- Mr J. Jones Bell, 86, who was the oldest living graduate of Queen's University, died in Ottawa on Friday. He graduated from Queen's in 1864, and after serving in the Fenian Raids and the Red River expedition of 1870, entered the newspaper field. For a number of years he sered on the editorial staff of the Toronto Globe, and also on several western newspapers, and he went to Ottawa 25 years ago, as editor of publications for the Department of Mines, a position which he held until five years ago upon retirement from the civil service.
The late Josiah Jones Bell was born at Carleton Place, Ont., 86 years ago, a son of the late Robert Bell, M.P. for North Lanark and his wife Emeline Jones. He was a grandson of the late Rev. William Bell, who came to Canada and settled in Perth in 1816.
He was educated at the Carleton Place Grammar School and at Queen's University where he proceeded to the degree of Master of Arts. About the year 1881 Mr. Bell went to Brockville and formed a partnership with the late Thomas Southworth in the conduct of the Brockville Recorder newspaper, becoming its active editor and remaining connected with the newspaper until the year 1890 when he disposed of his interest in it to Mr. Southworth. At a later date he became editor of the Canadian Engineer, published in Toronto, and for many years afterwards was connected with the Mines Branch at Ottawa as editor of publications. In addition to serice during the Fenian raid of 1866, Mr Bell went west with the Red River Expedition of 1870 under Lord Wolseley and retired from the militia with the rank of captain, holding the general service medal with two clasps. At a later date, he acted as supply officer with the party which ran the first line for the Canadian Pacific Railway across the continent.
In the quarter of a century in which he lived in Ottawa Mr. Bell devoted a great deal of his time to St. Andrew's Church. Reared in the Presbyterian faith and with an intensely Presbyterian background, Mr Bell found nothing more interesting than active participation in the work of the church of his forbears. He was clerk of session for years and held other important positions in the church organization.
Mr. Bell possessed an unusually fine and complete library of Canadiana. One of his chief hobbies and delights was the study of Canadian histor and folklore, Indian legends and stories, and the early explorations which developed the nation. Always interested in military life, Mr. Bell edited as a hobby for some years a little paper, "The Military Gazette." He wrote voluminously on many subjects and was a frequent visitor contributor to newspapers and periodicals. Throughout his life Mr. Bell was a liberal in politics, but never was a candidate for public office. An active man, accustomed to the out-of-doors, Mr. Bell enjoyed canoeing and boating, but never played golf.
Surviving are his wife, formerly Annie Mickle, eldest daughter of the late Charles Julius Mickle, of Guelph, and one cousin, J. Mackintosh Bell, of Ottawa. His brother, George Bell, K.C., of Toronto, and another cousin, Dr. Robert Bell, of Ottawa, predeceased him. He has no children. Mrs. Bell has been seriously ill for the past eight weeks. Her husband had been ailing for some time, but his death was rather unexpected.
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1843 - 1931 (87 years)
