Joseph M. Bell

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Joseph M. Bell

| image =

| image_size =

| office = President of the Massachusetts Senate

| term = 1849

| predecessor = Zeno Scudder

| successor = Marshall Pinckney Wilder

| office2 = Member of the
Massachusetts Senate

| term_start2 = 1848

| term_end2 = 1849

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| office3 = Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives

| term_start3 = 1845

| term_end3 = 1847

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 =

| office4 = Member of the
New Hampshire House of Representatives

| term4 = 1821, 1828–1830

| predecessor4 =

| successor4 =

| birth_date = March 21 (or 27), 1787

| birth_place = Bedford, New Hampshire, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1851|7|25|1787|3|}}

| death_place = Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.

| resting_place =

| party = Whig

| spouse = Catherine Olcott
Helen Olcott Choate

| children = 5

| residence =

| alma_mater = Dartmouth College

| occupation = {{hlist|Lawyer|abolitionist|politician}}

| signature =

}}

Joseph M. Bell (March 21, 1787 – July 25, 1851) was a New Hampshire and Massachusetts lawyer, abolitionist, and politician. Bell served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1821 and from 1828 to 1830 and the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Senate from 1848 to 1849 and President of the Massachusetts Senate in 1849.

Early life

Joseph M. Bell was born on March 21, 1787 (or March 27, 1787), in Bedford, New Hampshire to Mary (née Houston) and Joseph Bell.{{Cite web |url=https://www.wentworthbrownproject.org/read-me |title=Over 200 Years of History |website=wentworthbrownproject.org |access-date=2022-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921061118/https://www.wentworthbrownproject.org/read-me |archive-date=2022-09-21 |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028812852/ |chapter=Genealogies |title=History of Bedford New Hampshire From 1737 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028812852/page/868/mode/2up |publisher=The Rumford Printing Co. |pages=869–970 |year=1903 |via=Internet Archive |access-date=2022-09-21}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant1868newh/ |chapter=Military History of New Hampshire |title=Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New Hampshire for the Year Ending June 1, 1868 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant1868newh/page/n401/mode/2up |publisher=John B. Clarke |pages=246–248 |year=1868 |via=Internet Archive |access-date=2022-09-21}} He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1807.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109919800/hon-joseph-bell-31-jul-1851-the/ |title=Hon. Joseph Bell |date=1851-07-31 |newspaper=The Pittsfield Sun |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-20}}{{Open access}} He then worked as principal of Haverhill Academy in Haverhill, New Hampshire for one year. He studied law; reading law in the offices of Governor Samuel Bell, Judge Samuel Dana and Governor Jeremiah Smith. He was admitted to the bar in 1811.

Career

Bell worked as a cashier with the Coos Bank and later became the bank president. In 1811, he started a law practice in Haverhill. Bell joined the New Hampshire Militia, Second Division, around 1818.

Bell was appointed as Solicitor for Grafton County, New Hampshire. He worked in that role from 1815 to 1820. He served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Haverhill, in 1821 and from 1828 to 1830. Bell ran for U.S. Congress as a Whig in 1835.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109927059/new-hampshire-30-jan-1835-the-vermont/ |title=New Hampshire |date=1835-01-30 |newspaper=The Vermont Courier |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-21}}{{Open access}} In 1842, Bell moved his law practice to Boston and partnered with Henry F. Durant, founder of Wellesley College. Bell also practiced law with his uncle and father-in-law Rufus Choate.{{citation |editor=John R. Vile |title=Great American Lawyers: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1 |page=106 |publisher=SABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |year=2001}}

Bell represented Boston in the General Court from 1844 to 1847. Bell served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing Suffolk County, from 1845 to 1847.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/massachusettsreg1845unse/ |chapter=State Government, 1845 |title=Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for 1845 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/massachusettsreg1845unse/page/36/mode/2up |year=1845 |via=Internet Archive |access-date=2022-09-21}}{{cite book |chapter= State Government, 1846 |chapter-url= https://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.319510022331967?urlappend=%3Bseq=52 |title= Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for 1846 |hdl=2027/umn.319510022331967?urlappend=%3Bseq=52 |via= HathiTrust }}{{cite book |chapter= State Government, 1847 |chapter-url= https://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433081766754?urlappend=%3Bseq=57 |title=Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information, 1847 | pages=5 v |hdl=2027/nyp.33433081766754?urlappend=%3Bseq=51 |via=HathiTrust | last1=Capen | first1=Nahum }} Bell served as a member of the Massachusetts Senate, representing Suffolk County, from 1848 to 1849. He served as President of the Massachusetts Senate in 1849.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920177/dead-4-aug-1851-the-recorder-2/ |title=Dead |date=1851-08-04 |newspaper=The Recorder |location=Greenfield, Massachusetts |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-20}}{{Open access}}{{cite book |last=Calhoun |first=William |title=Resolves of the General Court of Massachusetts in the Years 1849; 1851; 1850 |page=268 |publisher=Secretary of the Commonwealth |location=Boston, Massachusetts |year=1879}}{{cite book |chapter=State Government, 1848 |chapter-url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433081766747?urlappend=%3Bseq=55 |title=Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information, 1848 | pages=5 v |hdl=2027/nyp.33433081766747?urlappend=%3Bseq=55 |via=HathiTrust| last1=Capen | first1=Nahum }}{{cite book |chapter=State Government, 1849 |chapter-url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/chi.108279638?urlappend=%3Bseq=51 |title=Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information, 1849 | pages=5 v |hdl=2027/chi.108279638?urlappend=%3Bseq=51 |via=HathiTrust| last1=Capen | first1=Nahum }}

Personal life

Bell married Catherine Olcott, daughter of Mills Olcott of Hanover, New Hampshire. Bell married Helen Olcott Choate, daughter of Rufus Choate and niece of his former wife. He had five children, including two daughters.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920793/death-of-hon-joseph-bell-1-aug-1851/ |title=Death of Hon. Joseph Bell |date=1851-08-01 |newspaper=The Liberator |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-20}}{{Open access}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/memorialbiograph03newe/page/434/mode/2up |title=Memorial biographies of the New England Historic Genealogical Society |publisher= New England Historic Genealogical Society |volume=3 |year=1883 |page=434 |via=Internet Archive |access-date=2022-09-21}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/19016806/ |title=Memoir of Rufus Choate |year=1884 |last=Cogswell |first=John B. D. |via=Library of Congress |access-date=2022-09-21 |pages=427,429,434|publisher=J. Wilson }} Bell was friends with Daniel Webster.

In December 1821, Bell purchased the Wentworth Brown House in Haverhill. Later in life, Bell lived in Boston.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920503/hon-joseph-bell-2-aug-1851-new/ |title=Hon. Joseph Bell |date=1851-08-02 |newspaper=New England Farmer |location=Boston, Massachusetts |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-20}}{{Open access}} He owned property in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920586/the-estate-4-aug-1851-greenfield/ |title=The estate... |date=1851-08-04 |newspaper=Greenfield Democrat |location=Greenfield, Massachusetts |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2022-09-20}}{{Open access}}

Bell died on July 25, 1851, at Saratoga Springs, New York, while on vacation with his family.