Person:David Bell (54)

David BELL, later titled David BELL of Blackhall, born 10apr1792, christened 11apr1792 in Barony parish as 1st child (scotlandspeople website), married Elizabeth ORR, sister of Sir Andrew ORR of Harviestoun and Castle Campbell. Elizabeth was daughter of Francis ORR of Francis Orr & Sons, Glasgow, wholesale stationers (Memoirs and portraits of 100 Glasgow men; glasgowstory website). David married Elizabeth 13jul1845 at Barony (IGI) and Glasgow (Old Parish Records on microfiche). Blackhall is presumably ESE of the centre of Paisley. In Scottish Archives there is the will registered of „Elizabeth Bell 12may1891 nee Orr, 13 Blythswood Sq., Glasgow and Harviestoun Castle, Clackmannanshire, Widow of David Bell, Craigmore and Blackhall, d. 12apr1891 at Glasgow“. Elizabeth died 12apr1891.

The PO Directory of Glasgow: 1820: David Bell, manufactr, 36 Candlerigg St. 1821: David Bell pullicate manufacturer, 36 Candleriggs; George Bell and Co., auctioneer, sale rooms 33 Candleriggs. It is possible that George was the father of David as he lived with Stuart in 1826 but no longer in 1827. 1824: David Bell pullicate manufacturer, 36 - 2 Candleriggs; George Bell auctioneer, sale rooms 36 Candleriggs. It is possible that George was the father of David. 1825 David Bell, gingham and pullicate manufactr, Ingram Pl. 1826: David Bell pullicate manufacturer, 111 Ingram Pl., Ingram St., hse 13 St. Vincent Pl.; George Bell, 5 St. Vincent Pl.; Stuart Bell, writer 18 Glassford St., hse 5 St. Vincent Pl. 1828 and 1829: David Bell pullicate manufacturer, 113 Ingram Pl., Ingram St., hse 13 St. Vincent Pl. 1831: D. Bell pullicate and gingham manufact. 74 Buchanan St. 1833: David Bell, 74 Buchanan St., hse 37 Clyde Bldgs. 1836: David Bell, merchant, 37 Clyde Bldgs. Clyde Buildings is now called Clyde Place.

In the 1841 census David BELL, merchant, (46) lived in Rothesay with 1 female servant. In 1855 a David Bell, commission merchant, was at 4 Dunlop St. (Slater’s Directory of Glasgow). In 1855 David Bell, commission merchant was at 4 Dunlop St. (Slater’s Directory of Glasgow). 4 Dunlop St. had been the home of Ben Barton, writer, (1809-45) and presumably his family. In 1858, 1860 and 1863 David Bell of Blackhall, 4 La Belle Pl. and Craigmore, Bute (PO Dir). David had Old Craigmore House, 22 Craigmore Road, Rothesay, on the coast south of Rothesay, Bute, built for him. The boat house and presumably the house were built in 1837, probably designed by the architect David Hamilton (1768-1843). Later Stuart McIntosh nee Bell and Elizabeth Barton Masterton nee McIntosh (b. 1875) lived there. Craigend House, 23 Craigmore Rd., Rothesay, PA20 9LB, presumably built after 1851 (though maybe 8 Craigmore Pl. in 1851 was Craigend), was the home of Margaret Reid nee Bell (b. 1796). Glenarch House, 21 Craigmore Rd., was latterly the residence of Archibald Glen (26dec1801-23nov1842, rootsweb), a relative of Mary Glen, mother of David Bell’s wife (information from P. Sutton) Undercliffe is 20 Craigmore Road. (setate agent); Glenarch stood between Old Craigmore and Undercliffe. Benjamin Barton Bell (b. 1840) lived at Undercliffe.

David died 1dec1863. Scottish Archives have the will registration at Glasgow of „David Bell 1dec1863 merchant and manufacturer at Glasgow and Blackhall, Lanark, and Craigmore, Bute“. David Bell (1792-1863) drew up his will 11jan1860 at Glasgow adding Codicils on 1mar1861 and 11apr1862. He nominated and appointed as trustees Elizabeth Orr or Bell, wife, George Bell, accountant in Glasgow, nephew, James Orr, merchant, Glasgow, Matthew Walker, writer, Glasgow, Benjamin Barton Bell his nephew and John Hutchinson Kerr, elder son of John Ker Junior. The initial nomination was revoked of John Ker Junior and John McAndrew “as trustees in consideration of their advanced age”. Beneficiaries were: his wife, giving her the option of the house Craigmore or a flat at “La Belle Place fronting the West End Park”, Mrs. Agnes Bell or Milne, his sister, Agnes Le Neve her eldest daughter, Jessie and Margaret Milne her youngest daughters, Mrs. Margaret Bell or Reid and her 3 daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Barton or Bell, widow of his brother Mr. “Stewart” Bell, and after her death, Benjamin Barton Bell, her son, and Stuart Elizabeth Bell, her daughter, George Bell, his nephew, and Alexander Leitch, his Gardener at Craigmore.

David ran a muslin (or pullicate) factory at Blackhall which may have produced bandanas (red spotted handkerchiefs). The PO Directory of Glasgow 1831 included Bell, D. pullicate and gingham manufact. 74 Buchanan St. He was named the „great improver“ of Glasgow, was on the Town Council and instigated the setting up of the Royal Exchange (of which he was honorary secretary from 1827 to 1836) and the improvement of Jamaica St. Bridge by Thomas Telford (1833-36). He promoted the „West End Park“, now Kelvingrove Park, designed by Charles Wilson (1810-1863) and Joseph Paxton (1803-1865),who later became famous for creating Crystal Palace; the latter designed the glasshouses at Old Craigmore, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, David’s country retreat. The house was probably designed by David Hamilton (1768-1843) who was the architect of the Royal Exchange. David put up the capital for the building of the Queen’s Rooms, Glasgow, to attract liberal politicians to lecture, among others Richard Cobden (1804-1865), and was proprietor of the adjoining La Belle Place, both designed by Wilson in 1857-1858. On the exterior of the Queen’s Rooms there is a frieze depicting David’s wife as Minerva and also Charles Wilson, with a model of the Nielson Institute, Paisley. David died at La Belle Place. After his death his widow Elizabeth took a great interest in General Booth of the Salvation Army and it is said that he was visiting her at the time she caught influenza and died. In her will she bequeathed the sum of 60000 pounds and 3 chests of silver to the Salvation Army.

THE LATE DAVID BELL, ESQ.

Few men in this City for an uninterrupted period - we should say of fifty years at least - have enjoyed such good and robust health as did the late David Bell, Esq., who died somewhat suddenly on Sunday last, above seventy years of age. We question if during these last fifty years he endured sickness of any kind for more than a few hours - if so much. He was hale, hearty and vigorous, and his rosy countenance and general good temper, notwithstanding of many crotchets about him and many taunts he experienced in various affairs of life, sufficiently testified that he was, on the whole, a jovial good fellow, and what is better still, that he was a faithful and industrious citizen, ever attentive to anything appertaining or conducive in the least degree to the welfare of his native city. It is true, as we have remarked, that he had peculiar crotchets of his own, and he broke out occasionally into odd enough rhapsodies, which for a time made him rather ludicrous and exposed him to the animadversions of many friends and the wrath, perhaps, of many enemies: but he always maintained his own ground with considerable manliness and great equanimity, and altogether his services, whether in public or private life, were designed, we believe, and as he himself thought, to advance the prosperity of Glasgow. In doing so, we cannot say that he was forgetful of his own interest. He had a pretty discerning eye in his head; and to him we may ascribe in a great degree the position of the present Royal Exchange of Glasgow and the prodigious rise in value of property in it’s neighbourhood, especially in Buchaman Street - in which street Mr. Bell, more than 30 years ago, built a pile of buildings, then deemed to be most extravagant in their aspect; but his example, in this respect, has been imitated with almost incalculable benefit to others. We call to mind that he is about one of the last gentlemen who personally laid the foundation of the Royal Exchange alongst with other distinguished citizens, who have gone before him, in the same work, such as Messrs James Dennistoun, John Hamilton, James Ewing, Kirkman Finlay, James Hutchison, Robert Daglish, Wm. Dunn, Henry Monteith, Wm. Maxwell, James Lumsden - names that can hardly be forgotten in the annals of Glasgow. We further call to mind that, amongst more fleeting events of times long past, Mr David Bell may be said to have been one of the few choice Pioneers of Reform, when it was almost dangerous to moot such a subject. He was one of the staunch supporters of the late Mr David Prentice, Editor of the Glasgow Chronicle, then the only paper that ventured to assail questionable proceedings of a public or local description, and he threw open his house in Clyde Street, opposite the Broomielaw for the reception ot the famous William Cobbett, who unquestionably was the most powerful political writer of his day, as acknowledged by all in the State; and who came to Glasgow, as he says in a queer old letter before us, „to preach Politics, for the first time, in the Theatre Royal, Dunlop Street“. These were indeed animating days; and it is vain to regret that our venerable friend has departed in a green old age with his intellect perfectly caIm and composed. Not very long ago we had the p1easure to meet him in his beautiful retreat at Craigmore, in company with Sheridan Knowles and one or two others, and the rich stories then told about GIasgow men and Glasgow manners during some of the remarkable periods that have gone past may induce us to give a few pen and ink sketches of them, if we be spared to do so, at another time. Mr Bell, we may remark, married a number of years ago, one of the sisters of Sir Andrew Orr, who brought him a considerable fortune, which with his own, enabled him to retire from the active pursuits of mercantile affairs, and to enjoy, as the saying is, for several long years his „otiam cum dignatate“. He leaves no family, but is represented by one of the sons of his deceased brother, Mr. Stuart Bell, writer in Glasgow (partner of Thomas Falconer of Brownyside), whose political essays and disquisitions attracted considerable attention more than thirty years ago.

Glasgow Gazette 24 jun 1863

From the book by Robert Alison, published in 1892:

The Anecdotage of Glasgow

David Bell of Blackhall takes a hint from a camel

IT is easier," says the Book, "for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." The late facetious Mr. David Bell of Blackhall, who, with all his faults, was a warm friend to the prosperity of Glasgow, took it into his head, when he was comparatively a young man, to retire from business in the manufacturing line, which he had pursued with considerable success in this city. The text of Scripture above quoted took hold of his mind, and so he took stock, and, having found that he had some thousands of pounds more at his command in the Royal Bank than he expected, he shut his books, closed his mercantile affairs, quietly retired, and settled down to enjoy his otium cum dignitate. He was questioned one day at a convivial party by the late John Henderson, Esq. of Park- who gave and left so much of his large fortune for many important religious and benevolent purposes-to this effect: "Pray, Mr. Bell, what induced you to retire so soon from business, when, by continuing in it, you might have made a much larger fortune ?" David shook his head, and begged to be excused from giving his reason. This only made Mr. Henderson the more eager to know it, and to press for an answer. "Well, well," said David, "1 have a very good reason to give if you urge me for it, Mr. Henderson." The latter smilingly responded, and Mr. Bell explained: "Well, well, you will know that wonderful passage in the Bible "-(above quoted, and which he repeated with animation and force). The company were a little startled by his quotation, and David capped it by adding: "Now, I just took the hint from the camel, and hope to be rewarded for my forbearance."

La Belle Place: http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/la-belle-place?i=60&s=1 Queens Rooms: http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/queens-rooms?i=61&s=1 Royal Exchange: http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/royal-exchange?i=62&s=1 Old Craigmore: http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/old-craigmore?i=44&s=1 http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/old-craigmore?i=45&s=1 http://bulgar12.tripod.com/family/index.album/old-craigmore-from-north?i=43&s=1

1. ↑ Will or testament, Scotland.
2.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008)
   Batch #: M119687, Sheet #: 00, Source Call #: 1041481, 0994191, Printout Call #: 6900812, D.
3.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008)
   Batch #: M119687, Sheet #: 00, Source Call #: 0994192, 0994193, Printout Call #: NONE, Date.
4.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008)
   Batch #: M119687, Sheet #: 00, Source Call #: 0994194, 0994195, Printout Call #: NONE, Date.
5.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008)
   Batch #: C116228, Sheet #: 00, Source Call #: 1041477, Printout Call #: 6901464, Dates: 177.
6.   various. Family letters (2).