Joshua Fry Bell

For other people named Joshua Bell, see Joshua Bell (disambiguation).

Joshua Fry Bell (November 26, 1811 – August 17, 1870) was a Kentucky slave owner^[1] and political figure.

Joshua F. Bell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district
In office March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847
Preceded by	George Caldwell
Succeeded by	Aylette Buckner
31st Secretary of State of Kentucky
In office July 2, 1849 – March 16, 1850
Governor	John J. Crittenden
Preceded by	Orlando Brown
Succeeded by	John William Finnell
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office 1862-1867
Personal details
Born	(1811-11-26)November 26, 1811 Danville, Kentucky
Died	August 17, 1870(1870-08-17) (aged 58) Danville, Kentucky
Resting place	Bellevue Cemetery Danville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Whig
Alma mater	Centre College
Profession	Lawyer

Bell was born in Danville, Kentucky, where he attended public schools and then Centre College, where he graduated in 1828. He next studied law in Lexington, Kentucky, and travelled around Europe for several years before returning home and being admitted to the bar.

Bell owned four slaves as of the 1850 census, and 14 as of the 1860 census.^[2]

Bell was elected as a Whig to the 29th Congress in November 1844. He did not seek reelection and served a single term in the House, March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1847. He was the Kentucky Secretary of State in 1849, and was sent by Kentucky as a commissioner to the Peace Conference held in Washington, D.C. in February 1861, in an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to stave off what became the American Civil War.

Bell was the Whig Party nominee in the 1859 Kentucky gubernatorial election. He would lose to Democrat Beriah Magoffin, winning 46.9% of the vote.^[3]

Bell served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1862 to 1867. Union Democrats attempted to nominate him for Governor of Kentucky in 1863, but he declined the nomination.^[4]

Joshua Fry Bell died in 1870 in Danville at the age of 58 and was interred at Bellevue Cemetery.^[5] Bell County, Kentucky is named in his honor.^[6]

Party political offices
First	Opposition nominee for Governor of Kentucky 1859	Succeeded by None
Preceded by George Caldwell	United States Representative (4th District) from Kentucky 1845-1847	Succeeded by Aylette Buckner
Political offices
Preceded by Orlando Brown	Secretary of State of Kentucky 1849–1850	Succeeded by John W. Finnell

References

1. "Congress slaveowners", The Washington Post, 2022-01-27, retrieved 2022-01-30
2. "Joshua Fry Bell · Civil War Governors of Kentucky". discovery.civilwargovernors.org. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
3. Harrison, Lowell (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Reed Business Information. p. 603. ISBN 9780813117720.
4. "Thomas E. Bramlette (1863-1867) · Civil War Governors of Kentucky". Civil War Governors of Kentucky. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
5. Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961. Government Printing Office. 1961. p. 539. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
6. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp. 34.

• United States Congress. "Joshua Fry Bell (id: B000343)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Allen, William B. (1872). A History of Kentucky: Embracing Gleanings, Reminiscences, Antiquities, Natural Curiosities, Statistics, and Biographical Sketches of Pioneers, Soldiers, Jurists, Lawyers, Statesmen, Divines, Mechanics, Farmers, Merchants, and Other Leading Men, of All Occupations and Pursuits. Bradley & Gilbert. pp. 280–281. Retrieved 2008-11-10.