Brief Life History of Henry B
When Henry B Bell was born in 1838, in Illinois, United States, his father, Charles G Bell, was 39 and his mother, Hannah Livingston, was 21. He married Serepta Williamson on 5 August 1855, in Menard, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He died in 1857, at the age of 19.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know Henry B? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (2)
- 1850 Federal Census for Menard, Illinois
- Henry B Bell, "Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (5)
1839 · From Swamp to Beautiful Place
By 1829 Venus, Illinois had grown sufficiently and in 1832 was one of the contenders for the new county seat. However, the honor was awarded to a nearby city, Carthage. In 1834 the name Venus was changed to Commerce because the settlers felt that the new name better suited their plans. But during late 1839, arriving members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought the small town of Commerce and in April 1840 it was renamed Nauvoo by Joseph Smith Jr., who led the Latter-Day Saints to Nauvoo to escape persecution in Missouri. The name Nauvoo is derived from the traditional Hebrew language. It is notable that by 1844 Nauvoo's population had swollen to around 12,000 residents, rivaling the size of Chicago at the time. After the Latter-Day Saints left the population settled down toward 2,000 people.
1839 · The Capital Moves again
After the twenty years that the capital was moved to Vandalia, the General Assembly, under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, voted to move the capital to Springfield. Springfield is still the capital of Illinois to this day, even though Chicago has long surpassed the capital on population.
1846
U.S. acquires vast tracts of Mexican territory in wake of Mexican War including California and New Mexico.
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
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.