William Bell

  Research Notes:

Linda Kelsey write:
Last night i wrote to a researcher doing some work from Buxton in
Norfork I asked him:
[I have managed to locate my great x4 grandparents William and Ann Bell
who had Matthew in 1801. Ann Bell was the daughter of the Sutton line
which lived in Buxton from 1750?- ?
I cannot trace the Bell family before William and Ann's marriage in
1787- many records are damaged as you say.]


He replies: ( interestingly Geoffrey Lowe 's ancestors may well have
lived next door to ours- what a small world! and great granny x 4 could
write neatly!!! in 1787 before statutory education.

Their marriage in 1787 gives few clues:

Entry 138, page 50
William BELL, otp, sm
Ann SUTTON, of Lammas, sw
married by banns, 16 Oxt 1787
groom X, bride sig
wit: John BULLARD, sig - Richd COPLAND, sig

Richard COPLAND was a churchwarden and witnessed many marriages. This
was the only marriage witnessed by John BULLARD, sould he be a relative?


In 1783 the marrige of John HEASEL and Sarah DYE was witnessed by Mary
SUTTEN, sig. The signature is not completely clear but that is what the
name appears to read - possibly a relation..

So, you have a bride who could at least write her own name (and neatly
too), possibly indicating that her family weren't basic ag.labs.
However, they don't appear in Poll Books for Buxton/Lamas and so this
suggests they weren't landowners - maybe tenant farmers/shopkeepers?

It is possible that William Bell maybe any of the three Williams
baptised in the 1750's in Aylsham, Blickling or Hainford (the William
bapt at Cawston died young).


[On one entry you have them as Ball but I believe it to be Bell as it
is William and Ann having their older son John- presumably there are
other children too]

Because of the poor state of Buxton registers for the turn of the
18/19th centuries, I have also indexed the ATs (online) which record the
1798 baptism as relating to John BELL.

Check the website and you'll find several other children of WIlliam +
Ann in Buxton and Lamas.

Possibly of passing interest to you..........

The 1798 Land Tax Returns are transcribed and indexed at the NFHS
library. I have a copy of the entries for Buxton which show Wm BELL
occupier of land, the proprietor being Alexander WATTS, 4d tax was paid.
The entries are not recorded alphaetically or by size of holding, this
suggests that they may be arranged topographically.

Wm BELL's entry comes just after that of 'Josh. Wm LOW' (this was a
father and son, my direct ancestors) who occupied land owned by Robt
SYMONDS. They also paid 4d tax, indicating similar sized (small)
holdings, probably just a small cottage and garden.

Combining the 1798 Land Tax Returns with the 1833 survey of Buxton and
comparing landowners and occupiers, I have extablished that some of my
family lived in Brook Street, in two cottages near to the Newbridge Inn
(also called the White Hart).

Going back to the 1798 Land Tax Returns, the entry after Wm BELL is for
Alexander WATTS, the proprietor of the land he occupied being Peter
ELWIN esq - tax paid 16d.

I think that this may indicate that Alexander WATTS held land and
sub-let a small part of it to Wm BELL. Alexander Watts died in 1807 and
his successors, Thomas and William appear to be holding his property/ies
in 1833 (probably land held by copyhold), at least part of which is in
Brook Street.

So, all this extrapolated supposition hints at your Wm BELL as living
in Brook Street, somewhere near to the Newbridge Inn. Further work by
yourself may possibly tie down the exact cottage.

If you go to the NTA website and click on 'parishes' then 'B' and
'Buxton' you'll see a link marked 'photos'. Select this and click on the
photo on the right of the top row (the red brick building with the Dutch
gable) - this is the Newbridge Inn (now a private dwelling).

Another photo of it is on the Buxton website
http://www.buxton-norfolk.co.uk/
click on 'village history' then 'buildings and places' and 'pubs'
Scroll down to the Newbridge and then 'Forge and Blacksmiths Cottages',
you can enalrge the picture by clicking on it.

IF the Land tax Returns were recorded as the surveyor went around the
village, then the row of terraced cottages just beyond the smithy may be
where your Wm Bell lived. if the Land Tax Returns are recorded at
random, then this supposition is incorrect - but it's nice to ponder
these things though, isn't it :-)

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
(Geoffrey Lowe)
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David Cunningham notes:
From 1841 census as living in Buxton
BELL William, 82 ag lab Norfolk 731/13/14 - 3.
BELL Ann, 78 Norfolk 731/13/14 - 3.

William's first 3 children were christened in Lamas but 4-7. were christened in Buxton
which suggests they may have moved between
1793 and 1795 (cf. comments above about possible dwelling).

Details of children supplied by Denise Woodhouse <denise.woodhouse@tiscali.co.uk>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William married Ann Sutton on 16 Oct 1787 in Lamas, Buxton, Norfolk, England. (Ann Sutton was baptised about 1762 in Buxton, Norfolk, England and was buried on 11 Feb 1845 in Buxton, Norfolk, England.)