Frances Maria Pallister was the eleventh child of John Pallister & Sarah Thompson born at Hornsby Hill, & christened January 18th, 1839 at Lanchester.
In 1841 Frances was living at Hornsby Hill, Lanchester with her parents & 8 brothers & sisters.
Frances was still living at home at Hornsby Hill in 1851.
On June 4th, 1859 Frances married George Bell at All Saints, Lanchester. George was aged 29 at the time of the wedding & Frances was 20. George was a farmer of Moor Leazes. Frances signed her name as F. Maria Pallister. Witnesses at the wedding were Joseph Pallister & Emma Pallister. George was was born at Harrow Bank, Stanhope & christened October 21st, 1827 at Stanhope, Co Durham, the son of Mary & William Bell, a farmer of 200 acres.
In 1861 Frances & George were living at Lanchester where George was employed as an agricultural labourer. According to the census they had a 4 year old son John Bell. (No appropriate birth for John Bell has been found, but there is a birth for a John Pallister in Jan-March 1857 in Durham with no father listed. This is presumably Frances’ illegitimate son who was brought up as John Bell.) In the same dwelling were Frances’ brother Joseph Thompson Pallister & his wife Ann. Next door was George’s brother William, who was a farmer, & his family.
By 1871 Frances & George had moved to Maiden Law, Lanchester where George was a farmer. They now had 4 children – John, George (8), Frances Jane (4) & Emma (3). There were also 2 lodgers listed on the census.
Frances & George were living at Maiden Law Farm in 1881 & George was now a farmer of 58 acres. They had 6 children at home – John, George, a mason, Frances Jane, Emma, William (7) & Sarah Jane (3).
They had moved to Medomsley by 1891 where George was still farming. At home were George & William, both agricultural labourers, & Emma & Sarah J.
By 1901 George had retired from farming & he & Frances (Frances Jane on census) were living at NorthView, Medomsley. Sons William & George continued to farm in Medomsley.
George & Frances were still living at the same address in 1911 & George was described as a retired farmer.
George died July-September 1912, aged 84, the death being registered at Lanchester.
Frances died on December 6th, 1921, aged 82, at Fines Cottage, Medomsley. Probate was granted on January 20th, 1921 to son John Bell, farmer & daughter Frances Jane who had married Robert Foster Taylor. Her effects were £392.7s.7d.
The children of Frances Maria Pallister & George Bell were:
p.1.6.5.3.11.1 John (Pallister) Bell born Jan-March, 1857 at Lanchester; died June 25th, 1938 at West farm Cottage, Medomsley
p.1.6.5.3.11.2 George Bell born Oct-December, 1862 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.11.3 Frances Jane Bell born April-June 1866 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.11.4 Emma Bell born April-June 1868 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.11.5 William Bell born July-September 1873 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.11.6 Sarah Jane Bell born July- September, 1877 at Lanchester