Richard Bell

  General Notes:

1851 Census HO 107/2329 Cuddy Cross, Great Preston: Richard Bell, 43, coll iery blacksmith, born in Saxton, Louisa 45 born in Wittlesford, Cambridges hire, John 21, colliery blacksmith, born in Micklefield, James, 14, coal h urrier, born in Barwick, Richard 9 born in Little Preston

1861 Census RG9/3431 Gt and Lt Preston: Richard Bell (transcribed as Bil l) 54, blacksmith, Louisa 56 born in Whittleford, Richard 19, shoemake r, born in Preston, James 24, wheelwright born in Barwick-in-Elmet

1871 Census RG10/4739 Cuddy Cross: Richard Bell, 31, widower, shoemaker b orn in Little Preston, Laura 2 born in Cuddy Cross

1881 Census RG11/4712 Cuddy Cross, Gt & Lt Preston: Richard Bell 39, widow er, shoemaker, born in Little Preston, Laura 12 born in Cuddy Cross, Louis a, mother, widow, 75, housekeeper, born in Cambridge, Charles Gill, boarde r, 31 born in Cuddy Cross

1891 Census RG12/3764 Castleford: Bells Yard (Wheldon Road), Richard Be ll 50, widower born in Little Preston

1901 Census RG13/4434 Kirk Fenton: Richard Bell, 59, widower, boot and sh oe maker, born in Little Preston, boarding with Dunning family and transcr ibed as Richard Dunning

There is a burial in Swillington of Anne Bell - Little Preston, 1.12.18 68 aged 38. Absolutely the right date to be Richards wife and to have di ed giving birth to Laura, assuming Laura to be born 4Q1868 - neither of th ese events have made it to FreeBMD yet - however she would have been bo rn c1830 and would have been 12 years older than Richard. ??

Further burial records in Swillington have George Bell aged 7 - Cuddy Cro ss - 10.4.1869 and Urban Bell, Cuddy Cross, 19.1.1868 aged 4 months. Son s? Starting to look like another smallpox outbreak for the Bells.

Have to check the gravestone.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Baptism: Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire, England, 6 Nov 1842.

Richard married.