Bell Clan Crest

Clan Bell Crest	CREST:A hand holding a dagger proper MOTTO: I Beir the Bel TRANSLATION: I bear the bell VARIATIONS: N/A
Clan Bell is a Scottish clan with a rich and fascinating history. The family, which originated from the Borders region of Scotland, has a long and storied past, marked by both conflict and achievement. The name Bell is believed to have originated from the French word “bel,” which means “fair” or “handsome.” This descriptive origin means that common ancestry cannot be assumed for all those bearing the surname.
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The Clan Bell was one of the riding clans of the Border Reivers, a group of lawless families who operated in the Borders region of Scotland in the late Middle Ages. The Bells, along with other Borders families, became increasingly turbulent throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, leading the Crown to issue letters of warning in 1517 to keep the peace. Despite this, the English still managed to destroy the tower of Blacket House in a raid in 1547. After the union of the Crowns in 1603, many Border Reiver families, including the Bells, emigrated to the new plantation lands in Ulster, where the name Bell is now among the twenty most numerous in the province. Others settled further afield throughout Australia and New Zealand. However, some descendants of the Lairds of Blacket House stayed in Scotland and moved to the cities, where they made substantial contributions to learning and, in particular, medical science. Andrew Bell, founder of the Madras system of education, was born in St. Andrews in 1753 and his college, which was named after his system, is still a respected seat of education today. Dr. Joseph Bell, a great-grandson of Benjamin Bell of Blacket House, was a distinguished surgeon and is said to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. General Sir John Bell was a distinguished soldier during the Napoleonic Wars and a friend of the Duke of Wellington. Scottish lawyers may encounter the name Bell in their study of “Principals of the Law of Scotland” by George Joseph Bell, Professor of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh in 1829. One of the most famous Bells of all, Alexander Graham Bell, was a pioneer in the development of the telephone.
Clan Bell Scottish History Poster