Abraham Bell (1778-1856)

He was born in Northern Ireland to a Quaker family well-connected within Quaker merchant circles, particularly within the linen trade. He came to New York City in 1797 and founded the shipping firm and commissions merchant that bore his name on Fulton Street. It specialized in the export of Southern cotton to England and Ireland. During the Potato Famine in the 1840s the Bells helped transport thousands of immigrants from Ireland. Abraham Bell was the father of six children who reached adulthood by his first wife (listed above) and several more by his second wife.