Sir Hugh Bell, 2nd Baronet CB JP

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 FSA (10 February 1844 – 29 June 1931) was mayor of Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...

 three times - in 1874, 1883 and 1911 - High Sheriff of Durham 1895, Justice of the Peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

, Deputy Lieutenant

Deputy Lieutenant

In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....

 of County Durham, Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire

Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire

The post of Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire was created in 1660, at the Restoration, and was abolished on 31 March 1974. From 1782 until 1974, all Lords Lieutenant were also Custos Rotulorum of the North Riding of Yorkshire....

.

His friendship with the architect Philip Webb

Philip Webb

Another Philip Webb — Philip Edward Webb was the architect son of leading architect Sir Aston Webb. Along with his brother, Maurice, he assisted his father towards the end of his career....

, led to three commissions in the Middlesbrough area - of Rounton Grange (demolished in 1953), Red Barns House and the Dorman Long

Dorman Long

Dorman Long, based in Middlesbrough, North East England, was a major steel producer, which diversified into bridge building, and is now a manufacturer of steel components and construction equipment for bridges and other structures...

 office building (originally Bell Brothers Ltd) in Middlesbrough (his only commercial development).

He was the son of Lowthian Bell and his wife Margaret Pattinson. He married Maria Shield on 23 April 1867 and they had two children:

• Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (1868–1926), the author, traveller, and political officer
• Sir Maurice Hugh Lowthian Bell, 3rd Baronet (1871–1944)

Upon the death of his first wife on 19 April 1871, he married, secondly, Florence Eveleen Eleanor Olliffe (later Dame Florence Bell, DBE

Florence Bell

Competitor for CanadaFlorence Jane Bell was a Canadian track and field athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres.-Career:...

), a daughter of Sir Joseph Olliffe

Joseph Francis Olliffe

Sir Joseph Francis Olliffe, MA, MD, FRCP was an Irish-born British physician.-Early life:Sir Joseph Olliffe was born in 1808 in Cork, Ireland. His father was Joseph Francis Olliffe , a merchant of Cork...

.

They had three children:

• Mary Katherine Bell, OBE (d. 1966), who married Charles Philips Trevelyan
• Hugh Lowthian Bell (1878–1926)
• Florence Elsa Bell (ca. 1880–1971), who married Admiral Sir Herbert William Richmond