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Hello Mensor,
It's late, 2014, and I have just read your post re the Bells of Rangiora.   I am a descendant of the William Bell/Ann Harvey union and currently live in Christchurch, NZ - where William and Ann met and married in 1855.  It was interesting to hear about Cyril Edwin Bell - very little is know about him, apart from the fact that like his brother Charles William he was mayor of Rangiora.

You mentioned seeing a page where Jonathan (1769) had two sisters Priscilla and Catherine and that their parents were Catherine Barclay and David Bell of Stamford or Daniel Bell of Tottenham. If you have not seen it "The Descendants of John Bell" mention a Jonathan Bell with sisters Priscilla and Catherine on page 277.  The same page states that there were 10 children, and then goes on to list eleven....I'm obviously not the only one who is confused.   I don't know if this is the same family or not. 

I have been given 1798 for the birth date of Jonathan Bell snr., but if he was 54 when he arrived in Lyttelton on the Caroline Agnes this does seem right.
 
Just when I think I have it sorted something else pops up. 

Hello Michael,
I"m not sure if you are still around and looking for information on the NZ BELLS.   I am descended from William Bell, the mystery man who has been described as the brother of Jonathan Bell, from Foston Farm England.   I saw this post some time ago, and it has led to some head scratching because you did not mention William.
   
In 1851 William and his Sister Ann are recorded as passengers on the Sir George Pollock to Lyttleton.   The Lyttelton Times reports that William set himself up in Ferry Road as a farmer and Ann returned to England to report on conditions to her brother Jonathan.   I Think they must have meant her Father.  When the family emigrated on the Caroline Agnes in 1855 the passenger list shows Jonathan Bell, 54, labourer: Elizabeth Bell, 52, wife: Lucy Bell, 20, daughter: Elizabeth Bell, 18, daughter: and Jonathan Bell, 10, son.  It is unlikely that she would be reporting back to a 10 year old boy.

Before 1875 BDM registration was not compulsory, and those that were registered were pretty rudimentary with just the Bride and Grooms names, plus the date of their marriage in many cases.

When William Bell died suddenly in 1884 at Foston Farm, his death was reported in the Lyttelton Times and an autopsy was carried out.   This determined that he died of a stroke, and because there was an autopsy his death certificate contained more details that would normally occur in this historical error.    So from the death certificate we can see that he was the oldest son of Jonathan Bell and Elizabeth Bell (born Lowe).  It also states that he was 59 years old, born at Foston Lincolnshire England, was married to Ann Harvey and they had a daughter, 28, (my ancestor) and a son, 26.
Williams's Death Certificate is 1884004857.

William and Ann are buried in the Church of England Cemetery, Rangiora in unmarked graves on the other side of the path to the monument erected to the early settlers of Rangiora, which is over the graves of his parents.
   
Hope this helps. Does fill in any of the gaps in your family jigsaw?  I am going to add what you said to what I know, and see if it works for William's descendants here.

This is getting more confusing - according to 7/162014 New Zealand Archives Passenger Lists 1839-1973 for The Caroline Agnes which left London 12th April, 1855 and arrived in Lytttelton on 17th August, 1855:
Jonathan Bell   age 55 labourer
Elizabeth Bell         52 wife
Lucy Bell                20 daughter
Elizabeth Bell         18 daughter
Jonathan Bell         19 son

There is no mention anywhere that I can see that this Jonathan and Elizabeth also had a daughter Ann (27) which they left behind in England......unless she was a married woman by that stage and there is no record about her that I can find here

The Sir George Pollock passenger list (arriving Lyttelton 10th November 1851)contains two Bells, who were paying passengers and not assisted immigrants:
Bell      Ann          23 Domestic Servant not married
Bell      William     25 Ag. Labourer
Ann returned to England to report to Jonathan and family on the situation in NZ, and William took up residence in Ferry Road, where he is listed in the 1953 Electoral Roll and the 1855 Jury List as a farmer.
When Jonathan and Elizabeth and family arrived in 1855 the also lived in Ferry road until 1858.   To date the only Ann I can find is the Ann Harvey that William married in 1855, and their daughter also called Ann.   I have not checked the NZ historic BDM records for any Ann that may be a descendant  of the Jonathan Bells yet.....my main focus has been with William Bell.

There are variations in the age of William Bell - according to the passenger list of the Sir. George Pollock he was 25 years old and his sister Ann was 23.   This would put his birth at about 1826, but this does not totally tie in with other facts, and his age was not on the marriage certificate, when he married Ann Harvey in 1855.   He was the brother of Jonathon Bell of Foston farm, and in fact they were living together at Bells Station until William died in 1884.