July 1893

Cincinnati,O., July 18th 1893 

My Dear Cousin, 

I have yours of the 8th. There is no hurry about those papers. Cousin Mary C Bewley, wife of George Bewley, lives here. She is the only living child of my uncle Edward Carroll, deceased, who was some five years older than my father. The statement she made as to the family in Ireland , she had from her father , who was about twelve when the family came over. Grandfather settled in 1801 , on the Ohio river, in what is now Columbiana County, this state. New Lisbon, mentioned by you is the county town. Grandfather removed from the Ohio river to a Quaker settlement called New Garden, not far from New Lisbon. He and grandmother are buried at New Garden. 

I have just received from cousin Isaac Bell, of Trumera House, an old deed, executed in September 1800, of my grandfather, Edward Carroll, to his father, Isaac Bell, conveying a leasehold property for the some (sic) £200-I suppose grandfather was selling out his property with a view to the move he made during the next winter and spring he sailed from Cork. 

The Bell family 

You asked me in one of your letters about the Bells. I find I had among my papers some data which I think I did not give you. Thomas Greer furnished a part and Isaac Bell of Trummery, the remainder. 

The first of the name, accounted for, was Archibald Bell, of Arkin,Laugholen, Dumfries, Scotland, born about 1600. 

He had a son Archibald, born 1620, Aug, at Arkin, who married Anna Purvis of Laugholm, 1648. He died either 1708 or 1718 at Tannaghmore, Co. Armagh, leaving children as follows: Archibald, born Sept 1651, at Arkin; removed to Brampton, Cumberland, Eng and thence to Trummery, Co.Antrim. He married Jane……. Jane, born July 1649 at Arkin (should be numbered 1) John, born January 1653, at Brampton, Cumberland. Mary, born June, 1655, at Market Hill, Co.Armagh. Richard, born Sept.1657, at Ballyard, Co. Armagh. George, born April, 1662, m-d Abigail Atkinson of Sigo[?] Co.Armagh, 1692 Elizabeth, born April 1665, at Ballycullan, Co.Armagh. 

Archibald and Jane had a daughter Elizabeth Bell, who, about 1720, married Thomas Greer, son of Robert and Mary Greer, of Redfor, Co.Tyrone; from whom is descended the present Thomas greer, of Sea Island, near Belfast. This Thomas Greer is of the opinion that Sarah Bell, who m-d Edward Carroll in 1738, was a sister of Elizabeth Bell Greer; but I am of the opinion that Archibald and Jane Bell were too old to have had a child as late as 1715-20, when Sarah Bell was probably born. If of the blood of Archibald and Jane Bell, she must have been a granddaughter. 

The next generation of Bells I have any account of, consisted of Sarah Bell, born probably 1715-1720, who married Edward Carroll, 1738, and was our ancestress. Jacob Bell, a witness to Edward Carroll’s will, 1769 John Bell, executor of Edward Carroll’s will and therein described as his brother-in-law,1769. 

I have nothing to show that Jacob Bell was a brother of Sarah Bell Carroll, except that it was natural a brother-in-law should have been present at the making of Edward Carroll’s will, and that the present Isaac Bell’s greatgrandfather was named Jacob, and his grandfather, Richard, married Sarah carroll, his first cousin, daughter of Edward and Sarah, his first cousin and sister of John Carroll and Edward Carroll, our respective grandfathers. 

Who was the father of Jacob, John and Sarah does not appear. They must have been born back as far as 1715-1730, in all proberbility. If so they could hardly have been the children of either the sonsof Archibald Bell and Anne Purvis, the last of whom was born in 1662. I incline to the belief that they were grandchildren of either Archibald and Jane or Richard- probably Archibald. Sarah Bell born 1720 (say) m-d 1738 Edward Carroll, and had 10 children, one of whom was Thomas, was a Quaker preacher and died young. The others are named in grandfather’s will and in Mary Bewley’s account. John, your grandfather was the eldest. edward, my grandfather, was some 12 years younger. Jacob Bell, had a son, Richard Bell, who married Sarah Carroll, his first cousin and had a son, Isaac bell, who had a son Isaac Bell who now resides at Trumra House, Trummery. The present Isaac Bell is probably 75 years of age. Jacob also had a son Abram, who had a son Samuel A now living at Lurgan. John Bell. I have no account of his descendants. 

Abram Bell, who came to New York early in this century, I have supposed to have been a cousin of grandfather Carroll. If so, he must have been a son of either Jacob or John Bell, or of some other brother of Sarah (Bell) CArroll. There was also an Isaac Bell came over to New York about the same time- possibly a brother or cousin of Abram’s. I am pretty well satisfied that Abram Bell of New York was a son of this John Bell, brother-in-law of Edward Carroll, and if so he, Abram, was first cousin of your and my grandfather. 

Samuel A Bell, of Lurgan, writes that his father was named Abram and that Abram Bell of N.Y. was his father’s cousin, and that his (Samuel’s) father’s father was Jacob Bell. So Abram of N.Y. must have been a son of a brother of Jacob- probably of John- though possibly of some other brother. These points cannot now be absolutely determined. 

I should like to be able to to settle whether our great-grandmother, Sarah Bell Carroll, was a granddaughter of Archibald and Jane or of Richard, and who her father was. 

The Bells have scattered far and wide and those left behind seem to know but little. Saml.A.Bell of Lurgan, says Abram Bell of New York, left a family, and they lived at Conewango, New York some 150 miles from New York city, no doubt in Cattarangus County. I know Abram Bell had a son Isaac, as I often heard John Watson refer to him. The house was “Abram Bell’s Sons”- so I suppose he had more than one son. 

I shall not be surprised if it turns out that the father of Sarah Bell Carroll and of Jacob and John Bell was named Isaac. The name of Isaac seems to have been so persistently used in this line of the family, that it is reasonable to guess that some common ancestor’s name was Isaac. Possibly we may yet find out. The records of the Society of Friends ought to show. 

I have a letter before me from Archibald Bell, of Sandringham Villas, Sydenham, Belfast whose father’s name was Archibald, and his grandfather was William. William was born in 1751, and so was exactly contemporary with my grandfather Edward Carroll. he owned a farm at Broomhedge, just below the Halfpenny gate. This was not over half a mile or so from the birth place of our grandfathers. But this Archibald does not know anything more. There was a Wiliam Bell came out here some 40 to 50 years ago, whom I have seen. he must have been born about 1790, and may have been a grandson of the above named William or possibly a nephew. He is dead and his family dead or scattered. He was recognised as a cousin, more or less remote. This is all at present about the Bells. 

The old deed referred to above, describes Edward Carroll as of “Crenogh, in the parish of Maghermesk, in the county of Antrim”. I suppose grandfather lived, til he emigrated, in the Townland of Trummery; and I do not know where Crenogh is. The land is described as in the Townland of Crenogh. 

I enclose a copy of our great-grand father’s will. 

With kind regards to all, I remain 

Your affectionate cousin 

Robt.W.Carroll.

to: Joseph Hatton Carroll, Esq 

[note: alas, the copy of the will is not in my possession. David O’Carroll, Leeds, UK-October 1998]