Lieutenant Christopher James Bell, R.N. 1795-1836

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted July, 2005

Plaque Location

The County of Renfrew
The Township of Horton
On the north side of Road 1
just west of the Bonnechère River bridge, street number 3758
13.1 km east of the intersection of Road 60 and Road 20 in Renfrew
via Road 20 and Road 1

Coordinates: N 45 30.863 W 76 33.514

Plaque Text

A pioneer of the Ottawa Valley lumber industry, Bell had commanded H.M. gunboat "Murray" at the battle of Plattsburg on Lake Champlain in 1814. Emigrating to Upper Canada about 1817, he was granted 325 ha of land, partly located here at the "first chute" of the Bonnechere River. By 1829 he had built a timber slide and sawmill, in the vicinity of which there grew up the hamlet of "Castleford", named for Bell's birthplace in Yorkshire. The name was later transferred to the present settlement on the Ottawa River. As magistrate, commissioner of the court of requests, land agent and postmaster, Bell played an active role in the development of Renfrew County.

Related Ontario plaque
Timber Rafting on the Ottawa

More
Entrepreneurs

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

Posted May 5, 2012
I was at the unveiling of this plaque 45 years ago (only a few weeks old)...with my uncle Christopher James Bell. -CJB

Posted April 13, 2011
Hello. I think this is my great great grandfather!!! My great grandfather's name was Christopher henry chandler bell. My Grandfather was christopher james bell. my father christopher henry chandler bell.

Posted November 3, 2008
Lt. Bell is buried in the Old Burying Ground on Craig St., Perth, Lanark County, ON with his wife Ann Laulum.

Here's where you can write a comment for this page.

Note: If you wish to ask me a question, please use the email link in the menu.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours
(usually much sooner).