Author talk:Malcolm Bell (1850-1925)

Malcolm Henry Bell / Malcolm H. Bell
This discussion is directed at resolving the question of whether Author:Malcolm Henry Bell (MHB who wrote about Lawrence Alma-Tadema, I'm starting a demo on the As) from the DNB 3rd Supplement is this person. If so, it looks likely that the vital dates given here are wrong. There are several sources for Malcolm Henry Bell 1859-1936, including Malcolm H Bell on FreeBMD.

Concentrating on what we know about the Malcolm Henry Bell on WikiTree (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bell-16493), his mother Clara Bell was a sister of Edward Poynter, the E. J. Poynter of Drawings of Sir E. J. Poynter listed as a work here. The Dutch page https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/98447 has the artist Malcolm H. Bell visiting Dordrecht in 1882 with E.C. Bell and Margaret Bell. I say those are the sisters Emma Cecelia Bell and Margaret Bell listed by WikiTree.

It becomes then plausible that there is just one Malcolm Bell writing about art at that period, so that the Online Books Page list of works at would all be by him. There an early Burne-Jones biography in there, and no one seems clear who wrote that. The publisher Newnes recurs.

This would mean that VIAF 304988323, 74144928738354441053, 100167618 and 68167198982867632797 are all the same person, so it would be good to solidify. Charles Matthews (talk) 12:12, 22 January 2023 (UTC)


 * You supplied the initial set of dates for this Malcolm Bell in 2012, are you able to remember from whence that data was sourced? — billinghurst  sDrewth  03:47, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

I will have a look when I have a chance over the next few days. I note that Bell’s Miniature Series of Painters published by George Bell & Sons, is that Burnes-Jones work, and another in that series is written by the wife of Arthur Bell. One would have to think that there is some inter-relationship. At least I can dig through that family to see what is there. — billinghurst  sDrewth  04:23, 23 January 2023 (UTC)


 * there are two Bell families here, and not immediately related, I think. The "wife of Arthur Bell" is Nancy Bell (author), married to Arthur George Bell (Suffolk Artists, not that that site is 100% reliable), son of George Bell (publisher) (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bell-14894) who according to WikiTree was the son of Matthew Bell from Sunderland. While Robert Courtenay Bell (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bell-16412) the father of Malcolm Henry Bell was, according to WikiTree, born in Madras to a William Bell, son of General Robert Bell died 1844. Charles Matthews (talk) 05:21, 23 January 2023 (UTC)