Major General Edward William Derrington Bell V.C.

From 'Kempsey Collection', Second Edition; page 79:
"Since the publishing of 'Kempsey Collection' in November 1984, it has come to my attention that Kempsey Churchyard has the distinction of being the only churchyard in Worcestershire in which a holder of the Victoria Cross is buried. It was awarded to the then Captain Edward William Derrington Bell of 23 Regiment (later the Royal Welch Fusiliers).

The son of Lieutenant General Edward Wells Bell of the Royal Fusiliers and his wife Marianne, he was born at Landguard Fort, Essex on 18 May 1824 (the family home being The Lodge, Kempsey), and was educated at Sandhurst.

He was decorated for his bravery in action on 20 September 1854 in the Crimea War. His citation reads: 'Recommended for his gallantry, more particularly at the Battle of Alma, where he was the first to seize and capture one of the enemy's guns which was limbered up and being carried off. He moreover, succeeded to the command of his gallant regiment which he brought out of action, all his senior officers having been killed or wounded.' He was decorated by Queen Victoria on Southsea Common, Hants, on 2 August 1858.

He received many other medals for his service in the Crimea and India - including the Legion of Honour from the French Government. In 1868 he was made Major General and in 1875 he was made General Officer Commanding, Belfast District. He died in Belfast on 10 November 1879, leaving a wife, one son and two (correction: three) daughters, and was buried in his father's grave in Kempsey, the inscription now being almost illegible."

This is the inscription on the Bell's grave stone. Question marks show where time and moss have obscured the inscription.

Bell's Grave
The grave is the flat stone in the middle distance, between the clover-leaf headed stone in the foreground and the tree in the background.

The Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (V.C.) is the British Army's highest decoration for bravery. Click here for more details about the history and recipients of the medal.

The medal is now kept in The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, Caernarfon, Wales.

The Controversy over his Place of Birth
Many sources give Bell's birthplace as Kempsey, but a search of the military returns: 'Army Register of Births, Baptisms and Burials.' by the staff at Landguard Fort, Suffolk (not Essex, but close) shows that he was born there. The register does not name his father, but says that he was in the 7^th Regiment of Foot, which (according to 'Regiments and Corps of the British Army 1800') was the Royal Fusiliers, as mentioned above. Thanks to Dave Wood for his research on this.

The Bell Family
Diana O'Sullivan writes: "He had three daughters and a son.
Caroline Mary Anne who married Clement Maitland Edwards who had an address in Kempsey in 1896.
Margaret Derrington who married the vicar's son Cuthbert Arden Longhurst.
Katherine Arabella married Edward C.B. Boucher and she is recorded as living there in 1896 and 1916.
My grandfather William Edward Derrington Bell his son married Edith Isobel Hudson of Wick Pershore. She lived at the Cedars in 1900. References from various Directories. I have done a lot of research already on the family and hope to write up all my findings in the near future. William Hale Derrington married EWD Bell's sister. I am still trying to find out more about him. I think he came from Birmingham as did the Bells. Derrington has been used in every generation of the family since!"

From Diana M. Derrington Bailey
"My great grandfather was Edward William Derrington Bell V.C. buried in the churchyard at Kempsey. His father was General Wells Bell who also lived in Kempsey at Napleton Cottage and later at the Lodge. He married a Miss Chapman from Ireland who was gt.aunt to T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). My family records show that the Bell family lived in Kempsey for practically the whole of the 19C and give their place of residence as both Kempsey Lodge and The Lodge, Kempsey. This is also on the census forms so I am not sure what is correct? Perhaps both because there were a lot of them. I am hoping to get a house in Kempsey soon.
Yrs. Diana M. Derrington Bailey.
My mother was called Alma V.Derrington Bell after the Battle of the Alma 1854 at which her grandfather won the V.C."

Ann writes on 25 June 2007:
"in the Worcester Evening News a few days ago... there is an article about the reconsecrating of the Derrington Bell grave in Kempsey churchyard tomorrow as it has now been refurbished."

"I don't think Kempsey can claim any longer to be the only churchyard in Worcs where a VC is buried. Someone awarded a VC in 1943 was buried in Rochford cemetery in 2004."

Ann writes on 11 Nov 2007:
He married his 2nd wife Charlotte Wadsworth Davies (nee Chapman ) in 1869 and took on 2 stepdaughters Janetta B Davies aged 8 and Florence Davies aged 4. Charlotte was born in Canada.

Edward Bell's 1st wife was Alice Brooke (1840-1897) who he married in Suffolk in 1857 and by whom he appears to have had at least 2 older children. They divorced sometime between 1866-1869 and in 1873 Alice married widower Dr George Fowler Bodington (1829-?).

© 1999 - Andy Morrall

Last updated 11^th November 2007.

E-mail: andymorrall@geocities.com

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