Sir (Thomas) Hugh Bell, 2nd Baronet CB JP FSA (10 February 1844 – 29 June 1931) was mayor of Middlesbrough three times - in 1874, 1883 and 1911 - High Sheriff of Durham 1895, Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham, Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire.[1]
His friendship with the architect Philip Webb, led to three commissions in the Middlesbrough area - of Rounton Grange (demolished in 1953)[2], Red Barns House [3] and the Dorman Long office building (originally Bell Brothers Ltd) in Middlesbrough (his only commercial development)[4].
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:
Upon the death of his first wife on 19 April 1871, he married, secondly, Florence Eveleen Eleanor Olliffe (later Dame Florence Bell, DBE), a daughter of Sir Joseph Olliffe.
They had three children:
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Marquess of Ripon |
Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire 1906–1931 |
Succeeded by Geoffrey William Algernon Howard |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Lowthian Bell |
Baronet (of Rounton Range and Washington Hall) 1904–1931 |
Succeeded by Maurice Bell |