Abraham Bell & Son Co.

Abraham Bell was born in Ireland in March 1778, and married Mary Christy in 1812; the couple had six children. In the early 19th century, Bell, a Quaker, and his family emigrated to New York City, where he built a shipping firm, Abraham Bell & Company. The business, which operated several transatlantic routes, shipped a wide variety of goods, including linens. In 1844, Bell changed the name of his company to Abraham Bell & Son. A few years later, during the Irish famine of the late 1840s, Bell's company assisted in the transportation of émigrés to America. Bell died in New York City in 1856.

From the guide to the Abraham Bell papers, Bell, Abraham papers, 1812-1901, 1830-1854, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)