| Name |
George (of Geo of Thos Sr) Bell [1] |
| Suffix |
Sr. |
| Birth |
Abt 1690 |
Marionville, Northampton Co, Virginia  [1, 2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Will - Named in Fathers will |
7 Aug 1721 |
Northampton County, Virginia, USA [1] |
- In his will George Bell gave to my three sons George, Jeodiah, and Ezekiel (after the death of my loving wife Hannah) n. girls Nan and Betty. To son Jonathan. To my dau. Rachel Powel. To my dau. Sarah Powel. To my son David. Sons George, Jeodiah and Ezekiel extrs. Witt: Edward 'X' Belote, William 'X' Brickhouse, Jacob Stringer.
|
| Biography |
1729 [3] |
- George (II) Bell may have begun farming with his father and two brothers, Jehodiah and Ezekiel, when he was in his teens, around 1715-20. Although their father's plantation was left to the three brothers, it appears that each established separate plantations over time. Deed records show that Ezekiel brought 200 acres of seaside land from Scott Grice in 1734 and that George and Ezekiel signed a deed of trust to help finance this purchase. By the time George and his brothers began farming, the Eastern Shore had been under cultivation for about one hundred years and changes in farming had occurred.
Farmers on the Eastern Shore, like those in other parts of the colony in the early 1600's, placed emphasis on the cultivation of tobacco according to Ames. Tobacco was the major export, the medium of exchange and the medium through which taxes were paid. Tobacco began to lose favor on the Shore after the middle of the century when yields dropped due to disease problems. During the 1660's England passed the "trade acts" which required that all trade from the colonies be on English ships and this drastically reduced tobacco sales to the Netherlands and other European countries. Prices of tobacco dropped sharply, resulting in a large decline in tobacco production on the Eastern Shore from which it never recovered. Reflecting this change, the legal tender on the Shore began to change from tobacco to corn as suggested by a Northamption court record of 1664 where of a total of nine debtors listed, eight of the debts were due in corn, and only one in tobacco.
Typically included on the farms in the early 1700's were small fields of Indian corn, English wheat and barley. A field of vegetables, such as carrots, onions, artichokes, potatoes, asparagus, yams and watermelons, could be expected. Each plantation had a meadow, wasteland and woodland, an important part of the farm since this supported the cattle production. Cattle production must have been important to the early Bells on the Shore since cattle were specifically mentioned in wills of both George's father and his grandfather. There were also horses, goats, sheep, swine and poultry on many farms at that time. At the end of the century, Francis Makemie (Virginia Magazine of History) wrote: "Here are stocks of all sorts raised and maintained with little industry, and by better husbandry might be improved to a high degree." Farming at the turn of the eighteenth century seems to have been a low-tech, labor intensive family enterprise.
George (II) Bell was married to Leah (maiden name unknown) and they had six children. They had two sons, Joab (1724-1794) and Robert, and four daughters, Rachel, Ann, Elizabeth, and Hannah. Little is known about any of the children except for Joab. George (II) must have been active in politics. Elizabeth Ireland reports that he served at least one term as a member of the House of Burgesses representing Northampton County at a time when the Colonial Capital of Virginia was still in Williamsburg.
In George (II) Bell's 1772 will he left his whole estate, except the Negro boy Peter, to his wife, Leah Bell, for her natural life. The Negro boy Peter was to be sold to pay off his debts. He defined his estate to include "my dwelling, one hundred acres, more or less, of land, all my Negroes, except Peter, all my household furnishings, crops, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and all other things that are my own property". After the death of his wife, he left the entire plantation to his son Joab. Again, after the death of his wife, he left the slaves as follows: Negro fellow Jack to my son Robert, Negro woman Jane to my daughter Rachel Isdall, Negro girl Ester to my daughter Anne Scott, Negro woman Bridget to my daughter Elizabeth Bell, Negro girl Comfort and my Negro girl Patience to my daughter Hannah Bell. The remainder of his estate was to be divided between the daughters, Elizabeth Bell and Hannah Bell. Elizabeth and Hannah were appointed as Executors. He adds "I also appoint my trusted friends, John Brickhouse and Hezekiah Brickhouse, as trustees to see to the management of my Estate of my will and my desire is that my Executors should do nothing concerning the management of my estate as long as my wife shall live, without the liberty of my trustees."
George (II) died at the age of eighty-two in 1772. Two of his daughters, had not married and apparently lived at the home plantation with their mother, Leah. It is curious that he left the plantation to Joab, yet appointed his Brickhouse friends as trustees to oversee the management of his estate. Why not Joab and why did the Executors, Elizabeth and Hannah, need trustees anyway? Since Ezekiel purchased 200 acres of land from Grice in 1734, is it safe to assume he moved away and left George and Jehodiah to share the 200 acres on Phillips Creek. Since there are no deeds showing that either George or Jehodiah purchased land in Northampton, it seems that they must have split their inherited land into two 100 acre tracts, thus accounting for the 100 acres mentioned in the will of Joab Bell.
|
| Reference Identifier |
N'hamp |
| Record ID |
72673 |
| Will |
28 Dec 1771 |
Northampton County, Virginia, USA [4, 5] |
- Will of George Bell (of George of Thomas)
In the name of God Amen, I George Bell of Northampton County and of the colony of Virginia being sick and weak of body but sound of memory and judgement hath a mind to settle all my worldly affairs in manner following, viz,
First and principally, I give my soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it to me hoping for salvation through the merits of Jesus Christ and my body to the Earth from whence it came to be decently buried at the charge of my executors and as for what worldly estate it hath been please God (sic) to bless me with I give in the following manner, viz.
Item. I lend my whole estate except my Negro boy Peter to my loving wife Leah Bell during her natural life be it of whatsoever kind it is (to wit) my land that I dwell on being one hundred acres, more or less, and all my Negroes except the aforesaid Peter, all my household furniture, crop, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs and all other things that is my own property.
Item. I give the aforesaid plantation, after my wife’s decease to my son Joab Bell and his heirs forever,
Item. I give my Negro fellow called Jack to my son Robert Bell after his mother Leah Bell’s decease.
Item. I give my Negro woman Jane to my daughter Rachel Isdell after the death of my wife Leah Bell.
Item. I give to my daughter Anne Scott my Negro girl named Esther after the death of my wife Leah Bell.
Item. I give my Negro woman Bridget to my daughter Elizabeth Bell after the death of my wife Leah Bell.
Item. I give to my daughter Hannah Bell my Negro girl Comfort and my Negro girl Patience after the death of my wife Leah Bell.
And all the remainder of my estate to be equally divided between my daughter Elizabeth Bell and my daughter Hannah Bell at the death of my wife Leah Bell after my just debts are paid. I also leave my Negro Boy Peter to be sold to discharge my debts. I also appoint my two daughters Elizabeth and Hannah Bell whole and sole executrix to this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty eight day of December one thousand seven hundred and seventy one.
Signed, George (his mark) Bell Senr.
I also appoint my trusty friends, John Brickhouse & Hezekiah Brickhouse as trustees to see to the management of my estate & my will and desire is that my executrix should do nothing concerning the managing of my estate as long as my wife shall live without the liberty of my trustees.
Signed, George (his mark) Bell
Witnesses:
John Brickhouse
John Pettitt
Joseph Scott
Probated: December 8, 1772. Elizabeth and Hannah Bell, executrixes.
|
| Death |
Bef 8 Dec 1772 |
Marionville, Northampton Co, Virginia [4] |
- It was on this date that his will was probated.
|
Origins  |
|
| Patriarch & Matriarch |
Robert Bell, b. Abt 1580, England d. 1657, England (Age 77 years) (Great Grandfather)  Garterude (--?--), b. Abt 1615 d. Yes, date unknown (Great Grandmother) |
| Siblings |
4 brothers and 2 sisters |
| > | 1. Jonathan Bell, b. Abt 1680, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Yes, date unknown
╚═ Frances (20) Wilkins, m. Abt 1705 | | + | 2. George (of Geo of Thos Sr) Bell, Sr., b. Abt 1690, Marionville, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Bef 8 Dec 1772, Marionville, Northampton Co, Virginia (Age < 82 years)
╚═ Leah (--?--), m. Abt 1730 | | | 3. David Bell, b. Abt 1692, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Yes, date unknown | | + | 4. Jeodiah Bell, b. Abt 1694, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 28 Aug 1750, Accomack County, Virginia, USA (Age < 56 years)
╚═ Sarah (18) (of Wm & Bridget) Bradford, m. Abt 1727 | | > | 5. Rachel Bell, b. Abt 1696, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Yes, date unknown
╚═ (--?--) Powell, m. Abt 1715 | | + | 6. Ezekiel Bell, b. Abt 1698, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 9 Apr 1751, Northampton County, Virginia, USA (Age < 53 years)
╚═ Rachel (--?--), m. Abt 1720 ; Anne Abdell, m. 3 May 1748 | | + | 7. Sarah Bell, b. Abt 1700, Northampton County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 9 Nov 1742, Northampton County, Virginia, USA (Age < 42 years)
╚═ Nathaniel (74) Powell, m. Abt 1720 |
|
| Person ID |
I72673 |
MilesFiles23 |
| Last Modified |
28 Jan 2024 |
Abt 1690 - Bef 1772 (< 82 years)
