from Patti Hinton French at:
Patti is looking for information on the Rufus Bell Family. The basic information she provides on the family is:
Rufus E. Bell
Per Census Records, Rufus E. Bell was born around 1834. Parents are unknown. His mother’s first name was probably Elizabeth. Records from his Confederate Army service state that he was born in Nash County.
1850 Census, Wake County: Rufus, age 16, living with Elizabeth Bell, Head of Household; Lucy and Sarah.
(Note: In 1860: Nicholas Bell, age 33, is living in the approximate area that Elizabeth, Rufus, Lucy, and Sarah lived in 1850.)
- A data base of Nash County Records states that Rufus E. Bell married Elizabeth Lewis; if, so it would have been prior to 1860. There are known errors in this source. If he did marry Elizabeth, she probably died between 1860-1869.
- Lucy Bell married Patrick Daud Massey from Wake County. After 1880 (and apparently after his death), she went to live with her children in Wilson and moved with a daughter and her family (Brewer) to Wilmington where she died around 1900.
- Sarah Bell married Alvin Lewis in 1852 in Nash County. He had died by 1855, leaving two children William Kearny Lewis and John R Lewis. While nothing further is known about John R Lewis, William Kearney Lewis married and had children in Nash County. Alvin’s estate papers and other court records related to his death indicate that he was the son of Robert and Charity Lewis. Rufus was mentioned in the estate papers (accounts and return of rent). Some of the other receipts in the various documents were R. Driver, Cas H Morris, MD; D.H. Bunn (administrator). Accounts were Gilford Lewis, Joseph L Bell; Isham Wilder bought a Note. Sally Lewis later married David Daniel in Nash County. By the 1880 Census in Nash County, David Daniel apparently had died because Sarah Daniel, age 56, mother of William Kearney Lewis was living with Kearny and his family.
1860 Census Nash County: R. E. Bell, age 24, living with Sarah Lewis and her sons Kearney and John and Elizabeth Bell, 25. (Note:If this was in error and if Elizabeth was older and perhaps this was the Elizabeth in the 1850 Wake Census.)
1862- January 29, 1864: Rufus E Bell served in the Confederate Army in the NC 47th, Company D, was captured at Gettysburg, and released from Point Lookout Prison in Jan 1864 when he swore allegiance to the Union. He is one of the NC Troops that no one can determine what happened after his release from Point Lookout.
January 12, 1869: Rufus E. Bell married Eveline Narron in Johnston County.
1870 Census Johnston County: Rufus living with his wife and 1 son in 1870
(Note: The family lived near Joseph Bell that I’ve never been able to connect to Rufus other than a Joseph Bell was mentioned in Alvin Lewis’s estate records)
1880 Census Johnston County: Rufus, age 50, living with wife 2 sons and daughter
November 28, 1892: Rufus Bell estate settled going to Eveline, wife of R.E. Bell.
Children of Rufus E. and Eveline Narron Bell
1. John Henry Bell who lived in Wilson County and had family who still live in NC.
2. Gillie Elizabeth Bell married John “Brud” Morris of Nash County. She died after they had 5 children. He later remarried twice and I believe most of the family lived around the Middlesex area.
3. George Lucie Bell married Sarah Florence Wilder. Their daughter, Effie Mae Bell, married grandfather Arthur David Hinton. They lived in Johnston County, not far from Middlesex. They also had two sons: Joseph Vernon Bell and Rufus Clarence Bell.