Dadswell Family History

Bell family

On this page:
Bell/Dadswell connection
John and Violet Bell
Further information

Bell/Dadswell connection

Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell (1852-1931), one of eight children born to John and Violet (Kelly) Bell, married Emma Elizabeth Dadswell (1861-1955).

This page contains brief details of John and Violet Bell and their family.

John and Violet Bell

John Bell was born in Londonderry, Ireland, about 1810. He is thought to have migrated firstly to Tasmania before taking up farming at Yambuk near Port Fairy, Victoria.

He married on 3 October 1843 Violet Kelly, daughter of James and Bridget (Burn or Bern) Kelly. Violet had been baptised in Launceston in 1827, suggesting she was about 16 at the time of the marriage.

John and Violet Bell had eight children who were aged from 6 to 19 when Violet died at age 36 at Yambuk, on 26 March 1864. Fifteen years later, in 1879, John Bell married Mary Dutton but he took his own life within a year, in 1880. The Belfast Gazette reported on 26 March 1880:

Intelligence was brought into Belfast yesterday to the effect that a well known resident of Yambuk named John Bell had committed suicide. The deceased we learn had been missed for a day or so from his home by a neighbor, after making a search, his body was found in one of the paddocks not far distant. On examination it was found that a vein in one of his arms had been opened which had bled freely and no doubt accounts for his death. The deceased although well up in years had married about 6 months ago, his wife at the time of the melancholy occurrence recorded above being away on a visit to Portland. An inquest was held last night when evidence similar to the above was elicited.

Both John and Violet Bell were buried at Yambuk. Their children were:

1. Jane Bell, born 1845 in the Portland, Victoria district, married at Avoca on 1 December 1865 to Amos Murphy. Jane died at Watchem near Birchip, Victoria, at the age of 90 on 14 November 1934.

2. James Bell, born 1847 in the Portland district.

3. John Bell, born 1849 in the Portland district, died (unmarried) as a result of a brain haemorrhage at Wilcannia, NSW, on 19 April 1907.

4. William Bell, born 1850 at Mt Clay, Victoria, married in 1879 Margaret Ganley at Narrawong. He died at Geelong on 2 March 1911.

5. Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell, born 14 October 1852 in Portland district, married Emma Elizabeth Dadswell. He died at Horsham in 1931.

6. Mary Bell, born 6 July 1856 at Lexton, Victoria, married in 1881 at Essendon Joseph Fearon Tolson. She died at Hamilton, Victoria, on 1 April 1937.

7. Catherine Bell, born 1857 at Lexton, married William Spong at Footscray in 1903. She died at Ballarat on 7 April 1943.

8. Robert Dutton Bell, born 1859 at Lexton, married in 1885 Catherine Ross. He died in 1935.

Further information

Information on Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell
Information on Henry and Emma Bell's family