Martha Bell

Events

Date of Birth: about 1766.

Martha’s age is given as 61 in her burial record. Her marriage bond, however, gives her age as 28, implying a date of birth of about 1764.

Date of Baptism: 8 October 1766.

Place of Baptism: Whitehaven, St James.

The baptism is recorded in the bishop’s transcripts to the parish registers.

Date of Burial: 2 June 1828.

Place of Burial: Whitehaven, St Nicholas.

Stout gives the burial in his transcription of the parish register.

Relationships

Father: Robert Bell.

Martha’s father is named in her baptism record. More than one Robert Bell were having children in Whitehaven during the period, and it is not clear which one was Martha's father.

Mother: uncertain.

A Robert Bell married Margaret Hamilton at St James, Whitehaven, in 1759, and a somewhat younger Robert Bell married Mary Ballard in St James, Whitehaven, in 1765. There was also probably a third Robert Bell with an unknown wife having children in Whitehaven in the 1760s. It is unclear which couple were the parents of Martha.

Spouse: John Kennedy. Married 15 December 1792 in Whitehaven (St James’).

This marriage is given in the bishop’s transcripts to the parish registers.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Francis Kennedy (baptized 13 November 1791).

Robert Kennedy (baptized 8 October 1793 - died 6 February 1860) married (1) Ann Sibson 17 February 1822 in Whitehaven (St Nicholas’); married (2) Jane Black 4 April 1825 in St Bees, Cumberland.

Sarah Kennedy (baptized 30 November 1794).

Mary Kennedy (born about 1795 - died 21 November 1839) married Samuel Hinde 17 November 1817 in Whitehaven (St James’).

John Kennedy (baptized 30 October 1796).

Archibald Kennedy (baptized 15 July 1798).

Martha Kennedy (born 10 June 1803) married Joseph Irvin 25 December 1830 in Whitehaven (St James’).

Evidence

Martha’s burial (Whitehaven, St Nicholas):

Martha Kennedy Queen Street [aged] 61 June 2nd [1828]

Death Notice in Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser (3 June 1828):

in Queen Street, Mrs. Kennedy, wife of Mr. John Kennedy, master of the Nimble, Liverpool trader, advanced in years.

References

John Kennedy and Martha Bell marriage, Whitehaven, Cumberland (Holy Trinity) bishop’s transcripts of the parish register; FHL microfilm 90678, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Martha Bell baptism, Whitehaven, Cumberland (St James’), bishop’s transcripts of the parish register; FHL microfilm 90680, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Stout, H.B. (transcriber). The Registers of St. Nicholas Church, Whitehaven, Part 3: Burials 1694 - 1837. Cumbria Family History Society, 2002.