennett Jr.--Richard was born ca. 1647 in Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia and died after Dec.29, 1720 in Isle of Wight, Virginia, Richard's parents were Anne Barham  and Richard Bennett Sr.. He married Ann Pierce who was born ca.1655-65 in Isle of Wight, VA and died  ca.1720. On July 5, 1699 his father gave him land in Isle of Wight County, Virginia which he had purchased in 1656 from William Miles.  He made his will March 3, 1720, and it was proved May 23, 1720 at Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The will mentions: sons Richard (Jr.), James, daughter Silvester Manggum, granddaughter Francis Manggum, as well as Jane Coffer and her two sons,  Rob and John, as well as Magdalen and Rich Coffer and William Allen (relation of the Coffers and Wm. Allen to Richard are not specified. Two additional children not mentioned in the will are William Bennett and Ann Bell. Richard' was a widow at the time of his death.

13. Richard Bennett Sr.--The father of Richard Jr., Richard Sr. was born in Isle of Wight, Colony, of, Virginia on Aug.6, 1625 and died there on Dec. 4, 1709. Richard married Anne Barham on June 1, 1642. Ann was born ca. 1625 in Broughton, Kent, England and died after 1682 in Isle of Wight, Virginia . She was the daughter of Robert Barham (born in 1598 in Broughton-Monchelsey, Kent, England and died on May 11, 1653 in East Sutton, Kent, England) and Katherine Filmer (b. ca. 1597 in Kent, England and died there on Dec.3, 1662). (For more on Anne Barnam, see the bottom of the page.) In 1688, after Ann Barham's death in ca. 1682, Richard married Sarah Harrison and named her in his 1709 will.  (Christ Church Parish, Virginia Marriages, 1653-1812) Sarah was later remarried to Robert Lancaster after Richard's death and died ca. 1720.
    John Bennett Boddie writes in his Seventeeth Century Isle of Wight County Virginia (Ch.16) that Richard Bennett Sr. "resided at Blackwater in the vicinity of the plantations of Justinian Cooper and Francis England, for in 1669 Thomas Wood, 'son of Arthur Wood, and Sarah Wooten his mother, relict of Arthur deceased,' deeded him land and in the deed he is mentioned as 'Richard of Blackwater.' ... In 1682, Richard Bennett patented 630 acres in the Lower Parish of Surry County... As he did not receive and land for his own transportation it seems therefore that he was born in Virginia."  This fits with the immigration record showing that his father, Thomas Bennett, immigrated from England to Virginia in 1618 on "the Neptune" and resided in Virginia when Richard was born. His wife, Alice,who married Thomas Pierce and had a daughter by him named Elizabeth, emigrated from England with her husband and daughter in 1618 on the "William and Thomas" ship. Richard's family continued to live in Surry County, VA for over the next several generations. Richard left land to his sons James and Richard Jr., giving to James 200 acres in the Lower Parish of Surry County and to Richard Jr., "son and heir,...all right and title in land that belonged to Edward Jones then taking in the plantation Richard Bennett now lives, being part of land bought of William Miles in 1656." (Ibid)  Fifteen years before his death Richard left a gift of land in Surry County to his grandaughter, Ann Bennett Bell.
    Richard made his will as "Richard Bennett, Sr." on December 4, 1709 and it was probated on February 25, 1710. In the will he names his four children: Susan, Martha, Richard and James. Richard's parents were Thomas Bennett and Alice Snayle, who immigrated from England to Isle of Wight, VA.
 
Note: Richard Bennett Sr. (b.1625) is not the same individual as Gov. Richard Bennett (1609-1675) who married Maryann Utie was the first Puritan English Governor of the Colony of Virginia and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. The father of Gov. Richard Bennett was also named Thomas Bennett but he never immigrated to Virginia, and died in England in 1616.  Richard Bennett (b.1625) is of the Blackwater Bennetts (Y-DNA haplogroup R1b-BY172987) while Gov. Richard Bennett's family is of the Nansemond Bennetts They may be related but further DNA testing is needed to verify the relationship..

14. Thomas Bennett-- The father of Richard Bennett Sr., Thomas was born ca. 1585 in Wilvescomb, Somerset, England and died before 1642 in Isle of Wight Co., VA. He  immigrated to Virginia aboard the Neptune in 1618. Sometime before 1625, Richard married Alice Snayle (her surname is uncertain) who was born on Jan. 1, 1593 in Heacham, Norfolk, England and died on July 19, 1647 in Isle of Wight Co., VA, and was the widow of Thomas Pierce, of Mulberry Island. During the Second Anglo-Powhatan War Thomas Pierce was killed in the Massacre of 1622 at Martin's Hundred at which time his widow and daughter, Alice and Elizabeth, were captured by the Indians who held them for ransom along with 18 other captives for around a year. After their release, the widow Alice Snayle Pierce married Thomas Bennett and her daughter, Elizabeth, chose him as her legal guardian to protect her rights to the estate of her deceased financè John Filmer in 1624. (After Richard's death, Alice may have married a third time to Richard Jackson in 1641.) Alice was a witness against John Proctor for cruelty to a serving maid named Elizabeth Abbott, on Oct. 10, 1624.
    Anne Barham Bennett's brother, Anthony Barham, who married Elizabeth Pierce (ca.1612-1700), daughter of Thomas Pierce and Alice Snayle, names "brother-in-law Richard Bennett" in his will of 1641. Alice's daughter, Elizabeth Pierce, names her father-in-law [step-father] Thomas Bennett in a power of attorney filed in 1624.

       The 1624 census shows Thomas and wife Alice living on the south side of the James River near Lawne's Creek. Later they moved across the James River to Mulberry Island in Warwick County, where Alice owned land. In 1632, Thomas was elected to the House of Burgesses from Mulberry Island. (New River Notes - The Colonial Virginia Register.) The House of Burgesses convened in Jamestown, so representatives from Mulberry Island, like Thomas, would travel there to participate in legislative sessions, working alongside burgesses from other settlements, the Governor, and the Governor’s Council to create laws and policies for the entire colony. After the 1622 Powhatan uprising, the House of Burgesses worked to coordinate colony-wide defenses. Jamestown was a primary trade and supply hub, and settlements like Mulberry Island, which was located on fertile land along the James River, contributed to the colony's agricultural output—especially tobacco. Mulberry Island’s position on the James River, near Jamestown, made it an essential contributor to the colony’s survival.
     Thomas died sometime before 1642. His parents are unknown.
 

BARHAM:

13. Anne Barham-- The likely wife of Richard Bennett Sr. and mother of Richard Bennett Jr., Anne was born ca. 1632  in Broughton-Monchelsey, Kent, England and presumably died after 1682 (when she is last mentioned as the dower in a deed) in Isle of Wight, Virginia. Anne was the daughter and seventh child of Robert Barham and Katherine Filmer   Her father, Robert Barham, was born in 1598 in Broughton-Monchelsey, Kent, England and died in 1653 in East Sutton, Kent, England. His parents were Robert Barham Sr. (1570-1631) and Susannah Sayre  (1576-1450) of Kent, England. Anne's mother, Katherine Filmer is profiled on the Filmer Family page. Anne Barham was named in the 1635 will of her maternal grandmother, Dame Elizabeth Filmer, where she was referred to along with her sister Susan as "..two younger daughters of my said daughter Katherine, 40 shillings apiece." (Virginia Gleanings in England: Abstracts of 17th and 18th-Century English Wills by Lothrop Withington.)  Records show that Richard Bennett Sr. had a wife named Anne, however there is no proof that she was Anne Barham or that Anne Barham of Kent ever immigrated to America (nor if she married in England to anyone else. However, Anthony Barham, who is Anne brother called Richard Bennett Sr. his brother-in-law and that has many researchers to conclude that Richard's wife is Anne Barham. Below we present the evidence that suggests that Anne Barham may have been Mrs. Richard Bennett.

Anne Barham royal ancestry: The 1641 will of Jamestown colonist, Anthony Barham (1600-1641), states that he is related to his "brother-in-law Richard Bennett" and to "Mother Bennett." Some commentators believe that the relationship was by Anthony's marriage to Elizabeth Pierce, a child of Alice Snayle's first marriage to Thomas Pierce (b.1590, who immigrated with his family to Virginia in 1519 and was killed by Indians in the Powatan uprising of 1622, his wife and child being captured by the Indians for over a year before their release). Alice's second marriage was to Thomas Bennett, with whom she also had one son, Richard Bennett and one daughter (Mary?) who married Richard Jackson and had a daughter named Mary Jackson. mentioned in a deed as granddaughter of Alice Bennett. Per the will, Anthony Barham's wife, Elizabeth Pierce is the half-sister of Richard Bennett Sr. and their common mother ("Mother Bennett") is Thomas Bennett's wife, Alice (Pierce). Author  John Bennett Boddie says that Alice is clearly "Mother Bennett"--she is both the mother of Elizabeth Pierce and Richard Bennett Sr. The evidence strongly suggests that the wife named Anne who was married to Richard Bennett was the sister of Anthony Barham since Anthony states in his will that he is the brother-in-law of  Richard Bennett; also, both Anne and Anthony are named as children of Robert Barham and Katherine Filmer in "Magna Carta Ancestry" (an authoritative book by Richardson and Everingham about descents from the famous Magna Carta Barons of 1215 for those who emigrated from the British Isles to the North American colonies in the 17th century). Although Anthony Barham's will does not mention Anne, there is another abstract of the probate record which contains a second record of his kinsperson, Anne Barham, of Canterbury, Kent, widow.  The royal pedigree below is given by Douglas Richardson in his book The Plantagenet Ancestry:

• i. John of England and mistress Clemence

• ii. Joan of England and Llywelyn Ap Iorwerth

• iii. Gwaldus Ddu of Wales and Ralph De Mortimer

• iv. Roger De Mortimer and Maud De Brewes

• v. Isabel De Mortimer and John Fitz Alan

• vi. Richard Fitz Alan and Alice De Saluzzo

• vii. Edmund De Arundel and Alice De Warenne

• viii. Richard De Arundel and Isabel Le Despencer

• ix. Edmund De Arundel and Sibyl De Montagu

• x. Philippe Arundel and Richard Sergeaux

• xi. Philippa Sergeaux and Robert Pashley

• xii. John Pashley and Elizabeth Wydeville

• xii. John Pashley and Lady Louise Gower

• xiii. Elizabeth Pashley and Reynold Pympe

• xiv. Anne Pympe and John Scott

• xv. Reginald Scott and Mary Tuke

• xvi. Mary Scott and Richard Argall

• xvii. Elizabeth Argall and Edward Filmer

• xviii. Katherine Filmer and Robert Barham

    Anne, wife of Richard Bennett, is named as the daughter of Robert Barham and Katherine Filmer in Magna Carta Ancestry, but is not listed as a Gateway Ancestor in vol. I List of Colonial Immigrants. While various sources including the 1679 baptismal records from Kent, England establish that Richard's first wife was named Anne, there is some uncertainty about Anne's maiden name. However, there are also indications that Richard's first wife, Anne, was a Barham due the relationship stated in the Pierce family wills. Douglas Richardson's entry in Magna Carta Ancestry (2nd ed., 2011)  lists only Charles Barham, as a Gateway Ancestor. This is significant because Anne is thought to be the sister of Capt. Charles Barham, Gent., son of Robert Barham and Katherine Filmer, who was born in Kent, England in about 1626. Charles was descended from a long line of royalty dating back to Alice of Normandy, sister of William the Conqueror, Edward I, and the Emperor Charlemagne. Charles was named in the wills of both of his maternal grandparents, Sir Edward Filmer (will proved 5 December 1629) and Dame Elizabeth Argall Filmer (will dated 23 March 1635, proved 16 August 1638), effectively confirming his royal ancestry. Dame Elizabeth Filmer's will in 1638 also mentions three additional grandchildren: John, Susan and Anne Barham. While 1682 is given in some sources, Find-a-grave lists Anne Barham's date of death as Dec.4,1709 at age 85 in Isle of Wight, VA (born in 1625 in Kent, England).
 

 

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