Henry Elliot and Deborah Bell

Citing this biography: Boyd, Michelle, "Thomas Bell and Anne —," article, Olive and Eliza, last accessed [current date]."

Thomas Bell was a resident of Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts by 1637 and was of the artillery company in 1643. He married Anne —.

Anne is most likely Anne Essex. See The American Genealogist 74:281-291 for an argument in support of this. If so, she would have been a servant of William Coddington before her marriage and was admitted to the church at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts 8 Dec 1633. Most likely, she would have arrived in New England in 1633 (when William Coddington arrived). She may also have come from Boston, Lincolnshire, England (where William Coddington came from). Other possibilities include Anne Peeters, Anna Swanson, Anne Walden, Anne Nidds, and Anne Freiston.

Thomas was an executioner. As such, he was “exempted from watchings” 14 May 1649 and “exempted from trayninges, watchings, & wardinges” 18 May 1653. On the latter date, he was also reimbursed for money “expended by him for ropes & ladders for the better executing of his office.”

Thomas died 7 April 1655 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Anne married second William Mullins (b. abt. 1593, son of William Mullins, probably by his wife Alice —) 7th 3 month 1656 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Anne died 4 Dec 1661 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Thomas and Anne’s children are:

1	John Bell, born 24 Aug 1638 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, died the same day.
2	Joan Bell, born 4 Mar 1640 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, died the same day.
3	Tabitha Bell, born 24 Jan 1641 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, died 4th or 27th 2 month 1654 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.
4	Thomas Bell, born 3 Aug 1642 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, baptized 7th 6 month 1642 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, married Anna —, inventory 7 Sep 1695 in New London county, Connecticut. Wife: Anna —.
5	Hopestill Bell, born 18th 5 month or 2 Aug (probably the first date)1644 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, baptized 21st 5 month 1644.
6	More-Mercie Bell (shown in records as both Mercy and More-Mercie), born 14 Jan 1646 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, baptized 17th 11 month 1646 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.
7	Deborah Bell, born 29 Nov 1650 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, baptized 1 Dec 1650 in Boston, married 1) James York Jr. 17 Jan 1669 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut and 2) Henry Elliot 12 Mar 1679 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Husband 1: James York Jr., b. 14 Jun 1648 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts to James and Johanna York, d. 26 Oct 1676 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Husband 2: Henry Elliot, possible son of Joseph Elliot.
8	Joseph Bell, born 1 Nov 1653 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, baptized 10th 8 month 1653 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, died 29th 9th month 1653.

Summary of Sources

Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002.
Trask, William B., "Early Records of Boston," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 11, Jul 1857, p. 201.
Whitmore, William H. (Ed.) and Appleton, William S. (Ed.), Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699, Vol. 9, Boston, MA: Municipal Printing Office, 1908.
Brown, Coralynn (transcriber), Stonington, New London Co., CT, Vital Records from Barbour, 1668-1852, http://dunhamwilcox.net/barbour/stonington_barbour_y.htm, retrieved Oct 2012.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
Massachusetts Records: The Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. Vol. III (1644-1657) printed by order of the legislature 1854, p. 304.
Savage, James, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, retrieved Oct 2012 from http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/, transcribed by Warren C. Wetmore, 1999.
Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. (ed.), Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol. 3 (1644-1657), 1854, p. 164.

Records related to Thomas and Anne Bell but not copied below due to copyright considerations:

Harris, Gail Ion, "Thomas Bell, Boston Executioner, and His Son Thomas2 Bell of Stonington, Connecticut," The American Genealogist, Vol. 74, No. 4, Oct 1999, p. 281-291.
Entry for William Mullins in Ancestry.com. New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011.
Entry for Anne Essex in Ancestry.com. New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011.

Source Materials

Click on each category below to expand and see the copies of sources used to create the biography above (copyrighted and other restricted items are listed in the summary of sources above but not included below). Click again to close.

Massachusetts Records: The Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England

1649
14 May
Itt is ordered, that the executioner Thomas Bell shall be exempted from watchings.

Source: Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. (ed.), Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol. 3 (1644-1657), 1854, p. 164.

1653
18 May
Thomas Bell, the executioner, is to be allowed out of the next leuy the some of fovrteene shillinges, expended by him for ropes & ladders for the better executing of his office; & the Sd Bell is hereby exempted from trayninges, watchings, & wardinges.

Source: Massachusetts Records: The Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. Vol. III (1644-1657) printed by order of the legislature 1854, p. 304.

Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England

Vol. 1
BELL
THOMAS, Boston 1637, was of ar. co. 1643, by w. Ann had John, b. 24 Aug. 1638, d. soon; John, again, 4 Mar. 1640, d. soon; Tabitha, 21 Mar. bapt. 4 Apr. 1641, d. at 13 yrs.; Thomas, 3, bapt. 7 Aug. 1642; Hopestill, bapt. 21 July, but the careless copy of town rec. says b. 2 Aug. 1644; Moremercy, 14, bapt. 17 Jan. 1647; Deborah, 29 Nov. bapt. 1 Dec. 1650; and Joseph, bapt. 9 Oct. wh. town rec. says b. 1 Nov. 1653, d. soon; but the last two were in right of his w. Deborah. He was the pub. executioner in 1649, and d. 7 June 1655. His wid. m. 7 May foll. William Mullins.

Thomas, Stonington 1667-79, perhaps earlier.

Vol. 3
MULLINS
WILLIAM, Boston, m. 7 May 1656, Ann, wid. of Thomas Bell.

Source: Savage, James, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, retrieved Oct 2012 from http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/, transcribed by Warren C. Wetmore, 1999.

Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)

Name:    Deborah Bell
Marriage Date:    17 Jan 1669
Marriage Place:    Stonington, Connecticut, USA
Spouse:    James York Jr.
Spouse Residence Place:    Stonington

Name:    Henrie Elliott
Marriage Date:    12 Mar 1679
Marriage Place:    Stonington, Connecticut, USA
Spouse:    Deborah York

Source: Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002.

Early Records of Boston

William Mullings was Marryed to Ann Bell widdow 7 : 3 : 56 By Richd Bellingham Dept Govr.

Source: Trask, William B., "Early Records of Boston," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 11, Jul 1857, p. 201.

Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699

1638.
Town.
John son of Thomas Bell. born & died 24 day (6th) month.

1640.
Town.
Joan daughter of Thomas Bell born and died 4th day (1st) month.

1641.
Town.
Tabitha of Tho: Bell born 24th day (1st) month.

1642.
Town.
Thomas of Thos Bell born 3 day (6th) month.
...
First Church.
Thomas of Anne & Thomas Bell, aged about 9 days. 7 day 6 mo.

1644.
Town.
Hopestill daughter of Thomas & Anne Bel born the 2nd ---- 6th month.
...
First Church.
Hopestill dautr of Anne & Thomas Bell, aged about 3 days 21 day 5 mo.

1646.
Town.
Mercy of Thomas & Ann Bell born 14th Jan.
...
First Church.
More-Mercie of Anne & Thomas Bell aged about 3 days 17 day 11 mo.

1650.
Town.
Deborah of Thomas & Ann Bell born 29th Nov.
...
First Church.
Deborah of Thos Bell's wife 1 day 10 mo. (1650)

1653.
Town.
Joseph of Thomas & Anne Bell born 1st Nov.
Joseph of Thomas & Ann Bell died 29th ---- 9th mo.
...
First Church.
Joseph of Ann & Thos Bell 10 day 8 mo.

1654.
Town.
Tabitha of Thomas & Ann Bell died 27th ----- 2nd mo.
...
First Church.
Tabetha of Ann & Thomas Bell 4 day 2 mo.

1661.
Town.
Anne wife of William Munnings deceased the 4th of December.

Source: Whitmore, William H. (Ed.) and Appleton, William S. (Ed.), Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699, Vol. 9, Boston, MA: Municipal Printing Office, 1908.
Note: Town records state that Hopestill was born 2 Aug but First Church records give her baptism as 21 Jul, with her age at 3 days. Savage states that the town records were careless.

Stonington, New London Co., CT, Vital Records from Barbour

York, Yorke
Deborah, m Henrie ELLIOTT, Mar 12, 1679
James Jr, m Deborah BELL, b of Southington, Jan 17, 1669, by Thomas Minor, Comr.

Source: Brown, Coralynn (transcriber), Stonington, New London Co., CT, Vital Records from Barbour, 1668-1852, http://dunhamwilcox.net/barbour/stonington_barbour_y.htm, retrieved Oct 2012.

Massachusetts Town and Vital Records

Name:    John Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    24 Aug 1638
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas

Name:    Joan Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    4 Mar 1640
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas

Name:    Tabitha Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    24 Jan 1641
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thom Bell

Name:    Thomas Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    3 Aug 1642
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas

Name:    Hopestill Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    2 Aug 1644
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas Bell
Mother Name:    Anne

Name:    Mercy Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    14 Mar 1646
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas Bell
Mother Name:    Ann Bell

Name:    Deborah Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    29 Nov 1650
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas Bell
Mother Name:    Anna Bell

Name:    Joseph Bell
Event Type:    Birth
Birth Date:    1 Nov 1653
Birth Place:    Boston, Massachusetts
Father Name:    Thomas Bell
Mother Name:    Anne

Name:    Thomas Bell
Event Type:    Death
Death Date:    7 Apr 1655
Death Place:    Boston, Massachusetts

Source: Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).