Thank You 1940 US Census and Ancestry.com

Finally, after years of searching I have found evidence my Granddad's names was indeed, Charlie Madison Bell.  I was thirteen when Granddad died and truthfully, never thought to ask him about his name.  In fact, I didn't know about Madison being his middle name.  His mail box had B.C. Bell, people who knew him and was near his age called him Charlie and younger ones called him Mr. Charlie or Mr. Bell and Granny called him Charlie.  I do remember after I learned to read the name on his mail box once asking him what the "B" stood for and his answer was nothing.  I thought nothing of it!  Dumb kid huh??  But in my defense I didn't pay much attention to family names or anything much to do with family, except when someone mentioned me being related to someone, but I seldom asked how.  Yes as an adult interested in my ancestry, dumb kid seems so appropriate, but maybe just a kid better describes me?? 

I have thought so often how lucky I was to have grown up around three of my grandparents and wished so often I had just paid closer attention.  They were a wealth of information, but I've had to learn so much the hard way, researching.  Oh well, the joy of making a family connection or finding an ancestor is truly rewarding.

Sorry, I got a little off track.  It was the Fall of 1978 when I first started my quest to discover my heritage.  Daddy had little interest in my findings, but Mama was excited even if it was Daddy's family I had learned something new about.  Then one day, pretty much out of no where Daddy asked if I knew Granddad's middle name was Madison.  He had been named after his two grandfather's.  Actually he had been given both his grandfather's middle names.  His oldest brother Albert was given both of their first names, William Albert and his next older brother Neal was named after his parents, Horace Cornealius, so I suppose it made since for Granddad to be the namesake of his grandfathers.  But what had happened I wondered, why was he B. Charlie Bell?  It seems Granddad liked the initials BCB better than CMB, something about him being able to write BCB without picking up a pen.  Truthfully I do not understand this, but that's the story I was told.  Some have suggested and even written Grandad's first name was Beaumont and that Daddy was a junior.  I certainly understand the logic behind that thinking, but it is not true.

However, since I learned of Granddad's name change I have searched high and low to find something, anything that could prove Madison was his middle name, but nothing.  I have found old mail, bank accounts, even a school book and a few pages of homework and there has been no "M" or Madison.  However, the 1940 US Census changed all of that.  Granddad is listed as Charlie M Bell!  I felt like I had struck gold the first time I saw it.  No, this doesn't actually prove he was Charlie Madison Bell, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Thanks for visiting my blog!  Please feel free share your thoughts, ideas and opinions, or any family connection we may have.

'Til next time,

Tim