Captain James George Berkeley Bell

1805-1871

Captain J.G. Bell, who retired from the Madras Artillery in 1841, made his home in Canonbie, Dumfriesshire. His name was made known to chess players in the 1843 Chess Player's Chronicle (pp. 242-243):

‘A number of cleverly played games at this opening have just reached us, all turning on the sacrifice of the King’s Bishop as well as the Knight, a variation lately struck out by Captain J.G. Bell, a skilful amateur of North Britain, who has successfully adopted it against a host of competitors.’

A game was provided, showing Capt. Bell winning against an unnamed opponent.

Capt. J.G Bell - NN
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O gxf3 6. Qxf3 Qf6 7. Nc3 Qd4+ 8. Kh1 Qxc4 9. d3 Qe6 10. Bxf4 c6 11. Bxb8 Rxb8 12. Rae1 Bb4 13. Nd5 cxd5 14. exd5 Qxe1 15. Qxf7+ Kd8 16. Rxe1 Bxe1 17. d6 1-0

Black in the above game may have been the Rev. John Donaldson ('Delta') of Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire, judging by later announcements.

The Illustrated London News of 24 July 1847, page 59, reported:

 '...a little Match of Five Games played at the commencement of the year, between Captain J.G. Bell, of Cunoubie [sic], and Mr D. (Delta), the best player in the Dumfries Chess Club. The result of the contest was, Mr. D. won two, and Captain Bell three.'  

Around the same time, three games between Capt. Bell and 'Mr Donaldson' appeared in the 1847 Chess Player's Chronicle (pp. 240, 241 and 250).

Another game between these opponents appeared in the 1848 Chess Player's Chronicle, pages 48-50.

However, it appears that Howard Staunton, the editor, confused the Rev. John Donaldson with James Donaldson of Edinburgh, a mainstay of the Edinburgh Chess Club team in the famous correspondence match against London 1824-28.

Capt. Bell was mentioned in a little more detail by the Rev. John Donaldson ('Delta') in the British Chess Magazine 1891, page 451:

‘From 1838 to 1841 I played very little chess, as I was travelling and studying art in Italy and Germany. Upon my return home, in 1841, I played a few games at Canonbie Manse with an Indian amateur, a strong player, Captain J.G. Bell, at one particular variation of the Muzio Gambit, in which he sacrificed a second piece and won often even then by force of position and pawns!' One or two of these games are, I think, given in the 1842 [sic-1843]year of the Chess-Player's Chronicle, edited by Howard Staunton.'

Long before these 1891 memoirs, the Rev. Donaldson provided a series of reminiscences to the Illustrated London News (ILN) in 1879 and 1880, though no mention was then made of Capt. Bell.(1)

Capt. J.G.B. Bell

He was born 25 November 1805, at the Mount [Madras, India], son of Colonel Robert Bell.

His father, Robert Bell (c1758-1844) of the Madras Artillery, ended his service as a General. His mother, not mentioned in the Calcutta Gazette newspaper notice, was Jemima Scott, the second of Robert Bell's three wives.(2)

James G.B. Bell entered the East India Company Service in 1822 and retired as Captain of the Madras Artillery in 1841.(3)

Capt. Bell made his home in Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. In the 1845 publication Souvenir of the Bristol Chess Club, page 141, Capt. J.G.B. Bell of Cannonbie [sic] is shown as a subscriber.

On 4 January 1849, Capt. Bell was admitted to the Crichton Royal Asylum, Dumfries.(4)

He died at the Crichton Institution on 12 March 1871.(5) 

The administration of the effects of Capt. Bell, who was unmarried, was given to his sister, Henrietta Sydenham Bell.(6)

Sources
(1) Illustrated London News of 1879: 20 September 1879; 11 October; 8 November; 20 December, and 1880: 24 January; 28 February and 20 March.

(2) Calcutta Gazette, 19 December 1805, page 8. Also, extensive genealogical records about Robert Bell's family can be found at Ancestry.com and at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bell-16413.

(3) UK, Registers of Employees of the East India Company and the India Office, 1746-1939, page 282.

(4) Ancestry.com Scotland, General and Admission Registers for Asylums, 1858-1924, patient number 711; Crichton Royal Institution Case Book vol 9, Wellcome Collection.

(5) National Records of Scotland, 1871 Deaths in the District of Dumfries, County of Dumfries. 821/68.

(6) Ancestry.com England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995.

Alan McGowan