Sir Thomas Bell the Elder (1486–1566) was a cap manufacturer, mayor of Gloucester, and member of Parliament. He was one of the city's largest employers and wealthiest citizens and a great benefactor of the city and its people. He is described in contemporaneous documents as a "capper". He invested much of his wealth in real estate released on the dissolution of the monasteries, sometimes in partnership with Richard Duke (c. 1515–1572), of Otterton, Devon, Clerk of the Court of Augmentations.
He was thrice Mayor of Gloucester (1535–36, 1543–44 and 1553–54) and served four times as Member of Parliament (MP) for the city (1545–47, 1547–52, 1553 and 1554–55). He was knighted on 27 February 1546/7.
He appears to have held orthodox Roman Catholic religious views: in 1537, while mayor, he was accused by leading townsmen John Huggins and John Rastell of calling Bishop Latimer of Worcester a heretic.VCH Gloucester.
A portrait of Bell the Elder is in the possession of Gloucester City Council. He is not to be confused with his younger brother (possibly half-brother), also called Thomas, also prominent, Sir Thomas Bell the Younger (d. 1560/1),Death of Sir Thomas Bell the Younger 1560/1: GDR Wills 1561/120. Per VCH Glos. Mayor of Bristol, who also served as Mayor of Gloucester in 1543 and 1554–5.Rudge, T. The History & Antiquities of Gloucester. pp.71–72, list of mayors; p.325.
Family origins The 1623 Visitation of Gloucestershire reveals nothing as to the parentage of the Bell brothers. The Gloucester family was possibly descended from the ancient de Belne family of Worcestershire. Evidence from armorials does not suggest any link to John Bell (d. 1556), Bishop of Worcester. It does not seem likely that this family was directly related to the Bells of Berkshire, Yorkshire or Norfolk.
Capper (Cap Manufacturer)
Gloucestershire was a centre of the wool and cloth industries, and the city of Gloucester became a nexus for this trade. Bell may have made the Tudor beret-style flat cap worn by members of higher society (as illustrated) or possibly the coarser style cap, later known as the "Statute Cap", which was the model approved by the 1571 statute making the wearing of caps compulsory on Holy Days, a measure designed to support the manufacturing industry. Bell Snr. was one of the largest manufacturers in the city, rivalled only by John Falconer (d. 1545), thrice Mayor of Gloucester. They employed large numbers of people: Bell up to 300.PRO, E134/25 Eliz I Hil./3; VCH Glos. After purchasing the Monastery of the Blackfriars in 1539, he transformed it into a cap factory, which was noticed at the time by John Leland the antiquary, who remarked, "The Blakefriers stood withe in the towne not far from the castle. This hows is by one Bell made a drapinge howse."The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the Years 1535–1543. ed. Toulmin Smith, L. London, 1908. Vol.2, p.58. He may therefore also have made general drapery, and gloves, as is sometimes suggested. Bell's period was the high water mark for the trade, which fell off rapidly from around the time of his death in the 1560s. From his business he became the wealthiest citizen of Gloucester.VCH Glos.
Trustee of Crypt Grammar School One of the earliest references to Bell in the Gloucester Archives is his appointment in 1528, together with his younger brother, as one of 10 original trustees of the Crypt Grammar School founded by John Cooke (d. 1528), mercer and four times Mayor of Gloucester.Gloucester Archives D3270/1, 1528. Coveyance by John Cooke of lands to trustees for foundation of the Crypt Grammar School A further deed in this connection, dated 1535, describes Bell as an "Alderman of Gloucester".Gloucester Archives D3270/18, 1535. Conveyance by Joan Cooke (wife of John) of lands to trustees of the Crypt Grammar School
Purchase of Dissolved Monastic Property Bell Snr. was the main purchaser of such properties in Gloucester, and thus became the city's largest private landowner.
Blackfriars monastery
The monastery known as Blackfriars, Gloucester of the Dominican Friars, named from the black habits they wore, was founded c. 1239, on a site west of Southgate Street, with the city wall adjacent to the south. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries Bell and his wife Joan purchased the site in 1539 for £240, including property of Llanthony. The buildings of the cloister, including the scriptorium, he transformed into a factory, while he converted the church itself into a grand mansion, completed by 1545,A lease dated 1545 to Thomas Bell by Gloucester Corporation refers to "his mansion place new built...lately called the black friars and now Bell Place being of the yearly value of £9". Glos. Archives GBR/J/3/18 ff.44v-45. which he referred to in his will as "My howse called Bell Place".Will of Sir Thomas Bell the Elder: Glos. Archives, 1566/150. The nave and chancel were each shortened by about half, either side of the central crossing, of which the southern member, extending into the cloister, was removed. Upper floors and stone mullioned windows were added above the outer aisles, and a semi-circular bay window was also added to the north side of the nave. The great window at the north end of the northern transept was built in, and replaced with several smaller windows.Alterations as described by VCH Glos, vol.4 & from comparison with an illustration of a theoretical reconstruction by Terry Ball. In the 1930s Bell Place was converted into two dwellings. Restoration work on this former church was completed in 1984, when it was opened to the public. The cloister buildings were converted from the former cap factory into dwellings in the 18th century, and part of the west range was heightened and converted into three houses. Bell bequeathed Blackfriars to his niece Joan and her husband Thomas Denys, son of Sir Walter Denys of Dyrham Park, in which family it remained until c. 1700. Both the ancient gateways to the Blackfriars have been removed, one before 1724, the other having collapsed c. 1750. One had become known as Lady Bell's Gate, which is commemorated in the modern street name "Ladybellegate", onto which the western cloister faces. The site is today the most complete surviving Dominican priory in Britain, containing the oldest surviving library.VisitBritain website
Whitefriars Monastery The Monastery of Carmelite Friars, called Whitefriars after the colour of their apparel, was founded c. 1268, near Brook St. outside the walls at the NE corner of the city. On Dissolution it was sold by the Crown to two speculators who sold it on to Thomas Bell and his wife Joan. They donated the site as part of the foundation of the 1562 trust Kimbrose Hospital. Most of the buildings were demolished by 1567, but the barn remained and played an important role in the Civil War, serving to house a battery for the city's defenders. That too was demolished c. 1800, and now the site's appellation of "Friar's Ground" is the only memorial of its history.
Llanthony Secunda Priory Llanthony Secunda was a second house founded by the first Augustinian Llanthony Priory in Wales. By the 16th century, it had become the largest Augustinian house in England, and the 10th richest.http://www.gloucester.gov.uk website for Llanthony. On Dissolution the site itself was purchased by Arthur Porter, but many of the properties with which the Priory had been endowed were purchased by Bell in 1539, with further purchase in 1542 for £100. In 1543 he purchased the bulk of the remnant of Llanthony for £627, together with property of other monastic houses. Bell bequeathed this significant property to his niece Joan and her husband Thomas Denys. Arthur Porter's son Sir Thomas Porter married Ann Denys, daughter of Richard Denys and niece of Thomas Denys, Bell's heir.1623 Visitation of Glos. p.52, Denys, p.127, Porter.
Establishment of Bridge Repair and "Uses Lands" Trust In 1542 Sir Thomas Bell and his wife Joan assigned property on a sale and leaseback arrangement to the City Corporation to be used after their deaths for repairing Westgate Bridge and causeway, Gloucester:
John Leland the antiquary commented as follows: "Bell a marchaunt of Gloucestar now livinge, consideringe to be a common-wealth bridges and cawseys, and to the towne of Gloucester, hath gyven x li. (i.e. £10) lands the yere toward the mayntenans of these bridges" The transaction was a three-stage process, firstly the conveyance described above, then a quitclaim by Bell followed by a lease back by the corporation to Bell, all in 1542. The trust so established became known in the corporation's records as "Sir Thomas Bell's Uses Lands", since after the bridge had been repaired the corporation was free to employ the fund for any other use. The lands were sold by the Corporation c. 1800 "for redemption of the land tax"Glos. Archives: GBR/J/6/8 c. 1799-1801: Schedules of property belonging to...Sir Thomas Bell's "Uses Lands" sold for redemption of land tax.The Land Tax had been introduced in 1692 to finance the French war. In 1798 Pitt passed an Act making it perpetual, not renewable annually by Parliament. He also passed an Act allowing the option to exonerate property from the tax, thus saving considerable administrative burden, by making a lump sum payment, equal to 15 years' purchase. Act title: Redemption of Land Tax Act 1798, 38 Geo. 3. c. 60 5, 23. (source: Stebbings, Chantal. The Victorian Taxpayer & the Law. Cambridge, 2009.)
Chantries Purchased
Chantries and Obits in St Mary de Crypt Church Bell purchased in 1548, with Richard Duke (clerk of the court from 1536 until 1554) the former chantry of St Catherine established at that saint's altar in St. Mary de Crypt Church, Gloucester. It had been established by the will of Garet van Eck in 1506 and comprised originally 100 marks, a house, vestments and plate. Its income in 1548 was £7 6s 4d, swelled by endowments subsequently received, including a stable and garden in the city and property in Lydney and Ripple, Worcestershire. The tomb recess and tombchest of Sir Thomas Bell and his wife Joan situated in the south chapel suggests the location of the former altar to St. Catherine. Two kneeling figures from this tomb were moved to the crypt c. 1840. Bell and Duke also purchased in 1548 a former obit (Latin meaning he is dead, similar to a chantry in purpose) for Richard Manchester, which owned a tenement producing income of 22s.
Chantry in St Mary de Lode Church The pair also purchased in 1548 two burgages formerly owned by the Chantry of St Mary within St Mary de Lode Church.
Chantry in St Nicholas's Church Bell also purchased land in Gloucester, Tredworth, and elsewhere, with a rent of 12d., in Pedmarsh field, all of which had been previously employed in supporting St Mary's chantry at St Nicholas' church in Gloucester.
Chantry in St Owen's Church Also purchased by Bell was a part of the endowments of St Mary's chantry at St Owen's church, in Gloucester.
Chantry Property, Llanthony Bell purchased in 1548 part of the chantry property under Llanthony.
Founds Kimbrose Hospital Bell Snr. was the founder of the Kimbrose Hospital (spelt Kymbrose in the founding deeds, modern spelling Kimbrose), named after the adjacent long-established and ancient St Kyneburgh's chapel.
Life of St Kyneburg