James Montgomery Bell vs. James M. Bell

James Montgomery Bell vs. James M. Bell

I have found much research that has been done for these two gentlemen, and much of it overlaps.  Digging through the records, here is what I have discovered:

William Bell (b. 1740, Virginia) and Mary Foster (b. 1745, Virginia) had several children.  Among them, were two sons:

Judge William Bell, Sr., born in 1768, Virginia

Married about 1786 to Sarah Knight, born in 1768, Virginia

Son, James M. Bell, born in 1815, Kentucky

Married in 1845 to Mary Ann Elizabeth Hall, born 1825, Kentucky

Thomas Bell, born in 1773, Virginia

Married about 1799 to Hannah Boggess, born in 1781, Kentucky

            Son, James Montgomery Bell, born in 1812, Kentucky

            Married in 1835 to Nancy G. Boggess, born in 1814, Kentucky

Much of the research that has been done suggests that James Montgomery Bell and James M. Bell are the same person, having married Nancy G. Boggess first, and then Mary Ann Elizabeth Hall, ten years later. 

That assumption is false. 

James M. Bell and Mary Ann Elizabeth Hall appear in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 US Census records, all in McCracken County, Kentucky.

Meanwhile, James Montgomery Bell and Nancy G. Boggess are listed in the 1840 and 1850 US Census Records in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and 1860 in Hopkins County, Kentucky.

The information listed in the 1850 and 1860 US Census Records proves that James M. Bell and James Montgomery Bell are not the same person.

James Montgomery Bell (1812- bef 1900)

Note:  click here for more information regarding the research of James Montgomery Bell

James Montgomery Bell was born in 1812 in Lewisberg, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.  He was the sixth child born to Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess.  He was raised on the family farm in Muhlenberg County.

On March 19, 1835, James married his cousin, Nancy G. Boggess.  He was 23 years old and she was 20 years.  Nancy was born in Muhlenberg County in 1814, the daughter of Robert Boggess (brother to Hannah Boggess) and Rosannah Reynolds.

           

James and Nancy had three children:

                       

                        Eliza               born in 1837

                        Mary               born in 1839

                        Ann                born in 1844

In 1840 and 1850, James and Nancy were living on a farm in Runney, Muhlenberg County. 

By 1860, the family had moved to Madisonville, Hopkins County, Kentucky, where James continued his work as a farmer.

There is a gentleman buried in the Wright Cemetery in Hubbard, Wayne County, Illinois, whose information closely matches that of James Montgomery Bell.  J. M. Bell was born on April 14, 1812 in Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and died on December 29, 1864 in Xenia, Clay County, Illinois.

Notes for James Montgomery Bell

Birth:  Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.

Marriage to Nancy:  Muhlenberg County Marriages, 1799-1901.  Accessed 12 January 2008. http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/USA/files/MUHLEN.TXT

1840 US Census:  Year: 1840; Census Place: Runney, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: 120; Page: 346; Image: 699; Family History Library Film: 0007830.  Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

1850 US Census:  Year: 1850; Census Place: Subdivision 2, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: M432_214; Page: 227B; Image: 495.  Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

1860 US Census:  Year: 1860; Census Place: Madisonville, Hopkins, Kentucky; Roll: M653_374; Page: 836; Image: 394; Family History Library Film: 803374.  Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Possible Death?: Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi

Notes for Nancy G. Boggess

Birth:  Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.

Children:  Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.

Notes for Eliza, Mary, and Ann Bell

Birth:  Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.

Sarah Ann Bell (1809- )

Sarah Ann Bell was born about 1809 in Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  She was the fifth of seven children born to Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess.

Sarah married Eli B. Hobbs, a native of Kentucky, born about 1803.  Eli was the son of Samuel Eli Hobbs and Elizabeth Hamilton.  Sarah and Eli were married in 1847, presumably in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.  This was Eli’s second marriage. 

Eli married Lavina McMakin on September 22, 1825 in Nelson, Kentucky.  Lavina was born on February 12, 1806 in the same county, the daughter of William McMakin and Zilphia Pullen.  In 1840, Eli and Lavina were living in Nelson, Kentucky.  Lavina McMakin Hobbs died in June 1844 in Nelson, Kentucky. 

Eli and Lavina had the following five children:

                        William M. Hobbs                              born February 1832

                        Margaret Hamilton Hobbs               born August 1837

                        Susan Elizabeth Hobbs                  born about 1839                  

                        Mary Ellen Hobbs                            born about 1841

                        Eli Hamilton Milton Hobbs              born September 1843                    

Eli and Sarah had one daughter:   

                        Martha Ann B. Hobbs                    born 1850

Eli was a Physician and Sarah kept house.  Eli’s profession seemed to move the family around a great deal, as the family was found in several different locations in the Census records.  In 1850 the family was living next to Sarah’s parents, Thomas and Hannah Bell, in District 1, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  The Eli Hobbs family was found in Rumsey, McLean, Kentucky in 1860, and again in Muhlenberg in 1870.  Eli’s profession must have been very profitable because in 1860 his two eldest children listed in that census possessed personal estate, presumably a dowry, valued at $2,000.00 each.

Eli Hobbs is not found in the 1870 US Census and it is therefore assumed that he died between 1860 and 1870. 

Sarah lived in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky with her youngest daughter, Martha Ann, after her husband died.  She must have died before 1880 as she was not found in that Census.

Notes for Sarah Ann Bell

Birth:  Year: 1850; Census Place: District 1, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: M432_214; Page: 177; Image: 355.  August 5, 1950

Marriage:  Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Source number: 2322.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JDM.

Notes for Eli Hobbs

Birth, Occupation, & Residence in 1860:  Year: 1860; Census Place: Rumsey, McLean, Kentucky; Roll: M653_384; Page: 0; Image: 14.

Notes for Lavina McMakin

Birth, Marriage & Death:  www.New.FamilySearch.org

Daughter Bell (1808/1820)

Daughter Bell

Daughter of Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess

 

 

Daughter Bell was born about 1808 in Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  From the 1810 US Census we learn that she lived to about age two or three.  She does not appear in the 1820 US Census, which leads me to believe she died as a child.

Notes for Daughter Bell

Birth:  Year: 1810; Census Place: Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: 7; Page: 401; Image: 418.00.

Death:  Year: 1820; Census Place: Lewisburg, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: M33_20; Page: 141B; Image: 157.

 

William Bell (1807- )

William Bell

Son of Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess

 

William Bell was born on January 2, 1807 in Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  He was the third of seven children born to Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess.  He was raised in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. 

I am having a difficult time finding William Bell because I cannot find any conclusive information regarding a marriage date, spouse information, etc. 

William might have died on October 17, 1867; however I don’t have any absolute proof of this.

Notes for William Bell

Birth & Death:  Information found in the International Genealogical Index at www.familysearch.org

Charles C. Bell (1806-1872)

Charles C. Bell

Son of Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess

Charles C. Bell was born about 1806 in Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  He was the second of seven children born to Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess.  He was raised in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. 

Charles married Phoebe Young Reynolds on March 5, 1832 in Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  Phoebe was born in Muhlenberg, Kentucky on Aug 9, 1809, the daughter of Richard David Reynolds and Nancy Grisham.  Charles and Phoebe had three children:

                        Cynthia Ann               born September 24, 1833

                        Etheline                       born October 1835

                        Thomas R.                   born 1837

Charles was an enterprising merchant in Greenville for many years.  In the latter part of the 1850’s he moved his family to Paducah in McCracken County, Kentucky.  By 1870, Charles was the Justice of the Peace in Paducah, with his real estate valued at $8,000 and his personal estate at $1,000. 

Charles C. Bell died on January 9, 1872 in Jefferson County, Kentucky at the age of 66 years.  The cause of death listed was “Softening of the Brain.” 

It is difficult to determine when Phoebe died.  There are no US Census records for Kentucky in 1890.  They were destroyed “by a fire at the Commerce Department in Washington, DC on January 10, 1921.”  Phoebe must have died between 1880 and 1900 for she is not found in the 1900 US Census. 

Notes for Charles C. Bell

Birth & Death:  Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1953 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

Marriage:  Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Source number: 2059.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JDM.

Residence & Occupation in 1850:  Year: 1850; Census Place: Subdivision 2, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: M432_214; Page: 255; Image: 511.

Residence & Occupation in 1870:  Year: 1870; Census Place: Paducah, McCracken, Kentucky; Roll: M593_487; Page: 119; Image: 238.

Notes for Phoebe Young Reynolds

Birth:  Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Source number: 2059.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JDM.

  

Wyley A. Bell (1804- )

Wyley A. Bell

Son of Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess

Wyley A. Bell was born about 1804 in Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky.  He was the first of seven children born to Thomas Bell and Hannah Boggess.  He was raised in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. 

Wyley is not found (by name) in any US Census in Kentucky—that is to say, I can’t find him as head of any family.  He is most likely one of the children listed in the 1810 and 1820 US Census.  He might have died young, but I have found no death date to prove it. 

There was a Wyley A. Bell found in the 1850 US Census in the household of a James W. Bell.  Wyley was 33 at the time, which makes me wonder if I have Wyley and Montgomery mixed up.  I couldn’t find a Montgomery Bell in the 1850 US Census.  I couldn’t find a Wyley Bell in the 1860 US Census.

Notes for Wyley A. Bell

Birth:  Year: 1810; Census Place: Greenville, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: 7; Page: 401; Image: 418.00.

Residence in 1850:  Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, McCracken, Kentucky; Roll: M432_211; Page: 183; Image: 368.

Hannah Boggess (1787-1863)

Hannah Boggess

Daughter of Richard H. Boggess & Nancy (Ann) Smith

Hannah Boggess was the ninth child born to Richard H. Boggess and Nancy (Ann) Smith.  She was born about 1787 in Prince William County, Virginia, or in North Carolina. 

Hannah married Thomas Bell October 2, 1803 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.  She was 16 years old and he was 30 years.  Thomas was born in Caroline County, Virginia on April 29, 1773, the son of William Bell and Mary Foster.  

Thomas and Hannah were the parents of the following seven children:

                        Wyley A.                                 born about 1804

                        Charles C.                               born about 1806

                        William                                    born January 2, 1807

                        (Daughter)                               born about 1808

                        Sarah Ann                              born about 1809

                        James Montgomery                 born 1812

                        Martha H.                                born August 29, 1820

Thomas and Hannah Bell lived with their children in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky for the remainder of their lives.  Thomas was a prominent man in Muhlenberg County and was colonel of the militia for a number of years. 

Thomas Bell died on November 14, 1852 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at the age of 79.  Hannah Boggess Bell died ten years and ten months later on September 16, 1863 in the same county.  She was about 76 years old.

 
Notes for Hannah Boggess

Birth and Death:  Ancestry.com, OneWorldTree for Thomas Bell. Accessed on 12 Jan 2008.  http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=24843210.

Marriage:  Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Marriages, by Mrs. Evelyn M. Cox and Mrs. Leila F. McCulley

Notes for Thomas Bell

Birth and Death:  Ancestry.com, OneWorldTree for Thomas Bell. Accessed on 12 Jan 2008.  http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=24843210.

Military Career & Residence:  Kentucky newspaper, The Record, issue published on December 8, 1910, page 2, “The Bell Brothers” article:  http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87060049/1910-12-08/ed-1/seq-2/