James Stanislaus Bell (9 January 1797 – 10 March 1858) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

adventurer and writer who participated in the

Russo-Circassian War The Russo-Circassian War ( ady, Урыс-адыгэ зауэ, translit=Wurıs-adığə zawə; ; 1763–1864; also known as the Russian Invasion of Circassia) was the invasion of Circassia by Russia, starting in July 17, 1763 ( O.S) with the Ru ...

on the side of the

Circassians The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia in ...

Bell was involved in a case against

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

known as the

Mission of the Vixen The mission of the ''Vixen'' was a conflict between the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom that occurred in 1836. Russian background Under the Treaty of Adrianople (1829), treaty of Adrianople, the ...

. He was the owner of a ship that was detained by the Russian coast guard, so he remained in Circassia from 1838 to 1839. Under the guise of establishing commercial relations, he was aiding the resistance of the Circassians against the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. He compiled a description of the local peoples and a map of

Circassia Circassia (; also known as Cherkessia in some sources; ady, Адыгэ Хэку, Адыгей, lit=, translit=Adıgə Xəku, Adıgey; ; ota, چرکسستان, Çerkezistan; ) was a country and a historical region in the along the northeast ...

. He published his

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...

s in 1840.''Journal of a residence in Circassia during the years 1837, 1838 and 1839. Vol. 1–2. London, 1840''

Family

* eldest daughter: Emilia * son: Charles Napier Bell (1835–1906)

Family

References

Further reading