How can I find Bells in Dumfries 1770s ?

[carol sea]

Just started researching this branch of my family. I am finding it very difficult to find any sites that hold info ( especially free stuff!) for this period. Can anyone help with this please? Don't want to have to stop at 1770.
Cheers
Carol

[MDA]

Am researching Bells as well and trying to find my great-grandmother's parents. Can you help? She was Elizabeth Bell married Andrew Scott at Gretna in 1875. She lived at Priorhill between 1871 and 1891.
Thanks

[Boongie Pam]

Early records are hard to find in Scotland.  That's just a fact 

Probate falls to the eldest son and wills don't seem to have been as popular north of the boarder but you may get lucky.

http://www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp

Though it isn't free.

Another source of info if they owned land is the Sasines see this thread...

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,26232.0.html

Memorial Inscriptions in some Dumfriesshire kirks are very well preserved you may get lucky there as well? 

If they are actually from the parish of Dumfries then I've found early parish records to be well kept but unusually for Scottish records they do not list the mother's names on the baptisms - very frustrating.

Sorry I can't offer a great resource!  Can anyone else think of anything?

Pam
 

[carol sea]

Hi Pam
Thanks for that. I suppose I should think myself lucky that I'm as far back as 1770!Going North later in the year so will just have to contain myself till then.At least a cert. arrived this morning for another branch of the family, so I'll be happily wading through that lot for a while now.

Hope MDA can find what they're looking for. Can't be of help at present.

Cheers
Carol

[Boongie Pam]

If you can get to the Archive centre in Dumfries I've heard they are a wonderful hellpful group of people!

http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/services/depts/comres/library/libraries.asp?searchresultsstartingrow=3

I know they have lots and lots of resource, indexes to newspapers, Kirk Sessions (a good early source) etc.

Best of luck,
Pam
 

[carol sea]

Thanks agian Pam
Will post in lookup offers before I go. Will probably end up regetting that, as I'll spend all week in the archives instead of getting some fresh Scottish air! Ah, well.
Carol
 
 

[Isobel]

Have you checked this site out  it gives a lot of the Dumfries cemetry listings



http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~scottish/

I have a Mary Bell born 1795 in my family listings as well and someone from Canada gave a list of more Bells If I can help let me know.

Isobel.

[carol sea]

Thanks Isobel
Another one for me to look at. It's always helpful to have info from people like yourself who have had the same problem. Will log on and see what I can find. Will post to let you know how I get on.
Cheers
Carol
 

[sladmay]

I have William Bell, born about 1806 in Middlebie, who married Janet Thom(p)son )born about 1810 in Middlebie).  The marriage was in Annan, about 1831.  I am still guessing about William's parents and Janet's also.
               David.