Sir James Bell CVO

Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...

 (26 March 1866–1 September 1937) was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 solicitor

Solicitor

Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...

 who served as Town Clerk of London

Town Clerk of London

The Town Clerk of London is an important position that has existed since the 13th century within the City of London, England. Originally the position was to take the minutes of London council meetings, but over the years the holder has gathered responsibility which requires staff and executive...

 for 33 years.

Bell was born in Preston, the son of a doctor, and was educated at Preston Grammar School and University College School

University College School

University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. He was admitted a solicitor in 1888. In 1891 he was appointed Assistant Town Clerk of Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 and in 1894 he became Town Clerk of Leicester

Leicester

Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...

.

In 1902 he was elected Town Clerk of the City of London from a large number of candidates. In this role he was chief executive of the Corporation of London

Corporation of London

The City of London Corporation is the municipal governing body of the City of London. It exercises control only over the City , and not over Greater London...

. Bell conducted the Corporation's business rapidly and efficiently and did not expect his instructions to be debated by his subordinates. Nevertheless, he was highly respected by his staff, by the members of the Corporation, and by the businessmen of the City. He retired in 1935, having been persuaded not to by the Corporation every year since 1931.

Bell was knighted

Knight Bachelor

The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...

 in 1911 and appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1920 New Year Honours.