A FAMILY HISTORY
1 September 2008 - 5:07:26pm

This is an idiosyncratic account of my ancestors dealing largely with four families: Bell, Atkinson/Atkison, Sneed and Finley, represented by the names of my grandparents.

The Bell, Atkinson/Atkison and Finley families are very likely part of the Scotch-Irish migration to what is now the United States Southeast, primarily VA, and NC, in 17th and 18th centuries. This this is best documented for the Bell family. This migration is described in [R-5], and [R-8] both of which provide useful context within which to view the present account. More general background on Scotland in this period is provided by [R-9]. The Sneed family probably came from the English Midlands in the 18th century, though there is only circumstantial evidence for this.

In the late 18th and early 19th century all these families move west to TN and MS and south to AL and GA. Context for this period is provided by [R-4]. For MS, context is also provided by the fiction of Wm. Faulkner. Beginning in the mid-19th century the these families spread westward to TX, MO and ultimately to the West Coast of the United States.

This account is presented in the form of a data base. Public access to this data base is obtained by searching for individual persons known by name. To do this, click on the "Lists" button appearing above. This reveals a pull-down menu containing "Individual List". Clicking on "Individual List" reveals a horizontal display of letters of the alphabet, Clicking on a letter 'X' reveals a list of persons whose last name begins with 'X'. Clicking on a name 'N' reveals data about the person named 'N'. Clicking on "Family List" on the pull-down works in a similar way. The "Help" button appearing above explains navigation in the data base from the entry for an individual perrson.

Data on living persons in this data base is not accessible to the public. Families other than those mentioned above are represented in this data base because they are connected by marriage to these families.


REFERENCES

Some general references and discussion of major sources appear below.


[R-1] Bell, Getha Gina, The Bells in U. S. A. and Allied Families 1650-1977. privately published, 1977.

This is the work of an amateur historian and somewhat weak on documentation. It deals with several families descended from Bells who emigrated to PA, VA and NC from Scotland by way of Ulster in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is largely based on information provided the author by members of these families. The author’s information about the Bell family discussed here apparently comes largely from George Emmett Bell , an insurance broker in Dallas TX about 1920, who corresponded with my grandmother, Mary Caroline Bell. Much information in several other sources appears to be derived from this book.

[R-2] Bell, James Elton and Frances Jean Bell, Sir Robert Bell and his Early Virginia Coloney Descendants. Wheatmark, Tucson AZ, 2007.

A not totally successful attempt to link Bells in VA with Bell in the UK.

[R3] Bell, Robert, The Book of Ulster Surnames. Blackstaff Press, Belfast UK, 1988.

[R-4] Clark, Thomas D. and John D. W. Guice, The Old Southwest, 1795-1830: Frontiers in Conflict. The University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1989.

[R-5] Fischer, David Hacket, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. Oxford University Press 1989.

The section BORDERLANDS TO THE BACKCOUNTRY: The Flight from North Britain 1717-1775 is most relevant. People named 'Bell' are mentioned several times. But none of those mentioned has been identified as a person in this data base..

[R-6] Hawthorne, James Fredrick I (200), Hawthorne Family. GED file, 2000.

Information in this file pertaining to the Bell family appears to come largely from [R-1].

[R-7] International Genealogical Index (IGI).

This is a genealogical data base maintained by the LDS church. A citation in the text to IGI Family Group Record or IGI Individual Record indicates that information about the person discussed in the text has been found in this data base. In most instances the data will accompany teh citation. The data appears to be mostly based on family records. It is of uneven quality and sometimes contradictory.

[R-8] Leyburn, James G. The Scotch Irish: A Social History. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1962.

[R-9] Lynch, Michael, Scotland: A New History. Pimlioco, London UK. 1992.

[R-10] Smith, June, Bell Family. GED File, 2005.

Though apparently based largely on [R-3], this contain results of some research in primary sources, public records and gravestones.