Thomas Bell (abt. 1745 - 1800)

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Hemmings) Bell — married about 1780 in Common Law Wife

Descendants

Died 16 Oct 1800 at about age 55 in Charlottesville, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lora Koch [send private message]

Biography

Since numerous James Bells were living in Augusta Co, Va in the mid 18th century, this Bell family will be referred to as the South River Bells.

He is mentioned in his father's will -

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records: Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: Extracted ..., Volume 3 Page 199

Thomas Bell was a wealthy merchant from Charlottesville, Virginia. Thomas hired Mary Hemmings, who was born into slavery, as a domestic servant around the 1780s, then took her as his companion and had 2 children with her before purchasing her freedom, along with their children's, from the Jeffersons. The couple lived together for the rest of their lives.

Sources

• birth - http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Thomas_Bell_%2859%29

• WikiTree profile Bell-2528 created through the import of clements.GED on Jul 9, 2011 by John Clements. See the Changes page for the details of edits by John and others.

• "Mary Hemings Bell" in Monticello.org, https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/mary-hemings-bell/.

• "Mary Hemmings Bell," (January 26, 2023) in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hemings_Bell.

• Barbara B. Oberg (ed), The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (Princeton, New Jersey" Princeton University Press; 2018), vol. 32, p. 254.