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Jack Bell was born in June 1889, and baptised on 30th June. He was the second son of Thomas Bell and Jane Elizabeth Bell (nee Brown) who at the time were living in Cowdale Beck . His elder sister Ellen was born in 1885 and elder brother Thomas in 1887. The family then moved to Brothersfield in Hartsop, when 5 other siblings were born - Wilson (1891), Catherine Jane (1896), Benjamin Robert (1899), George Browne (1902) and Richard Watson (1904).  The children are all likely to have attended Patterdale School before making their way in the world. Jack’s father was a labourer and by 1911 was still living in Brothersfield with Jane Elizabeth and the three youngest children Benjamin, George and Richard.  

We’re not sure what Jack did before the war but it is likely that he joined up around the same time as many of the other men from the dale who ended up in the Border Regiment, including Frank Brown, Fred Dewis and Jack Watson. We know that the 2/4 Border Regiment served in India and Afghanistan from early 1915 to 1919.  From March 1916 the battalion was stationed in and around Peshawar, and then took part in the Mohmand Blockade from February to May 1917. Sadly  we can find no trace of Jack’s war record but his great nephew Adam still has his war medals and from these we know that he served in India and Afghanistan, winning the North West Frontier Service clasp to his India General Service medal.  This means that Jack took part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War which began on the 6th May 1919 and  ended with an armistice on the 8th August 1919. Some of his photos from the region were kindly shown to us by his family in 2018 and are included below.

Jack’s father Thomas died in July 1917 while Jack was away fighting.  After demobilisation Jack returned home and worked as a porter at the Ullswater Hotel, working his way up to become head porter there. It was whilst there that he married  Florence May Backhouse (son of Thomas Backhouse) on 21st April 1934. At that time he was living in The Square Glenridding. The story goes that he made enough money from tips at work to retire at 40, and buy several of the Millcroft cottages in Glenridding.  Florence May died in January 1959. Jack’s mother died some 6 months later in July 1959 at the age of 97.  Jack himself continued to live at 2 Millcroft until his death on 22nd January 1974 at the age of 84. Jack is remembered on the Glenridding Roll of Honour alongside his younger brother Benjamin Robert Bell, who served in 5th Royal Fusiliers.

Jack’s younger brother  George Browne Bell raised his family in Hartsop and his sons still live in the Dale - Benny and his family at Crookabeck Farm, Colin  in Hartsop and Richard  at Cherry How  in Patterdale, and their sister Elizabeth who lives in Newcastle.

Private John (Jack) Bell

2603/201232 Border Regiment

Born June 1889, Brotherswater. Died 22nd January 1974 Aged 84

Son of Thomas and Jane Elizabeth (nee Brown) Bell, Cowdale Beck and Brothersfield Hartsop

Married Florence May Backhouse (21st April 1934), and lived at 2 Millcroft Glenridding

Uncle  of Benny, Colin, Richard & Elizabeth Bell.

A machine gun crew of the Border Regiment on the North West Frontier in 1919

Jack’s Medal Index Card

Private Benjamin Robert Bell

G69801/G31803 Royal Fusiliers & Royal Sussex Regiment

Born 1899, Brotherswater. Died Sept 1936 Workington Aged 37

Son of Thomas and Jane Elizabeth (nee Brown) Bell, Cowdale Beck and Brothersfield Hartsop

Married Lily Twentyman. Father of Sarah, Roland and William

Uncle  of Benny, Colin, Richard & Elizabeth Bell.

Benjamin Robert Bell was born in early 1899 and baptised at St Patrick’s Church Patterdale on the 5th march that year. He was the fourth son of Thomas Bell and Jane Elizabeth Bell (nee Brown) who at the time were living at Brothersfield Hartsop. The rest of his family is described in more detail above in the story of his elder brother Jack Bell.  

Benjamin must have joined the army as soon as he was of age, around 1917. The Military Service Act of April 1918 allowed recruits to serve abroad age the age of 18 years and 6 months, as long as they had had six month training. Given Benjamin’s birth date of early 1899, he would have qualified for this. The only details we have of his war service are from his medal card (see below), which show that he initially joined the Royal Fusiliers (likely to have been the Northumberland Fusiliers) and then the Royal Sussex Regiment. The fact that he received both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal means that he saw active service overseas, most likely in France in the course of 1918.

Benjamin’s father Thomas died in July 1917, possibly just when Benjamin was joining up. His elder brother Jack was already in uniform, serving in India. After the war, around August 1921, Ben married Lily Twentyman in the Penrith Registration District. Ben is said to have been a bus driver and may have worked in Cockermouth and Carlisle before moving to Workington. It seems as though Ben and Lily had three children; Sarah (1920-1933), Roland (1922) and William T (1930). Ben and Lily were living at 1, Winifred Street in Workington when Ben died at the young age of 37 on the 8th of September 1936. Benjamin appears with his brother Jack on the Glenridding Village Hall Roll of Honour.

The stories of the rest of Benjamin’s family are told above in the biography of his brother Jack Bell. If you can add anything to the story of Benjamin or his family please contact us.

Private Jack Bell - Border Regiment - Postcard sent to his younger brother George and below various photos from Jack’s travels in the war. If you recognise any of the locations please contact us.