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.
 

 

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 in 1742. They moved from Sussex Co., VA 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 22 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), Hannah Terryll (1742-1784) and William Thompson (1747-1797). 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.1696- 1700 in Isle of Wight Co., 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, 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). 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).

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. His parents were Richard Bell and Sarah Young. John married Anne Bennett (1675-1736) on Aug, 30, 1694 in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. Their children 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). John's mother, Anne Bennett, was born in 1676 in Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia and died in Surry Co.,VA ca.1736. Her parents were Richard Bennett, Jr. (born ca. 1650- in Isle of Wight Co.,VA-ca.1720 in Virginia) and Anne Pierce (born ca,1655 in Isle of Wight Co., VA-1710 in Surry Co., NC (Familysearch has Ann Cofer as Richard's wife); Richard was Anne's second husband). Anne's parents are unknown. Richard's parents were Anne Barham (b.1625 in Broughton, Kent, England-d. 1682 in VA, Richard Sr.'s first wife; married in 1654) and Richard Bennett Sr. (1625-1709), son of Thomas Bennett (ca. 1585 in Wilvescomb, Somerset, England-died before 1642 in Isle of Wight Co., VA) and Alice Snayle (Jan. 1, 1593 in Heacham, Norfolk, England-July 19, 1647 in Isle of Wight Co., VA).  Richard Sr. had three wives: the first was named Mary ___  (widow of Daniel Lewis), the second wife was Alice Snayle (Pierce), and the third was Sarah ____ (who later married Robert Lancaster). Richard married Sarah in 1698 and named her in his 1709 will. 
     Notes: Richard Bennett Sr. (b.1625) is not the same as Richard Bennett (b.1609) who was the first Puritan English Governor of the Colony of Virginia.
      Possible 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 child, Richard Bennett. (Alice would remarry a third time to Richard Jackson.) This would make Anthony Barham's wife, Elizabeth, the half-sister of Richard Bennett and their common mother ("Mother Bennett") Thomas Bennett's wife, Elizabeth (Pierce). Other researchers, using the same will, conclude that Anne was a sister of Anthony Barham and provide the royal pedigree below as given by Douglas Richardson in his book "The Plantagenet Ancestry:" (While 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. )
 

• 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 realtionship 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). Richard Bennet Sr. left a will dated Aug, 30, 1694 saying, "Ann Bennett, who is now the wife of John Bell. I give gift of land along James River, my Grand-daughter," which helps establish their relationships.

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 to become educated. After he joined his father, he likely lived, worked 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. They had these known sons: George, Ross, John, Benjamin, Joseph and Andrew.

13. Richard Bell (Sr.) -- Richard was born  June 15, 1605 Sockburn, Durham, England and died in 1686 in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. Richard immigrated to Virginia in 1648. His father was George Bell Sr. 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 ___  and names sons Richard Jr., George, Nicholas & Edmund and daughters Mary and Sarah. It is unknown how many, if any of these 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 inWayneford, 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 died in 1655 in Virginia, British Colonial America. (Source: : Bell Family History by Al Barrs, oldest Son of Evia Adetha Bell; Southside Virginia Families Vol. I pg. 29)

 

​