Robert Bell.....

bellcje · Post by **bellcje** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:53 pm

Can anybody help!

I am trying to find details of my 4 x Gt Grandfather Robert Bell.
I have quite a knowledge of him post 1802 in Alnwick, NBL.

A letter from one of his Granddaughters (1850s), claims Robert was born in Bathgate in 1774. This date would be correct but no further is known.
His first son was named John b 1803 Alnwick.
Any ideas from these scant details?
Regards
Chris Bell

Post by **paddyscar** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:12 am

WElcome to TalkingScot, Chris!

Have you checked the Old Parish Registers on ScotlandsPeople? There is a record of a birth or baptism for Robert Bell 1774-1776 in Bathgate parish, West Lothian.

It's the closest to the year you have given.

Someone may be able to offer further assistance shortly.

Good luck with your search.

Frances

momat · Post by **momat** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:33 am

This is on the IGI site All for the same person.
http://www.familysearch.org

Robert Bell, Birth/Christening, 1770 - 1780, West Lothian, Scotland, British Isles

International Genealogical Index / British Isles - 4

1. Robert Bell - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 10 JUN 1776 Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
2. Robert Bell - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 10 JUN 1776 Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
3. ROBERT BELL - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 29 MAY 1776
4. ROBERT BELL - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 10 JUN 1776 Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland

It gives his parents names and if you do a parent check it brings up all the Siblings.
Does it help ?
Cheers.

bellcje · Post by **bellcje** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:15 pm

Thank you Maureen but i have ruled out this family, mainly due to the names of the children.
They are at odds with all subsequent generations of Roberts family.
I have not yet been able to check the site that Frances mentions, hopefully wont be the same family.
I have been trying to find Robert for 5 years...starting to run out of ideas.
Thanks again,
Chris Bell.

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:58 am

Hi Chris

I would think it is most likely that it is the same person. I have no credits on Scotlandspeople at the minute, but can search without viewing results
(if you haven't used it before, you can register and search, without any payment).

http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

A search for Robert Bell 1770-1780 in Bathgate returns only 1 match & narrowing the dates the year is 1776. When I add father Robert, mother Mary I still get one match, so would assume this is the same as the submitted records on the IGI . I then gave the exact baptism date as per the IGI 10 Jun and still had 1 match.

If you think there may be spelling/transcription errors, you can use wild cards to try variations of the name.

Trish

bellcje · Post by **bellcje** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:37 pm

Thank you Trish.
I have had a look at the web site you suggested, and you are probably right in that this is the same family. Although apart from the fathers name of Robert the rest of the siblings are not repeated down the line, something which was clear in future generations of Roberts family.
I did notice a Helen Bell in Bathgate, so i am sure my Robert was there somewhere!
Regards,
Chris.

Lorna Allison · Post by **Lorna Allison** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:54 pm

Chris, I am interested in an Elspeth Bell ms Tait who may be a relative of mine. She died aged 90 in 7 March 1869 at Stoneshiel (?) Parish of Coldingham, her son Peter Bell being the informant.

I am interested in her because on a "Millenium File" on Ancestry (to be honest I am not sure what that means!) she appears as daughter of William Tait and Ann Thomson who are definitely my 4g grandparents and I knew nothing of her existence.

Your Alnwick being close-ish and the general name similarities made me think.

Elspeth married John Bell 05.08.1804 in the Parish of Makerston, Roxburghshire and they had 9 children :

George, 28.04.1805, Makerston
Elspeth, 14.10.1806, Sprouston
John, 22.02.1808, Sprouston
Thomas, 02.09.1810, Ednam
Margaret, 17.04.1812, Ednam
William, 20.03.1814, Ednam
Alexander, 25.02.1816, Ednam
James, 20.09.1818, Ednam
Robert, 03.01.1822, Ednam

If any bells ring I would be pleased to hear from you. A long shot really, hope you don't mind.

Lorna

bellcje · Post by **bellcje** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:06 pm

Hello Lorna,
The questions have to be asked, no matter how much of a long shot.
Unfortunately, the answer is, i dont know.
You are right in that there is a similarity in the names, but apart form Robert b Bathgate i have no further Scottish information.
My Robert would likely have been the same age as Elspeths father, so unless you have any links to the Bathgate area, then we are in the same boat.
It may help you to look at the families that Momat, Paddyscar and Trish have refered to above.
If you manage to establish a link let me know, i will likewise.
Regards,
Chris.

Lorna Allison · Post by **Lorna Allison** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:11 pm

Thanks Chris

I'll keep on the trail!

Lorna