Welsh Journals

IN MEMORIA-JAMES BELL, C.E. Bom February 13th, 1839. Died April 11th, 1903. By C. T. VACHELL, M.D. By the death of Mr. James Bell the list of original members of the Society is reduced to three, having stood at 26 at the foundation of the Society in 1867-the Veterans remaining with us being Dr. William Taylor, Dr. Bush, and Robert Drane, F.L.S. It is true that our Annals do not record great deeds done for the Society by Mr. Bell, nevertheless his worth was recognised by the Committee, and on two separate occasions he was urged to accept the Presidency. He was however of a singularly reserved and retiring character, and he could not be persuaded to take a front place. He acted on the Committee for 36 years, and until his removal to Barry regularly attended meetings. He was a consistent supporter of the aims and objects of the Society, and whenever his professional knowledge could be brought to bear he was keen to do his part-thus for instance he took a leading part in mapping out for the last edition of the Ordnance Survey Maps those fragments of Ancient Monuments, &c., which had not previously been noted. Mr. Bell was born in 1839 at Canonbie, Dumfries-shire, and came to reside in Cardiff in 1866, practising as a Civil Engineer. In 1893 he was appointed Resident Engineer to the Barry Railway Co., and this appointment he retained until his death. One of his more important works was the restoration of the Porthkerry Viaduct in 1900, after its unfortunate failure in 1897. His genial disposition won. for him many friends, but his domestic life was unfortunately saddened by repeated and heart-breaking bereavements.