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Ministers & Preachers of Township 5: 1930: Presiding Elder Jacob S. Bell

Photos by: Mojo Warren
Courtesy of Find A Grave
Bayview Cemetery,
Morehead City, NC
It has taken some time to gather the supporting evidence for Jacob Shepard Bell, whom I first discovered through the 1920 U.S. Federal Census for Township 5, Craven, North Carolina. I was aware of the BELL connection to our CARTER and GEORGE family lines, and had heard the name before, but never realized that he had attained the influence he must have carried. I am certain that more relevant information regarding this man of God is out there, yet untapped. I will continue with my search, but feel it is time to present that which I have gathered to date.

1910: Township 5, Craven, NC;
Roll: T624_1104; Pages 5B, 6A;
Enumeration District: 0018; Images 786, 787;
FHL Number: 1375117.
 On April 21, 1910, Jacob S. Bell was enumerated as the head of a household of eleven residing on Mitchell's Creek. He was recorded as a black man, age 51, married for 28 years to Annie. Together they had 14 children, but in 1910, only 13 survived. Their marriage was recorded in the Carteret County Register of Deeds in Book 1882: Page 4: Jacob S. Bell (22) md. Ann Wallace (19) on 11 May 1882 in Morehead, NC. His occupation in 1910 was Clergyman/Teacher.

Progressing to the 1920 Census, I had anticipated finding Jacob S. Bell as a minister in the same location, perhaps a minister at Piney Grove AME Zion, the family church of the Carters and Georges, located on Temple's Point Road. By 1920, however, his family had relocated to Beaufort, Carteret, NC, which would possibly place him as a minister at Purvis Chapel, where the descendants of Peter James Hyman attend services.

On January 21, 1920 Jacob S. Bell was enumerated as a mulatto male, age 60, who owned a mortgaged house on Broad Street, Beaufort, NC. . . a preacher. His household consisted of himself, his wife Annie, and ten children: 3 daughters and 7 sons.




Ann (Wallace) Bell
Born: 1868 in Wildwood, NC
Father: Hasty Wallace.
Mother: Hanah Ward.
Informant: J.H. Bell (sic)
Died: February 25, 1923 at 2:55 a.m. in Morehead City, Carteret, NC of a cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension at age 55.




In 1930 Jacob S. Bell was found in Morehead City, which is located 18.6 miles south of Township 5 (North Harlowe) along Highway 101, 3.89 miles west of Beaufort. By this time, his first wife Ann had died, and he was remarried to Frances M., a 53-year-old negro woman, residing on North 12th Street. His age at first marriage was recorded as 21 (to Ann Wallace), and hers as 30 (md. 1900 to ?). I was unable to locate any marriage record for them in Carteret County, nor was I able to find her death certificate nor burial record at Find A Grave.

There, in 1930, the then 71-year-old owned a home worth $2000, and his occupation was enumerated as Presiding Elder, Methodist Church. None of his children were present in the household at that time.

The following is a composite of his household from 1900-1930:
Jacob S. and Ann (Wallace) Bell: CH:

  1. Crisous "CAC", (son) b.  Feb. 1883 in Wildwood, NC; d. Nov 24, 1915 in Morehead City, NC of Tuburculosis.
  2. Daisy V[iolet?], (dau.) b. Aug. 1884;
  3. Philip, (son) b. May 1889;
  4. Jesse H., (son) b. June 1890;
  5. Ervin H., (son) b. abt. 1890;
  6. James F., (son) b. Sept 22, 1891 in Wildwood, NC; d. Nov 8, 1948 in New Bern, NC of cerebral hemorrhage. 
  7. Sarah H., (dau.) b. Jan 1893;
  8. Fannie A., (dau.) b. Oct. 1894;
  9. Iredell H., (son/dau.) b. July 1896;
  10. Carl, (son) b. May 1899 in Wildwood, NC; d. April 13, 1921 in Morehead City, NC of Tuberculosis.
  11. Theodore R., (son) b. Sept 20, 1900 in Wildwood, NC;
  12. Charley Malachy, (son) b. abt. 1904;
  13. Jacob H., (son) b. abt. 1906;
  14. John S., (son) b. abt. Nov. 1909.
In 1900, 9 children had been born to Jacob & Annie, with 9 children surviving. 
In 1910 it was recorded that they had 14 children, but only 13 surviving. So, between 1900 and 1910, one child died; and, since additional vital records have not been located, it narrows down to either Daisy, Philip, Jesse or Fannie.


Rev. Jacob Shepard Bell
Born: April 2, 1860
Father: Ander Bell*, b. Wildwood, NC
Mother: Orlas Fisher*, b. Wildwood, NC
Informant: F. M. Bell
Died: August 3, 1932 in Morehead City, Carteret, NC








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