Melville James Bell was born on May 13, 1845 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the son of Alexander Melville Bell and Eliza Grace Symonds, and the elder brother of Alexander Graham Bell and Edward Charles Bell. He married Caroline Margaret Ottoway and had one son, Edward Charles Ottoway Bell, who lived to be only approximately two years old. He died on August 16, 1870 in London, England. Melville James Bell died of tuberculosis. His brother, Edward Charles Bell, also died of tuberculosis. The deaths of Edward Charles Bell and Melville James Bell prompted the Bell family to emigrate from the Old Country to Canada where the climate helped restore the failing health of Alexander Graham Bell.
Alexander Melville Bell with his wife, Eliza Grace Symonds and their children, Melville James, Alexander Graham and Edward Charles. Date: 1852
Melville James Bell, elder brother to Alexander Graham, circa 1870
This is purported to be an image of young Melville making funny faces for a photography session. The photographs were probably taken around 1855. Editors note: this actually looks a lot more like his brother, Edward Charles Bell. I suspect the Library of Congress has labeled this photograph incorrectly. I will update this blog article when I have better information.
References:
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Graham_Bell_in_Brantford,_Ontario,_Canada_-Melville_James_Bell,_elder_brother_to_Alexander_Graham,_who%27s_death_led_to_the_Bell%27s_emigration_to_Canada,_c.1870.JPG
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_graham_bell_family.jpg
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsc.00881/
- https://www.loc.gov/collections/alexander-graham-bell-papers/articles-and-essays/family-tree/alexander-melville-bell/
- https://history-biography.com/alexander-graham-bell/
- https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bell-7345
- https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/melville-james-bell-24-221j2rf
- https://loc.gov/collections/alexander-graham-bell-papers/articles-and-essays/family-tree/melville-james-bell/
