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Thomas Bell, †^{[1, 2]}
Abt 1797 - 1880

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• Suffix	†
  Birth	Abt 1797  [3]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1829	Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [4]
  	ship builder
  	On March 3, 1829, he along with his brother John and Col. William Howelll, were granted the privilege of building, -- and keeping in repair -- a dock into the Great South Bay to reach out to where the water was a depth of six and a half feet, "at common high tide." For this they were to pay an annual fee of two dollars to the Town of Brookhaven.
  Possessions	Aft 1829	Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [5, 6]
  Religion	Bef 1840	South Haven (Presbyterian Church), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY
  	probably a member of the Presbyterian Church
  	This is likely the Thomas Bell whose rights to pew no. 11* in the church were purchased back and "made free for the use of any and every person that would attend religious service in the Meeting House." Pew 11 was believed to be the eighth row from the front on the left side -- second from the back. (Many pews were purchased back in 1840, although some families were still claiming their rights to their pews in 1889.) * Borthwick's assignment of pews is based on the arrangement of the pews in 1930 (and present). Yet, he reports that the interior of the church was rearranged at some point which placed the pulpit at the opposite end of the meeting house. Whether the pews were arranged in the same way then as now is problematical.
  Census	1850	Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [3]
  	In his house were Amelia, age 43; John T., age 20, a bookbinder; Sarah E., age 12; Emily A., age 8; Chas. Smith, age 12, black; Oliver Payne, age 35, black, a laborer; Abagail Payne, age 30, black; Mary Hawkins, age 21; Francis E. Rosemary, age 18, black; and George E. Ebbets,age 7. His property was valued at $10,000.
  Occupation	1850  [3]
  	seaman
  Died	11 Jul 1880	Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [7]
  	His obituary as it appeared in the Patchogue Advance is published in full in the sourced issue of the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society newlsletter "The Barn Museum News", September 2009.
  Notes	This is the Thomas Bell, along with his brother John, after whom the Village of Bellport is named. The Bell family, not having resided in the Hamlet of Brookhaven (formerly Fire Place), are outside the scope of this project.
  Person ID	I9505	Brookhaven & South Haven Hamlets
  Last Modified	1 May 2012

  
  

• Sources

  [S44] Borthwick. [S39] Bigelow. [S3] 1850 Census, Census Place: Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York; Roll: M432_601; Page: 209; Image: 419.. [S39] Bigelow, p, 18. [S679] Barn News, September 2009, Suffolk County Deeds, Liber 30, pages 335-336. "This Indenture made this first day of May one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine between Mathew E. Woodruff and Hannah his wife of the first part and Thomas Bell of the second part all of Brookhaven in the County of Suffolk and State of New York witnessed that the said party of the first part in consideration of eight hundred dollars .... lying in Brookhaven afsd and bounded on the north by the South Country Road, on the west by the land of William Howell, on the south by the South Bay and on the east by the land of Henry Hulse containing by estimation eighteen acres ...." [William Brewster was Anna Howell's husband.] [S679] Barn News, September 2009, Suffolk County Deeds, Liber 30, pages 336-337.. "This Indenture made this fourth day of February one thousand eight hundred and thirty between Henry Hulse and Thomas Bell both of Brookhaven in the County of Suffolk & State of New York witnesseth that the said Henry Hulse for & in consideration of seven hundred dollars .... lying in Brookhaven aforesaid & bounded on the south by the South Bay, on the east by the lands of Polly Woodruff, on the north by the South Country road & on the west by the land of the said Thomas Bell containing by estimation eighteen acres ...." [S679] Barn News, September 2009, p. 4 (from the Patchogue Advance, Obituary 17 July 1880).