Eleanor Bell

Brief Life History of Eleanor

When Eleanor Bell was born on 13 July 1806, in Georgia, United States, her father, William Joseph Bell, was 58 and her mother, Elizabeth C Moseley, was 45. She married William Watson Downer on 7 December 1823, in Elbert, Georgia, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 5 daughters. She lived in Justice Precinct 1, Harrison, Texas, United States in 1860 and Justice Precinct 2, Harrison, Texas, United States in 1880. She died on 2 September 1886, in Harrison, Texas, United States, at the age of 80, and was buried in Concord Cemetery, Jonesville, Harrison, Texas, United States.

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Family Time Line

William Watson Downer
1802–1858
Eleanor Bell
1806–1886
Marriage: 7 December 1823
Sarah Elizabeth Downer
1824–1906
Mrs Sue Burnett
Thomas Watson Downer
1830–1888
John I Downer
1833–
Jabez Marshall Downer
1834–1861
Joseph Downer
1837–
Mary Ann Downer
1838–
Rebecca Annie Downer
1840–1927
Susan E Downer
1844–1920
William Henry Downer
1846–1885

Sources (7)

  • Elena Downer, "United States Census, 1860"
  • Elener Bell, "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950"
  • Eleanor Bell Downer, "Find A Grave Index"

World Events (8)

1808

Atlantic slave trade abolished.

1811 · The Savannah Riots

A barroom brawl in Savannah on Tuesday, November 12, 1811, had international impact. An American seaman boasted of having joined the crew of a French vessel, likely named La Vengeance. Others became upset at the idea of the American joining a foreign nation and a brawl erupted. The county coroner asked for peace but was beaten with clubs. A second clash occurred the following day when French sailors attacked five American seaman. A day after the second attack, twenty French sailors attacked six Americans. Four of them escaped but two were beaten and stabbed. Jacob Taylor died on the scene and a rigger named Collins died the following day. By Friday, a full scale riot erupted when the French crewmen arrested on murder charges were released. Many were arrested and French ships La Vengeance and La Franchise were burned. In the end, the incident caused disruptions in French-American relations and affected shipping and trade.

1830 · The Second Great Awakening

Being a second spiritual and religious awakening, like the First Great Awakening, many Churches began to spring up from other denominations. Many people began to rapidly join the Baptist and Methodist congregations. Many converts to these religions believed that the Awakening was the precursor of a new millennial age.

Name Meaning

English (northern) and Scottish (Lowlands): from the Middle English personal name Bell. As a man's name this is from Old French beu, bel ‘handsome’, which was also used as a nickname. As a female name it represents a short form of Isabel .

English (northern) and Scottish (Lowlands): from Middle English belle ‘bell’ (Old English belle), in various applications; most probably a metonymic occupational name for a bell ringer or bell maker, or a topographic name for someone living ‘at the bell’ (as attested by 14th-century forms such as John atte Belle). This indicates either residence by an actual bell (e.g. a town's bell in a bell tower, centrally placed to summon meetings, sound the alarm, etc.) or ‘at the sign of the bell’, i.e. a house or inn sign (although surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in Scots and English).

English: from Middle English bel ‘fair, fine, good’ (Old French bel ‘beautiful, fair’). See also Beal 1.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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