Samuel Newell Bell (March 25, 1829 – February 8, 1889) was an American lawyer, politician and businessman. He served as a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

in the 1870s.

Early life

Born in

Chester, New Hampshire Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2020 census, up from 4,768 at the 2010 census. It was home to the now defunct Chester College (formerly White Pines College). History From ...

Samuel Dana Bell Samuel Dana Bell (October 9, 1798 – July 31, 1868), was the chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature from September 30, 1859 to August 1, 1864. Bell was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1825. Fr ...

and Mary H. (Healey) Bell, he attended local schools in

Francestown, New Hampshire Francestown is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,610 at the 2020 census. The village of Francestown, population 201 in 2020, is in the center of the town. History Incorporated in 1772, Francestow ...

and

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...

. After graduating from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

in 1847, he studied law in the office of his father and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1849. He began the practice of law in

Meredith, New Hampshire Meredith is a New England town, town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,662 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Meredith is situated in the state's Lakes Region (New Hamp ...

Career

Elected as a Democratic candidate to the Forty-second Congress, Bell was a United States Representative for the second district of New Hampshire. He served from March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1873. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1872 to the Forty-third Congress, but was elected to the Forty-fourth Congress, serving from March 4, 1875 to March 3, 1877. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1876. After leaving Congress, Bell resumed the practice of law in Meredith. He was also involved in real estate and was one of the founders of the New Hampshire Fire Insurance Company. He served as director and vice-president of the company from 1881 until his death. Bell served as president of several railroads, including the

Portsmouth and Concord Railroad The Portsmouth and Concord Railroad (later the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad) was a railroad in New Hampshire (United States) that existed under various names from 1845 to 1945. History and construction By 1845 the state of New Hampshire had ...

, the

Suncook Valley Railroad The Suncook Valley Railroad was a short-line railroad in the United States, originating in Suncook, New Hampshire, and terminating in Barnstead, New Hampshire. After a long period of operation by lessees, it was operated as an independent railro ...

, the

Pemigewasset Valley Railroad The Pemigewasset Valley Railroad was a railroad connecting Plymouth to North Woodstock, New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the so ...

and the Franconia Notch Railroad. He was appointed chief justice of the

New Hampshire Superior Court The New Hampshire Superior Court is the statewide court of general jurisdiction which provides jury trials in civil and criminal cases. There are 11 locations of the Superior Court, one for each county and two in Hillsborough County. Jurisdictio ...

by Governor Ezekiel A. Straw and later by Governor James A. Weston but declined to accept the appointment both times, and retired from public life.

Death

Bell died while on a visit in North Woodstock on February 8, 1889 (age 59 years, 320 days). He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

Valley Cemetery The Valley Cemetery (or the Valley Street Cemetery) is a public cemetery located in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. It is bounded on the east by Pine Street, on the north by Auburn Street, on the west by Willow Street, and on the south b ...

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...

Personal life

Bell was the grandson of Samuel Bell, the 14th

Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

, and the nephew of James Bell, United States Senator.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Samuel Newell 1829 births 1889 deaths People from Chester, New Hampshire American people of Scotch-Irish descent Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire 19th-century American politicians People from Meredith, New Hampshire Phillips Academy alumni Dartmouth College alumni