Ralph Bell (died 3 November 1733) of

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; it is known for its racecourse and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological finds indicate there was a settlement in Thirsk aro ...

, North Yorkshire was an English country gentleman and politician who was a member of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1710 to 1717. Thirsk Hall - geograph

Bell was the son of Robert Bell of

Sowerby, North Yorkshire Sowerby () is a village, Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Yorkshire, England immediately south of the neighbouring market town of Thirsk. Although the bou ...

, and his wife Elizabeth. He was a merchant in

and married Rachel Windlow, daughter of Richard Windlow of Yarm, Yorkshire on 3 March 1697. He succeeded his father in 1711. The History of Parliament website also provides these specifics: "Bell's family had been settled in Thirsk since the 16th century, and his father, who had a mansion house at Kirkgate, owned 22 of the borough's burgages. Bell's father and later Bell himself had sufficient electoral interest at Thirsk to control one seat and were politically active before Bell stood himself. He was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament (MP) for

at the 1710 general election. He was returned again in

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ...

and

1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire in ...

. He resigned his seat in 1717 by accepting a customs post as Customer of Hull. In 1723, Bell purchased a fine house at Thisk ( Thirsk Hall).Thirsk Town Council Thirsk and Sowerby Blue Plaques Trail
/ref> He died without issue on 3 November 1733. His main heir was a nephew Ralph Consett, who assumed the name of Bell.

References

Year of birth unknown 1733 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 People from Thirsk {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub