Late last month, descendants of William James Sedgbeer Bell and his father, William Walter Bell, gathered in Grenfell and West Wyalong to celebrate the launch of a short history of the family who settled after arriving from England in 1860. James Bell’s great grandson, Tom Reeve, spent over a decade researching and penning the short history, and enjoyed the launch and its opportunity to meet more descendants, solve mysteries and uncover more information on the pioneers of the Grenfell, West Wyalong and Monteagle districts. For example, he was able to uncover the location of Walter Bell’s Grenfell butchery, which was at the side of Bell’s Bakery in Burrangong Street. “We saw that it had been incorporated into the bakery building, with the upstairs balcony extended,” he said. “We were very pleased to find out that the Grenfell Museum had recently found a photo of the 1887 brick church on Thornbury showing a wedding from over 100 years ago.”
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‘By Grit and By Grace’ outlines the family’s life at the original Thornbury, which consisted of 28 selections along Brundah Creek, and their important roles in the establishment of bakeries, butcheries, a school and churches in the areas, even an early mining claim in the Wyalong area. Triumphs were joined by tragedies, losses of family members, many young, droughts, fires and failures. Despite flooding coinciding with the West Wyalong launch, approximately 80 people gathered at the original Jamieson/Bell home in that area, ‘Mount View’, now owned by Maurice and June Winter.
“Visitors were able to inspect the original pise buildings and the 1890 Mount View woolshed, which is still in use,” Mr Reeve said. “We were blessed with fine weather for the five days of the two launches, church services and tours.” Plaques were unveiled by Geoff Hughes, a retired farmer from Gunnedah. Others who attended were school teachers, retired university professors, Christian ministers, doctors, medical workers and proprietors of various businesses – and some direct descendants still Grenfell residents; including Marian Freudenstein and Jocelyn Hungerford. One gentleman, Jack Sommerville, even travelled from as far as New Zealand.
His work is ongoing, with Mr Reeve still trying to locate descendants of Tobias Bell (a baker at Katoomba), and George Bell, another baker, who fought at Gallipoli and in France. Guests were treated to not only the launches and unveilings, but tours to the original Bell bakery in Grenfell, a visit to family gravesites at Grenfell Cemetery, museums, and a tour with Mrs Taylor of the original Bell home area at Brundah Creek. Copies of ‘By Grit and By Grace’ are available at the Christian Bookshop in Grenfell.
All photos courtesy of Ruth Wheatley.