Dadswell Family History

Family of Henry and Emma (Dadswell) Bell

On this page:
Dadswell ancestors of the Bell family
Bell family members
Further information

Dadswell ancestors of the Bell family

Robert Doudeswell 1560 > Robert Doudeswell 1606 > Edward Dodswell 1659 > Alexander Dodswell 1686 > Thomas Dadswell 1732 > James Dadswell 1786 > Thomas William Dadswell 1828 > Emma Elizabeth Dadswell 1861 > Bell family

Bell family

Emma Elizabeth Dadswell (1861-1955) married Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell (1852-1931), one of eight children born to John and Violet (Kelly) Bell (see link at foot of page).

The children in Emma and Henry's family were -

Helena (Lena) Violet Bell born 1879, appears to have been named after one of her aunts, Helena Matilda Dadswell, and her paternal grandmother, Violet Kelly. Lena married Jack Thomas Barnett at Horsham in 1904 and lived at Ross Street, Port Melbourne, during at least some of her married life. They had 10 children - Stella, Lily, Nita, Inez, Mavis, Jean, John, Keith, Frank and Patricia. Lena died at Heidelberg, Melbourne, on 9 July 1963, at the age of 85.

John (Jack) Thomas Bell born 1881, was a labourer who lived at Horsham. He is thought to married twice - (1) to Doris Jean Dawson, who died in 1920, and (2) to Millie Amelia Cain. Children from the first marriage were Esme, George and Doris Jane. Jack died on 20 November 1951 at the age of 70, and was buried at Horsham on 22 November 1951.

Henry (Harry) William Bell born 9 December 1882 at Mt Cole, joined the Australian Army in July 1915 at the age of 32 and saw action on the Western Front in France. He was evacuated to hospital at various times after being wounded and gassed and while on leave in London, England, married Jessie May Simms, born 1897, daughter of Alfred Edward Simms. After the war, they lived at Horsham where Harry was a grazier. They had three children - Ethel May, born about 1920 and who married Leonard Charles Nicholson in 1941, Emma Elizabeth, born about 1924, and Edward Henry, born about 1924. Harry died at Stawell on 9 March 1935, Jessie died at Ballarat in 1980.

Ada Emma Bell born about 1884, probably at Mt Cole, married James Vaughan Martin at Richmond in 1913. They had two children, Jack and Eileen. Ada was caretaker at Horsham Elementary School for some years. She died of cancer on 5 April 1931 when she was aged 46, and was buried at Horsham on 7 April 1931.

Charles Fitzroy Bell born 1886 at Mt Cole, married Agnes Cecilia Rodgers at Horsham in 1922. Charles was a 'wheat lumper' (carrying bagged wheat onto railway trucks). At the age of 36, he was badly injured in an accident at Minyip railway yards. Newspapers reported he was helping move a railway truck along the rails when his foot became caught between two rails. His leg was badly injured when a following truck passed over his leg causing severe bleeding. He was taken to Warracknabeal Hospital but died later in the day, on 10 May 1923. Charles was buried at Minyip Cemetery. There were no children from his marriage.

Alfred Otto Bell born 1888 at Mt Cole, married at Dimboola in 1910 to (1) Otensia Veronica Francesca (Frances) Schmidt and later (2) Emma Matilda Brown (nee Gerdts). Children from his first marriage were Vera, Gladys, Muriel, Ernest, Keith, Neil and Jean. Otto worked as a labourer and lived in a number of locations, including Swan Hill, Stawell and finally at Timboon in Gippsland. He died at Sandringham, Victoria, on 24 June 1968 when aged 80, and was buried two days later at Stawell.

Robert Ernest Bell born 1890 at Mt Cole, and worked as a labourer. He joined the Australian Army in Adelaide in October 1916 at the age of 24. He left Australia in December and eventually found himself in France. It appears not to have been a happy experience - Robert was court martialled twice and faced a number of charges, including being absent without leave, refusing to obey orders and assault. He returned to Australia in 1919 and is believed to have worked with the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission. He also spent 7 years in South Australia, where he married Jessie May Tims about 1938. They had one child, Colin. Robert died in Melbourne on 3 August 1950, when aged 58. Although he had been living at Stawell, he was buried at Springvale Cemetery in Melbourne.

Thomas William Dadswell Bell born 26 May 1892 at Warrak, father unknown. Although initially known as a Dadswell, he later used the family name of Bell. About 1945, he married Bertha Charlotte Dwyer (daughter of Joseph and Eliza Carter) at Hamilton. At the time Thomas was aged 53, Bertha was 71. Bertha died aged 80 at Ballarat on 31 October 1953. Her death certificate gave her usual address as 65 Carr Street, East Geelong. She was buried at Ballarat. Thomas, a chimney sweep, took his own life on 20 June 1960 at his home, described as a shed behind a joinery business in Wilson Street, Horsham. Aged 68, he was buried at Horsham two days later.

Herbert (Bert) Sydney Dadswell Bell born 9 June 1894 at Warrak, father unknown. Although initially known as a Dadswell, he later used the family name of Bell. He married Dorothy Janet McCarthy at Swan Hill about 1952. They had six children - Gladys, Gwendoline, Maxwell, Charles, Brian and Vera. Bert was a drover who late in life lived at Wentworth, NSW. He died there on 22 June 1976.

William Amos Bell born 1896 and died at Horsham as an infant in 1899.

Further information

Information on Emma Elizabeth Dadswell (generation 8 mother of the above Bell family members)
Information on Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell (father of above Bell family members)
Information on Henry (Harry) Fitzroy Bell's parents and siblings