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Bellman Family

Prologue
 
In the October 2001, Felicia Bellman Tucker of Pensacola and Nancy Bellman McMillan of Mobile, granddaughters of Joseph Ralph Bellman (1870-1952), a native of Ocean Springs, and Elizabeth Missouri New Bellman (1876-1949), crossed the Atlantic in search of their Bellmann* roots. They spent two weeks in the northern Germany cities of Plön, Kiel, Schleswig, and Hamburg.  Here the sisters met with German genealogists and historians who led them to their long desired dream of finding the parents and birthplace of Charles F.N. Bellman (1806-1868), progenitor of their Bellman family in America, and a pioneer settler of Biloxi. Their very successful journey and results are to be lauded and appreciated by all who seek knowledge of our romantic, but often-elusive past.
 
*The original spelling of the family name in Germany, which is now spelled Bellman in America. 

 
Felicia Bellman Tucker     
The following is a brief description of the journey to Germany by Felicia B. Tucker and Nancy B. McMillan.  Felicia B. Tucker wrote it for this article.  We arrived in Hamburg and were met by my genealogical advisor, Kay-Uwe Gottorf and his wife.  We were driven to Plön where we stayed in a quaint hotel on a lake.  Plön is the town where Kay-Uwe Gottorf lives and he was going to be the one to help us get around Germany while we were there.   The next morning he and his wife picked us up at the hotel and we drove to Schleswig where we were greeted by Mr. Thorsten Dahl, the spokesman for the Mayor.  Mr. Thorsten Dahl was elected Mayor a few days after we left.  Also Dr. Antje Wendt, the Doctor of History for Schleswig, told us all about our Bellmann ancestors, how they came to be in Schleswig to bring musical culture to that part of Germanyby playing at the theatre for the opera.  Dr. Wendt took us on a tour of the old part of Schleswig, which was originally a fishing village.   We walked down the narrow cobblestone street to the St. Johannas Kloster where Carl Gottlieb Bellmann, Charles F.N. Bellman's father played the organ and wrote the anthem, "The Song of Schlewig-Holstein", with the help of a lawyer, M. F. Chimnitz.  They arranged for a gentleman from the great church there to play on the same organ that Carl Gottlieb Bellmann had played the anthem that he wrote.  The organ had been refurbished a few years before we went there. There is a statue to Carl Gottlieb Bellmann and Mr. Chimnitz in the park where they have a music festival every year.  The song they wrote was written to prompt the citizens to rebel against Denmark so this part of the country could return again to Germany. We saw the house where Carl Gottlieb Bellmann and his wife lived and the house where Charles F.N. Bellman, our direct ancestor, was born.  We traveled to Kiel via train to do some sight seeing and were shown around by a student that I had become acquainted with through my genealogical research.  Kiel is where Charles F.N. Bellman's brother and sister taught music and had been proprietors of a music store. I could go on and on about our fascinating journey but I won't.   I also have some really good photographs of the organ, statue, etc.  It was a very eventful trip and so special.   The German people went out of their way to tell us everything they could about our Bellmann family.    They did not know that their famous musician, Carl Gottlieb Bellmann, had any descendants, as his other children never had any offspring. 
    
 
In addition to the knowledge that Felicia Bellman Tucker and Nancy Bellman McMillan have provided for Bellman family genealogists, the author would be severely remiss for not lauding the exhaustive research and publications of Nap L. Cassibry II (1918-2002).  Cassibry's Magnus opus, The Ladner Odyssey (1988), and Early Land Settlers and Land Grants at Biloxi (1986) are pregnant with detailed historical and genealogical data of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  The latter work was particularly utilized in this essay.
 
 
Charles F.N. Bellman     
The progenitor of the Bellman family of Biloxi and Ocean Springs was Charles F.N. Bellman (1806-1868), an immigrant from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.  The name was spelled "Bellmann" in Germany.  At least two other Ocean Springs families, Pabst and von Rosambeau, had their origins in this northern province of Germany, whose borders were often disputed with neighboring Denmark.  
 

Charles F.N. Bellman (1806-1868)
Courtesy of Felicia Bellman Tucker 
 
 
Charles F.N. Bellman was born at Kiel, Germany on May 30, 1806, as Carl Friedrich Nicolai Bellmann, the son of Carl Gottilieb Bellmann (1772-1859+) and Friederica Christina Krause (1775-1860), the daughter of Otto Wilhelm Krause of Kiel.  His birth was recorded in the Lutheran Church on June 7, 1806, at Schleswig-Friedrichberg. Carl G. Bellmann was a musician and composer from Muskau, in Saxony, now in eastern Germany.  He was the composer of  "The Song of Schlewig- olstein".  Carl G. Bellmann and Miss Krause were married on December 9, 1800, in Schleswig-Friedrichberg.  In addition to Charles F.N. Bellman, their other children were: Carl Adolph Eduard Bellmann, born November 10, 1801; Friederika Henriette Adolphine Bellmann, born May 25, 1803; and Carl Friedrich Fedor Bellmann, born December 29, 1811 and died May 29, 1874 in Kiel, Germany. (research of Felicia Bellman Tucker, March 14, 2002)  Charles F.N. Bellman (1806-1868) was a pioneer settler of Biloxi, Mississippi.  He arrived at Biloxi in 1835, and circa 1836, married Pauline Ryan (1815-1899), the daughter of Jacques Ryan (d. 1849) and Elizabeth LaForce (LaFauce).  At Biloxi, Charles Bellman made his livelihood as a boarding house proprietor, druggist, and doctor. Bellman Avenue, which strikes north-south from East Beach Boulevard to  Howard Avenue, in Biloxi is named for Charles F.N. Bellman. 
 
 
Bellman Children
Charles F.N. Bellman and Pauline Ryan Bellman brought nine children into the 19th Century world:  Theodora Bellman (1838-1901), married Louis L. "Toon" Ryan; Adolphine Bellman (1838-1893), married Moses Seymour (1838-1893); Charles W. Bellman (1841-1885), married Louisa Wilhemena Egan (1851-1881); Edwardine Bellman (1843-1921), married Benjamin F. Noel (1841-1910+); Harro Bellman (1847-1920) married Euphrosine "Frazine" Ryan (1852-1904); Bertha Bellman (1851-1932) married Ernest M. Beaugez (1862-1903); Ada Regina "Lida" Bellman (1854-1870+); Ralph Charles Bellman (1855-1899); and Pauline Josephine Bellman (1857-1933) married George W. McCary (1848-1925).  Jacques Ryan's Biloxi settlement Charles F.N. Bellman's father-in-law, Jacques Ryan, had settled at Biloxi in the early 19th Century and in July 1822, he acquired a large tract of land on the Pass of Biloxi from Jean-Baptiste Carco (d. 1823), the son of Nicolas Carco II and Catherine Ladner.  Carco had been awarded a land grant of ten arpents, or approximately 160 acres, on the Biloxi peninsula from the King of Spain in 1790.  The Carco land donation at Biloxi, preceded that of the Ladners, Fayards, and Dorsette Richard. (The American State Papers, 1994, p. 38)
 
In present day terms, the Carco land donation was bounded on the west by  Lameuse Street and on the east by a line, which ran north 90 feet of Bellman Avenue.  The Back Bay of Biloxi was the northern boundary of the Jean-Baptiste Carco land claim. (Cassibry II, 1986, p. 1 and p. 124) The Jacques Ryan tract on the Biloxi Channel opposite Deer Island, consisted of about forty-acres.  It had a front on the Biloxi Channel of  2 and ¼ arpents, or about 432 feet, and ran north 30-40 arpents, or about 5760 feet to 7680 feet, to the Bay of Biloxi.  Peter Dubuys was on the east and John Nixon claimed the western perimeter of the Jacques Ryan land at Biloxi. (HARCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 1, pp. 342-343)
 
The Charles F.N. Bellman family also resided on the shore of Biloxi Channel on a small plot of land, which Jacques Ryan had provided for them.  The Bellman piece of land measured 100 feet in width by 120 feet in depth.  From detailed maps drawn and dated by Charles F.N. Bellman and utilized in litigation in the Harrison County, Mississippi Chancery Court, it can be seen that many buildings occupied this small tract. Among these structures were:  the Bellman home (1837), kitchen (1837), necrojars (1837), chicken house (1838), horse stable (1838), boarding house (1841), and ten pin alley (1843). (Cassibry II, 1986, pp. 129-131)  Failure  In 1846, Charles F.N. Bellman's business failed.  He was sued in 1848, for unpaid merchandise received from Curtius & Company, a New Orleans firm owned by George Lewis Curtius and F.W. Frendenthal.  This litigation went against Bellman and as a result, he lost his land on the Biloxi Channel to these men to pay his debts. (Cassibry II, 1986, p. 126) 
 
 
Schooner Pauline
In 1853, C.F.N. Bellman and the Heirs of Jacques Ryan counter sued F.W. Frendenthal and the Estate of G.L. Curtius to have his land title at Biloxi returned and to be paid for the destruction and loss of his schooner, Pauline.  Disclosure in this litigation revealed that Charles F.N. Bellman had leased this vessel to Hanson Alsbury for the shipment of slaves from Biloxi to the Balize on the Gulf outlet of the Mississippi River.   Instead of depositing the slaves at the Balize, the Pauline continued to the port of Galveston, Republic of Texas.  Here, the Pauline was taken into local custody and sold because she did not have registry to trade in a foreign port. (Cassibry II, 1986, p. 127)
 
It is interesting to note that Hanson Alsbury (ca 1805-1851+) was a resident of Ocean Springs, where he made his livelihood as a solicitor and land speculator.  On February 2, 1837, he was issued a Federal land patent on Lot 4 of Section 30, T7S-R8W.  Lot 4 runs from the Bay of Biloxi north 1320 feet and comprises approximately thirty-four acres. It includes the entire Biloxi Bay front from Weeks Bayou northwest to the mouth of the Ocean Springs Inner Harbor.  There is some probability that Hanson Alsbury built the Anderson-Ashley structure on the present day Shearwater Pottery tract. (JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 63, pp. 35-36)  
 
In addition, Hanson Alsbury possessed Lots 2, 3, and 5 of the Widow LaFontaine Claim, Section 37, T7S-R8W.  He also owned large tracts of land at present day Biloxi (Section 20, T7S-R9W) and D' Iberville.  In the early 1840s, at Back Bay, now D' Iberville, Alsbury operated a large brickyard with Colin McRae.  This operation would later become the property of William G. Kendall (1812-1872), the Kentucky born lawyer and U.S. Postmaster of New Orleans, who bought land at Ocean Springs east of Alsbury in 1846.  The Kendall property is now owned primarily by the descendants of the Dickey-White-Scharr family and the Estate of G.E. Arndt Jr. 
 
 
Judicial reversal     
In 1853, it was adjudicated in litigation titled, Charles Bellman, et al v. F.W. Frendenthal, Executor of the Estate of George Lewis Curtius, et al, in the Chancery Court of Harrison County, Mississippi that Charles F.N. Bellman's Biloxi tract did not have proper title, as Jacques Ryan, his father-in-law, had issued no warranty deed to him. Bellman's efforts to recover his investment in the schooner, Pauline, was dismissed.  A personal judgment was assessed against Mr. Bellman in favor of the defendants for past due accounts owed to the firm of Curtius & Company, a New Orleans business owned by George Lewis Curtius and F.W. Frendenthal.  This judgment applied only to Bellman and not the land and improvements, as they were deemed the property of the Heirs of Jacques Ryan. (Cassibry II, 1986, pp. 126-136)  Apothecary As mentioned Charles F.N. Bellman was a druggist.  He advertised in The Ocean Springs Gazette of March 24, 1855, as follows: 
 
C. Bellman & Co. Apothecaries & Druggists
 
Recommend to the public their choice assortment of Drugs, Medicines, Lancets, Syringes, Watch Crystals, Perfumeries, and a chemical preparation called C. Bellman Healing Rock for the cure of all sores, wounds, and scratches on horses and mules. Doctor's receipts will, as usual be made up with all possible precision, neatness and dispatch.  Medical advice can always be obtained at the East end of the Plank Walk.  Biloxi, Miss. 
 
 
Divorce
The sacred union between Charles F.N. Bellman and Pauline Ryan ended in a civil divorce on May 29, 1860, in the Chancery Court of Harrison County, Mississippi.  Pauline Ryan Bellman had sought a divorce from Charles F.N. Bellman because of his alleged extreme cruelty.   Some of her testimony in this case revealed the following:   Charles Bellman and I were married by a Catholic priest in Biloxi, circa 1836.  The following children born of the marriage are alive: Theodora, a daughter, born in 1837; Adolphine, a daughter, born in 1839; Charles, a son, born in 1840; Edwardine, a daughter, born n 1842; Harro, a son, born in 1849; Bertha, a daughter, born in 1850; Lida, a daughter, born in 1851; Ralph, a son, born in1853; and Pauline, a daughter, born in 1858.  In 1846, Charles Bellman was running a boarding house and drug store, but in that year of 1846, he went broke.  The boarding house was torn down in 1846, and he continues at this time to run the drug store from our residence on a very small scale. (Cassibry II, 1986, pp. 137-138)   
    
In the depositions of daughters, Theodora Bellman and Adolphine Bellman, the following was related: 
 
 
Theodora
 I am the oldest child and daughter of Charles and Pauline Bellman, and I teach school during the winter months.  Some of the controversy here being adjudicated has to do with the treatment of me by my father.  I am now going with and considering marriage with Mr. Gauthier, a widower with four children.  My sister, Adolphine, is considering marriage with a Mr. Roose of New Orleans.  My father, on every occasion, discouraged and was most insulting to every man that came to our home to call on the daughters. (Cassibry, 1986, pp. 138-139) 
 
 
Adolphine  
My father has forbidden me to go to parties and balls with Emile Ladner, called "Noon Gatto", because Emile has been in a "scrape" with Irish Jane, also known as "Red headed Jane". (Cassibry, 1986, p. 137)   
    
 
In his defense of cruelty charges against his spouse, Charles F.N. Bellman stated the following:  His wife for the most part communicates in the French language, which he does not speak or understand.  She also impeded his efforts to teach his children.  I came to Biloxi in 1835 and Pauline and I were married in Biloxi in 1837.  We have nine children.  I once ran a boarding house and mercantile establishment, but lost them in two long and costly lawsuits.  I deny that I ever failed in business.  I now run a small apothecary and drug store and I have been a medical practitioner.  I have insisted that our children be educated by the best people available in Biloxi at the time.  I, myself, have instructed them, purchased books, paper, and all the supplies necessary to continue their education.  I instructed them every night and all are literate and well educated as compared with the people and times here. 

 
Ocean Springs
Prior to 1870, Pauline Ryan Bellman had left Biloxi and relocated to Ocean Springs.  In the 1870 Federal Census of Jackson County, Mississippi, she was a housewife and head of household.  Harro Bellman, Bertha Bellman, Ada Bellman, and Pauline Bellman were domiciled with her.  Two of Mrs. Pauline Bellman's married children, Theodora Bellman Ryan (1838-1901), the wife of sailor, Louis L. "Toon" Ryan (1837-1909), and Charles W. Bellman (1841-1885), a laborer and the spouse of Almina Bellman (1851-1881), a native of Hanover, Germany, resided on each side of her.  Bellman-Schmidt
 
Cottage The Bellman- chmidt Cottage is situated at present day 505 Jackson Avenue and now in the possession of Patrick Mitchell.  It apparently once belonged to Pauline Ryan Bellman and the original land deed was destroyed in the last conflagration, March 1875, of the Jackson County Courthouse at Pascagoula. C.E. "Uncle Ernie" Schmidt (1904-1988), in his Ocean Springs French Beachhead (1972) states that:  It is known that the Widow Bellman took in a few pupils at the old house still standing at the northwest corner of Jackson and Cleveland.  One of her pupils, Laura Coyle, remembered years later that Mrs. Bellman excused the class so they could go to the railroad to see the first official train go through.  That happened on October 29, 1870. (p. 67)  Laura Coyle (1857-1931) was the daughter of Franco Coyle (1813-1891) and Magalene Ougatte Pons (1813-1904).  In 1874, she married Charles Ernest Schmidt (1851-1886), commonly called, "Handsome Charlie", a native of New Orleans and of German ancestry.  Laura C. Schmidt was the grandmother of local historian, C.E. "Uncle Ernie" Schmidt.  
 
 
THEODORA  BELLMAN RYAN
Theodora Bellman (1837-1901) was born February 8, 1837 at Biloxi, the eldest child of Charles F.N. Bellman and Pauline Ryan.  On December 24, 1874, she married Louis L. "Toon" Ryan (1837-1909), a local sailor and fisherman, and the son of Jerome Ryan (1793-1870+) and Marie Euphrosine LaFontaine (1802-ca. 1846), at the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Ocean Springs. (Lepre, 1991, p. 286) The children of Louis L. "Toon" Ryan and Theodora Bellman were: Theodora Genett Ryan (b. 1870) married Frank Thomas: Cora Ryan  (1873-1934) married Robert J. Woodcock (1882-1919); Mabel Pauline Ryan (1874-1874); Lilly Ida Ryan (b. 1877) married Anthony Boyes; and Louis Ralph "Boy" Ryan (1880-1960) married Eva Peterson (1887-1964).  As previously mentioned, Theodora taught school at Biloxi, during the winter months, before she married Toon Ryan.  Her corporal remains and those of her husband lie in rest in the Bellande Cemetery in Ocean Springs.  No further information. (Krohn, 1995, p. 1, p. 4, and p. 13) 
 
 
ADOLPHINE  BELLMAN SEYMOUR     
Adolphine Bellman (1839-1920) was born at Biloxi on August 15, 1839. She married Moses Seymour (1838-1893), the son of Jean-Baptiste Seymour (1811-1887) and Marie Fournier (1817-1890), who were the progenitors of the large Seymour family at Ocean Springs.  Adolphine and Moses were the parents of:  Edwin McLan Seymour (b. 1864); Isabella Seymour (1866-1928+) married Richard White (1849-1891); Norman A. Seymour (1868-1920+); Robert F. Seymour (1870-1939); Ernest Adolph Seymour (1875-1877), and Mamie Seymour (1883-1920+) married Frank Bourgh (Busch). (Lepre, 2001, pp 81-82)  Jean- aptiste Seymour tract Moses Seymour was the first sibling of the family to acquire land in the J.B. Seymour tract at Ocean Springs from his parents.  The J.B. Seymour tract was established on September 15, 1849, when Jean-Baptiste Seymour purchased a 13-acre parcel of land at Ocean Springs from Dr. Andrew B. Dodd (1806-1850+), a Kentucky born physician.  The J.B. Seymour tract ran from Government Street to LaFontaine Avenue and was only 150 feet wide, except on its southern termination near present day LaFontaine Avenue, where it widened to 165 feet.  Its western perimeter began 200 feet east of Dewey Avenue.  The Jean-Baptise Seymour tract was originally a part of Andre Fournier's three arpent tract on the Bay of Biloxi and Bayou Bauzage (Inner Harbor) in Claim Section 37, T7S-R8W, the Widow LaFontaine claim.  J.B. Seymour paid Dr. Dodd $11.54 per acre for this land. (JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 10, pp. 286-287)
    
In September 1877, Jean-Baptiste and Marie Fournier Seymour for $25, conveyed to Moses and his wife, Adolphine Bellman (1838-1920), a 300-foot deep lot on the south side of Porter Avenue near present day Minor Lane.  It appears that the homestead of Jean- aptiste Seymour and Marie Fournier was also located on this tract.  In July 1890, when Delmas Seymour sold a house for $35 to his brother, Moses, the deed concerning this structure read, "a certain house built by me in Ocean Springs for the use of my mother during her life on the said Moses Seymour lot south of his residence on Porter Avenue".  Moses' demise From his obituary, it relates that Moses Seymour was a resident of Scranton (Pascagoula) at the time of his passing.  In early January 1893, he expired suddenly, probably from a heart attack, at the L&N Depot in New Orleans as he waited for a train to return home.  Moses was a well-known and financial successful, butcher.  His body was sent to Ocean Springs for burial in the Bellande Cemetery.  Adolphine lived until January 1920.  Her corporal remains also lie in Ocean Springs on Dewey Avenue. (The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, January 13, 1893, p. 3) 
 
 
Pascagoula Seymours    
Since Moses and Adolphine Bellman Seymour lived in the Scranton community, it was only natural for their children to do the same.  In November 1891, in the Roman Catholic Church at Ocean Springs, their daughter, Isabella Seymour, married Richard L. White (1871-1928), a native of Ocean Springs, and the son of Englishman, Richard White (1849-1891), and Selena Sherman Hill White (1854- 919). (Lepre, 1991, p. 360)   In 1900, Richard L. White made his living as a butcher.  He and Isabella S. White were residing at Scranton with his son, Louis R. White (b. 1892), from a prior nuptial.  Upon his death in late February 1928, Mr. White was survived by: five children; three brothers-John White, Frank White, and Harry Hill (1866-1915); three sisters-Mrs. Ralph Green, Mrs. Walter Weber, and Mrs. Lotta W. Catchot (1874-1954), the spouse of Francis "Frank" Catchot (1871-1943), the son of Arnaud Catchot (1834-1910) and Adele Ryan (b. 1844). (The Jackson County Times, March 3, 1928, p. 3)  
    
At Pascagoula, Norman A. Seymour married and later divorced Condalaura Flechas (1872-1935), the daughter of Captain Joseph Flechas (1824-1883) and Condalaura Villar (1842-1908).  Like his father, Moses, he made his livelihood as a butcher.  Their family was composed of:  Hilda Seymour Buffett (1897-1989), Mildred Seymour Pelham (1899-1961), Lois Seymour Tew (1901-1965), Hulbert Seymour (1903-1971), Norman Seymour (1905-1971), Blanche Seymour Spavin (b. 1908), and Bernard Seymour (b. 1910). (Lepre, 2001, pp 81-82) Robert F. Seymour also appears to have settled at Pascagoula.  In 1900, he made his livelihood as a stevedore on the East Pascagoula waterfront.  With Laura Tousell (1869- 909), a Louisiana lady of French parentage, he had five children:  Edward M. Seymour (b. 1896), Martin Van Buren Seymour (1897-1897), Eugenie B. Seymour (b. 1898), Leo R. Seymour (1902-1934), and Clifton Seymour (b. 1903).  Members of both these Seymour families are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery at Pascagoula. (Lepre, 2001, p. 82)  
 
 
CHARLES WHITEALL BELLMAN
Charles W. Bellman (1841-1885), as previously mentioned, made the short relocation from Biloxi to Ocean Springs with his family, mother, and siblings.  Even after the July 1860 Federal Census of Harrison County, Mississippi, the family of Charles F.N. Bellman were residing on the shore of the Biloxi Channel near present day Bellman Street.  Here at Ocean Springs, near the end of its "Steamboat Days", the Bellmans settled on Jackson Avenue near Cleveland.  Charles W. Bellman made his livelihood as a laborer and carpenter. (Cook, 1982, p. 27)
    
Circa 1866, C.W. Bellman had married Almina Eagan (1851- 881), a native of Hanover, Germany.  Their children were: Louise Eva Arguelles (1867-1958), the wife of Joseph P. Arguelles (1866-1944); Joseph Ralph Bellman (1870-1952) married Elizabeth M. New (1876-1949); Philip M. Bellman (1872-1927) married Alice V. Seymour (1880-1957); and Michael Charles Bellman (1874-1956) married Nellie George Clausen (1892- 976). ( research of Felicia B. Tucker and Nancy B. McMillan ) 
                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
 
Louise Eva Bellman
 
Louise E. Bellman (1867-1958), called Lou, was born at Biloxi on December 29, 1867.  In early February 1891, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, she married Joseph Peter Arguelles (1866-1944), the son of Francisco Arguelles (1817-1880+), a native of Spain and Bridget McNerney (1857-1917), an Irish immigrant.  Their children were: Albert Joseph Arguelles (1892-1943); Warren Arguelles (1893-1973); Frank Arguelles (1894-1943); George Henry Arguelles (1896-1934); Ethel Arguelles (1897-1938); Florence Arguelles (1899-1979); Lillian M. Arguelles (1902-2000), Bernardine W. Arguelles (1904- 989); Donald Arguelles (1907-1969); Cecile Arguelles (1908-1994) married George Pavlov (1910-1963); and Louise Arguelles (1910-1983).  Lou Bellman Arguelles expired on February 11, 1958. (The Biloxi Herald, February 7, 1891, p. 1) 
 
 
 
Joseph Ralph Bellman  
Joseph R. Bellman (1870-1952) was born at Ocean Springs on February 24, 1870.  At Mobile on February 12,1901, he married Elizabeth Missouri New (1876-1949), a native of Cottage Hill, Alabama, and the daughter of John Samuel new and Louisa Thompson.  Their children were: Joseph Henry Bellman (1901-1902); Carrie Edna Bellman Russell Lewis (1903-1957) married Thad Russell and William Lewis; Charles John Bellman (1907-1982) married Evelyn Florence Culbreth; and Cecile Louise Bellman (1913-1970) married Bernard Turner.  Joseph R. Bellman passed on February 5, 1952, while Elizabeth New Bellman followed him in death on December 17, 1949. Their corporal remains are at rest in the Pinecrest Cemetery at Mobile. (Lepre, 1991, p. 20 and research of Felicia B. Tucker and Nancy B. McMillan)
 
 
Philip Bellman Family
 
 
Philip Marcellus Bellman
Philip M. Bellman (1872-1927) was born at Ocean Springs on June 23, 1872.  He married Alice V. Seymour (1880-1957), the daughter of Narcisse Seymour (1849-1931) and Caroline V. Krohn (1847-1895).  Their children were: Bertridge B. Brou (1900-1992) married Edward Brou (1896-1949); Phyllis B. Burke (1902-1970) married Edward Burke; Inez B. McClain (1906-2004) married Arthur R. McClain (1900-1974); Carrie B. Dellinger Emerson (1909-1964) married Earl J. Dellinger (1901-1951) and Milton Emerson; Bernice B. Cascio (1912-1971) married Charles Cascio 1909-1968); Philip A. Bellman (1915-1964); Edward Joseph 'Eddie' Bellman (1920-2009) married Mabel Beatrice "Patty" Kennedy Courson (1924-2015); and Robert E. Bellman (1927-2014) married Thelma Rita DeGeorge. (Lepre, 2001, pp. 102-103)
 


Philip M. Bellman (1872-1927)
courtesy of Robert E. "Bob" Bellman
    
Eagle Point Oyster Company Philip Bellman made his livelihood at Ocean Springs as a butcher prior to his employment with his father-in-law's organization, Narcisse Seymour & Sons, pioneer oyster packers and shippers.  In late 1915, he became associated with Anton P. "Tony" Kotzum (1871-1916), the son of Joseph Kotzum (1842-1915) and Josephine Kotzum (1845-1920), and the proprietor of the Eagle Point Oyster Company. In November 1915, Tony Kotzum had entered into a five-year lease agreement with Clara Tillman Seymour (1889-1952), the widow of Hugh C. Seymour (1876-1913), on the oyster beds and grounds and house located at Marsh Point.  This was the property that Hugh Seymour had purchased from F.A. "Dolph" Schrieber (1871-1944).  In 1904, Mr. Schrieber and his brother, Joseph L. "Dode" Schrieber (1873-1951), had built the "Black Diamond", a house over the water at Marsh Point.  Dolph Schrieber lived here intermittently to protect his oysters from poachers. Anton P. Kotzum agreed to pay the widow Seymour  $250 per year and "carefully cultivate and attend the oyster beds and grounds so manage the beds that they will be in good physical condition at the expiration of this lease as they are at present and to return all shells removed from the grounds properly spread or their equivalent in steam shells". (The Progress, July 9, 1904, p. 4 and JXCO, Ms. Chancery Court Cause No. 3616-October 1917)  

 
The Eagle Point Oyster Company advertised their product as, "our oysters are unsurpassed for flavor and excellence, being grown from original stock, on grounds long noted for their superior qualities".(The Ocean Springs News, November 24, 1915, p. 12)      

 
Tony Kotzum died in September 1916.  He was also a fine musician and directed the Ocean Springs Concert Band, an outgrowth of the Ocean Springs Brass Band led by T.J. Ames (1876-1927).  Kotzum once crusaded for more benches in Marshall Park, as he felt that the spectacle of a hundred or more ladies standing during his concert was a poor advertisement of civic pride. In September 1916, Frank Kuppersmith (c. 1850-1920) came to Ocean Springs from Mobile, Alabama and took a lease on the Eagle Point Oyster Company building on Front Beach. (The Jackson County Times, September 23, 1916)  

 
Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company
 
In March 1916, Philip Bellman created the Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company.  His packinghouse was situated on the front beach between Jackson and Washington Avenue, on the former site of the Hugh Charles Seymour (1876-1913) oyster shop.  Mr. Bellman was noted for his affable humor and relaxed attitude. (The Ocean Springs News, March 23, 1916, p. 6 and Margaret Seymour Norman, June 1995)
    
 
Philip M. Bellman's inventory for his seafood business included:  a one-ton Ford truck; the Leo D, a motor vessel; fifteen skiffs; the Clara Seymour oyster lease, oyster shop, and wharf privileges; and oyster leases from the Ramsay Estate and Bouslog. (JXCO, Ms. Chancery Court Cause 4648-February 1925)  
    
 
Mr. Bellman advertised his new business in The Ocean Springs News of March 30, 1916, as follows: 
 
 
Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company
Philip Bellman, Manager
Located on Beach Between Washington and Jackson Avenues
Small or Large Orders Promptly Delivered Anywhere in Town
East Beach and Eagle Point Oysters a Specialty
We Solicit a Share of Your Patronage
We Also Take Out Boating Parties
For Prompt Service-Ring Phone 55 
 
In mid-December 1916, two of Bellman's fishermen, Alphonse Cox and Emile Beaugez (1901-1967), took his vessel, Kentucky, in search of shrimp outside of Dog Key.  The motor quit and they rigged a crude sail to get home.  The resourceful seamen reached Belle Fontaine Beach and walked ten miles back to Ocean Spring having been without food for nearly two days. (The Daily Herald, December 19, 1916, p. 1) 
 
 
 Sale
In August 1923, Philip M. Bellman sold a two-thirds interest in the Ocean Springs Fish and Oyster Company to C.L. Martin and S.J. DeBleau who planned to continue the business at the same site and under the same lease terms from Mrs. Hugh C. Seymour.  Bellman vended his business to Martin and DeBleau for $600. (The Jackson County Times, September 15, 1923, p. 5 ) By early1925, Philip M. Bellman was in serious litigation with Martin and DeBleau.  He alleged that they still owed him $385 from the sale of his interest to them in the Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company.  In their response, Martin and DeBleau declared that: Bellman owed them $2800; the Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company lease with Mrs. H.C. Seymour had expired and that they were required to pay her $120 to retain their oyster beds and utilize the oyster shop; Bellman had represented the number of merchantable oysters on the Seymour lease as 5000 barrels, when in reality there were less than 1000 barrels of oysters; and the one-ton Ford truck was their property and not that of Philip M. Bellman.  The litigation between Bellman and Martin-DeBleau was adjudicated in December 1926, in favor of Bellman.  The defendants were ordered to pay him $310 and placed a lien in favor of Bellman on the truck, motor boat, and fifteen skiffs owned by the Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company. (JXCO, Ms. JXCO, Ms. Chancery Court Cause 4648-February 1925)  

 
Biloxi
 
 
 
The Philip M. Bellman family moved to Biloxi in 1923, and resided at 612 Reynoir Street.  Phillip Bellman made his livelihood as a carpenter until he passed away on March 3, 1927, at Biloxi. (The Daily Herald, March 4, 1927, p. 2)  Bertridge Bellman Brou Bertridge "Bert" E. Bellman (1900-1992) was the only child of Philip M. Bellman and Alice V. Seymour (1880-1957) to settle in Ocean Springs. At Ocean Springs in June 1920, she married a New Orleans man, Edward Crawford Brou (1896- 949), the son of Joseph E. "Buck" Brou (1869-1934) and Ellenora Knox.  Bert and E.C. Brou were the parents of four children: Edward J. Brou (1921-2004), Margaret M. Brou (1922-2015), Philip E. Brou (1923-1958), and Claire E. Brou (b. 1928). (JXCO, Ms. MRB 13, p. 366)  
    
 
Buck Brou had two sisters, Marie Adele Brou (1875-1937) and Marie Odette Brou Bryan (1879-1957), the wife of Frank Bryan (1879-1936), who owned property at Ocean Springs on Jackson Avenue.  In May 1910, Mrs. Odette B. Bryan and her husband built a fine Queen Anne cottage at present day 406 Jackson Avenue.  Joseph A. Weider (1877-1960) was the building contractor.  In December 1917, Odette B. Bryan acquired from the von Rosambeau family, 410 Jackson Avenue, the residence north of her home.  She moved here and reared two sons, Thad Bryan (1907-1994) and Frank H. Bryan, Jr. (1914-1999). (The Ocean Springs News, May 14, 191 and  JXCO, Ms. Land  Deed  Bk. 45, pp. 252-253)
    
 
In May 1910, Adle Brou acquired Lot 7-Block 3 of the Ocean Springs Hotel Tract, which is situated on the west side of Jackson Avenue, from F.J. Lundy (1863-1912).  Here, Miss Brou erected a cottage.  In May 1937, she sold it to her Edward C. Brou, her brother.  The Brou cottage was destroyed by Hurricane Camille in August 1969.  Today, the descendants of Joseph E. Brou continue to be prominent landowners on Jackson Avenue (The Ocean Springs News, May 28, 1910, JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 35 , p. 620 and Bk. 70, pp. 130-131)
    
 
At Ocean Springs, Edward C. Brou (1896-1949) made his livelihood as a brakeman and conductor for the L&N Railroad.  In 1946, shortly after WW II, he and brother-in-law, Edward "Eddie" Bellman (1920-2009), with son, Edward J. Brou, founded a sporting goods store at Biloxi called Bel-Bru.  Today, known as The Bel-Bru Marine Mart, the Biloxi based business is operated by Edward J. Brou and his son, E. Joseph Brou Jr.  Edward C. Brou passed on December 20, 1949, at his Jackson Avenue residence.   is corporal remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery on Old Fort Bayou. (The Daily Herald, December 20, 1949, p. 1) 
 
 
Bel-Bru Sporting Goods
Bel-Bru Sporting Goods, the partnership of Eddie Bellman (1920-2009) and Edward J. Brou (1921-2004), opened on November 1, 1946 at 112 East Howard Avenue.  The business in addition to vending a complete line of athletic goods was the local distributor for the 'Devil' boats manufactured by the Kennedy-Moran Enterprises at the former Westergard Boat Yard on Back Bay and Lee Street.(The Daily Herald, November 1, 1946, p. 7)
 
 
Brou Children
 
Bert B. Brou in addition to rearing her children was involved in scouting and swimming.  While all of her children were excellent, competitive amateur swimmers, Edward J. Brou and Margaret M. Brou, went on to win regional swimming championships.  In September 1936, Edward J. Brou set a record at the Southern AAU swim meet in New Orleans, when he swam the mile in 25 minutes and 59 seconds.  Young Brou placed second in the two-mile event.  At Baton Rouge in August 1939, Margaret M. Brou was the Southern AAU junior relay champion. (The Jackson County Times, September 5, 1936, p. 1 and August 12, 1939, p.
 
 
In recent years, Claire E. Brou, a retired Navy-Air Force veteran, has distinguished herself in the National Veterans Wheelchair games.  In 1997, she won five gold medals in San Diego at the veterans games for her skill in air rifle shooting, bowling, swimming, table tennis, and motorized wheel chair rallying. (The Sun Herald, July 18, 1997, p. D-1)
 
 
Mrs. Brou's other son, Philip E. Brou (1923-1958), distinguished himself as a carrier based naval aviator in the South Pacific Theater during WW II.  He was an engineering graduate of Tulane University and was employed in the air conditioning business at New Orleans.  While on naval reserve duty, Lt. Commander Philip E. Brou was killed when his helicopter crashed near New Orleans in the fall of 1958. (The Ocean Springs News, October 2, 1958, p. 4 and The Ocean Springs Record, March 19, 1987, p. 5) 
 
 
Spanish American War  
Like his father, Charles W. Bellman (1841- 885), Philip M. Bellman volunteered for military duty.  The elder Bellman in 1861, had enlisted as a private in Company E, the "Biloxi Rifles", of the Third Mississippi Infantry C.S.A.  During the 1898 Spanish American War, Phillip M. Bellman was also enrolled as a private by Captain DuMont at Scranton on April 27, 1898.  He was a bugler and appointed company musician on July 5, 1898.  Bugler Bellman was mustered out at Columbia, Tennessee on December 20, 1898, by Captain W.B. Homer, 6th Artillery. (Spanish-American War Service Record Extracts 1898-1899, No. 204). 
 
 
Demise    
Philip M. Bellman passed on at Biloxi on March 3, 1927.  His corporal remains were interred in the Bellande Cemetery at Ocean Springs.  Mrs. Alice Seymour Bellman lived until January 26, 1957.  Her remains also rest on Dewey Avenue in Ocean Springs besides those of her husband.  Michael Charles Bellman  Michael Charles Bellman was born June 3, 1874 at Ocean Springs.  He was called Charles. In February 1896, C.M. Bellman found employment with The Cottage-by- he Sea, a hostel situated in Pascagoula.(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, February 17, 1896, p. 3)
   
 
During the Spanish American War, M. Charles Bellman served with Company B of the Miss. Volunteers, 2nd Infantry Regiment.   He was enrolled for military service by Captain Woods at Ocean Springs on June 4, 1898. Bellman was mustered in by Lt. Lockwood at Jackson, Mississippi on June 7, 1898.  Private Bellman was mustered out of the volunteer army on December 20, 1898 at Columbia, Tennessee by Captain W.B. Homer. (Spanish-American War Service Record Extracts 1898-1899- p. 204).
    
 
After the Spanish American War, M. Charles Bellman moved to Mobile where he made his livelihood as a conductor for the Gulf Mobile & Ohio Railroad.  M. Charles Bellman married Nellie George Clausen (1892-1976), the daughter of Charles Henry Clausen and Nellie Morris.  Their children were: George M. Bellman (1914-1999); Erna B. McKnight (b. 1916); and Charles H. Bellman (b. 1924).  Mr. Bellman expired at Mobile on September 26, 1956.  Nellie Clausen Bellman died on July 30, 1976.  Both were interred in the Catholic Cemetery at Mobile, Alabama. (The Daily Herald, September 26, 1956, p. 2 and research of Felicia Bellman Tucker, Pensacola, Florida  and Nancy Bellman McMillan, Mobile, Alabama)
                                                         
 
EDWARDINE BELLMAN NOEL
Edwardine Bellman (1843-1921) was born at Biloxi on November 17, 1843. Circa 1863, she married Benjamin J. Noel (1841-1918), a native of Alabama, probably Mobile.  His parents were from New York and Alabama, respectively.  By 1910, Edwardine B. Noel had birthed eleven children in Mobile County, Alabama.  Nine were extant.  Of her progeny only the following are known presently to this writer: Edmund C. Noel (1868-1936), Benjamin J. Noel Jr. (1870-1942); Eugene Noel (1875-1910+); Walter C. Noel (1882-1943); and Blanche Noel Havens  (1885-1937).  In 1910, Benjamin Noel was making his livelihood as a truck farmer and residing in Ward 9 of the city of Mobile. (1910 Federal Census-Mobile Co., Ala., T624R27, pt. 2, p. 260A)  Nancy Bellman McMillan of Mobile relates that there is a small Noel Family cemetery on Cottage Hill Road in Mobile.  She says that the Noel family lived at Cottage Hill which at one time was a village on the west side of Mobile. (Nancy B. McMillan, e-mail, May 26, 2003) 

                                                                           
Benjamin F. Noel Jr.
 
Circa 1897, Benjamin F. Noel Jr. (1870-1942), a native of Coden, Alabama, married Marie Ryan (1879-1956), the daughter of Calvin Ryan and Odile Miller (b. 1853).  In 1910, they were residing in Precinct 13, Wheelerville, Mobile County, Alabama with their five children: Edwina Noel (1897-1985) married William Mathieu; Ester Noel (1902-1992) married Mose H. Beaugez (1891-1973); Herman E. Noel (1903-1967) married Sara Mary "Sadie Mae" Esfeller (1906-1990); Winson Paul Noel (1906-1946) married Audrey V. Webb (1914-1991); Percy B. Noel (1908-1977) married Ruby Williams (1915- 993), the daughter of William Eugene "Nub" Williams (1890-1966) and Lorena Devereaux (1896-1978); and Calvin C. Noel (1915-1938).  Another Noel child had expired prior to 1910.  Ben F. Noel Jr. died on April 21, 1942.  Mrs. Noel passed on January 14, 1956. Their corporal remains were interred in the Bellande Cemetery on Dewey Avenue with children: Calvin Charles Noel, and Winson P. Noel. (The Jackson County Times, April 25, 1942, p. 1 and 1910 Federal Census-Mobile Co., Ala., T624R26, pt. 2, p. 83B)  Some of the male children of Benjamin F. Noel Jr. (1870-1942) and Marie Ryan Noel  (1879-1956) who resided in the Ocean Springs area are as follows:  
    
Herman E. Noel  Herman
 
Edward Noel (1903-1967) married Sara Mary Esfeller (1906-1990). They were the parents of: Dorothy "Dot" N. Ross (b. 1926) married John Baptist Ross (b. 1927); Bette N. Ortega (1929-1988) married Ben M. Ortega (1927-1990); Mildred N. Cvitanovich (1932-1990) married Sam Cvitanovich; June N. Butler (1936-1996) married James Walter "Curley" Butler (b. 1934); and Joseph H. Noel (b. 1949) married Sandra A. Miller.
 
 
Winson P. Noel
 
Winson Paul Noel (1906-1946) made his livelihood on the water as a fisherman.  In October 1928, he married Audrey V. Webb (1914-1991), the daughter of Walter And Josephine Webb.  They were the parents of Maude "Betty" N. Lemon Dennison DeSilvey (1930-1977).  The Noels divorced and in June 1934, Audrey married Claude Engbarth (1893-1967). (JXCO, Ms. MRB 18, p. 420 and Bk. 22, p. 331) Betty Noel "Engbarth" married Kirk S. Lemon (1924-1944) at New Orleans in October 1944.  He was killed in a motorcycle accident in Louisiana on October 19, 1944.  Mrs. Lemon later wedded James Dennison.  They had a son, Freddie Dennison.  Betty divorced Dennison and married Ralph H. DeSilvey (1925-1983) of Biloxi.  They had two children: Ralph E. DeSilvey (1947-1970) and Audrey L. DeSilvey (1954-1977).  They were domiciled at 715 Forest Hills Drive in Ocean Springs. In late January 1946, Winson Noel was accidentally shot by Gloria M. Mathieu, his niece.  The shooting took place in Ocean Springs. (The Jackson County Times, January 26, 1946, p. 1)         
 
 
Percy B. Noel
 
Percy Bernard Noel (1908-1977) was born at Cottage Hill, Mobile County, Alabama.  He resided at 609 Ward Avenue and made his livelihood as a painter and shrimper.  Percy married Ruby Williams (1915-1993), the daughter of William Eugene "Nub" Williams (1890-1966) and Lorena Devereaux (1896-1978).  They were the parents of Vallee N. Atkinson and Charles Noel. (The Daily Herald, March 17, 1977) 
 
 
Calvin C. Noel
Calvin Charles Noel (1915-1938) drowned off the shore of East Beach in early December 1938.  He and Wesley Ryan had gone to tong for oysters near Eagle Point.  They were quite successful, but a rogue storm developed and the subsequent wave action caused their overloaded skiff to sink rapidly.  Noel tried to swim to shore, but failed to survive. Ryan was rescued from the cold water by Dr. William Richards, an East Beach resident. (The Daily Herald, December 9, 1938, p. 1)                                                                                                                         
 
 
 HARRO ANTHONY BELLMAN
Harro A. Bellman (1847-1920) was born at Biloxi, on June 16, 1847. During the War of the Rebellion (1861-1865), Harro enlisted in the Army of the Confederate States of America serving in Company I of the 1st Louisiana Infantry.  In August 1876, he married Euphrazine "Frazine" Ryan Bellande (1852-1904), the daughter of Jerome Alfred Ryan and Dora Stephens. Frazine was the widow of Honore Bellande (1845-1871), the son of Joseph H. Bellande and Rosaline LaFauce (LaForce).  Before Bellande's early demise, she had one son, Adolph Bellande (1870-1916). Harro and Frazine Bellman were the parents of: Pauline Josephine Bellman (1876-1899) married T.A. Jackson and Joseph P. Scheib (1952-1899); Jerome Frederick Bellman (1883-pre 1900); Edwardine M. Bellman (1886-1900+); Noah Arthur Bellman (1889-1941) married Williamina Catchot (1898-1990), the daughter of Arnold "Boy" Catchot (1869-1939) and Anna Laura Ryan (1872-1930); and Irene Anna Bellman (1893-1960).  Harro A. Bellman made his livelihood as a gardener.  He worked for the Ocean Springs Hotel before it was destroyed in a large conflagration in late May 1905.  In his retirement, Harro moved to Mobile to live with his daughter.  He died there on November 16, 1920.  Harro Bellman's corporal remains were sent from Mobile to the home of Mrs. Edmond Mon in Ocean Springs for waking.  Internment was in the Bellande Cemetery. (The Jackson County Times, November 20, 1920)      

 
Harro A. Bellman (1847-1920) and family
Courtesy of  H. Randy Randazzo
 
It is interesting to note that the six sons of Noah A. Bellman and Williamina Catchot Bellman remained in the Ocean Springs area and had large families.  They were: Ralph F. Bellman (1918-1999); Noah A. Bellman Jr. (1920-1999); Charles Arnold Bellman (1927-2000); James A. Bellman; Joseph Harro Bellman (1931-2000); and Thomas J. Bellman (1935-2007).
 
 
ADA REGINA BELLMAN WARD
Ada R. "Lida" Bellman (1853-1892) was born at Biloxi, Mississippi on July 28, 1853.  She married Edward "Eddie" Ward and was a resident of Slidell, Louisiana.  Lida expired in Louisiana in March 1892.  Her corporal remains were sent to Ocean Springs for internment, probably in the Bellande Cemetery.  No further information. (The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, March 25, 1892, p. 2) 
                                                      
RALPH CHARLES BELLMAN 
Ralph Charles Bellman (1855-1899) was born at Biloxi, Mississippi on June 9, 1855.  He expired at Ocean Springs, on October 16, 1899.  In 1870, he was a resident of Ocean Springs living with William? Bang (b. 1848). (1870 Federal Census- JXCO, Ms.) Ralph C. Bellman's funeral was held in the Episcopal Church with the Reverend E. Thompson of Biloxi in attendance.  He was eulogized in The Pascagoula Democrat-Star shortly after his demise, as follows:  "for many years a resident of Ocean Springs, he was numbered among the best citizens, and was honored and respected by all who knew him.  He was the loving tender son of his mother, caring for her in her old age, cheering and sustaining her until stricken with this fatal illness,"(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, October 20, 1899, p. 3)  No further information.                                            
 
PAULINE JOSEPHINE BELLMAN McCARY
Pauline Josephine Bellman (1857-1933) was born at Biloxi, Mississippi on November 4, 1857.  She married George Wythe McCary (1845-1925).  Their children were: George Charles Theodore McCary (1879-1963), Lelia May M. Helmer (1882- 970), and Pearl M. Brown (1888-1912).  George and Pauline Bellman McCary's corporal remains are at rest in the Magnolia Cemetery at Mobile. (Research of Felicia B. Tucker and Nancy B. McMillan)  
 
                                                         
BERTHA BELLMAN BEAUGEZ
 
Bertha Bellman (1859-1932) was born in Biloxi on August 19, 1859, and moved to Ocean Springs circa 1862.  She married Ernest M. Beaugez (1862-1903), the son of Stanislaus Beaugez (1813-1889) and Louise Ladner (1820-1897), on February 24, 1883, in the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.  They were the parents of three children: ? Beaugez, Ernest Edward Beaugez (1883-1907) and Ralph M. Beaugez (1889-1900+).  Mr. Beaugez was the proprietor of a small grocery store on Government Street.  He expired in January 1903, while Bertha B. Beaugez passed on December 20, 1932.  Both were interred in the Bellande Cemetery in Ocean Springs. (The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, February 2, 1900, The Daily Herald, December 21, 1932, p. 2 and Lepre, 1991, pp. 17-18)
     
 
In February 1904, Ernest E. Beaugez  (1883-1907) married Ellen T. Crivellari of Mobile.  At the time he was an employee of The Progress, the local journal.  Mr. Beaugez commenced working here in 1899.  He was described by his employer as, "an honest, industrious and reliable young man in every respect."(The Progress, February 20, 1904)
    
By 1904, the health of Albert  E. Lee (1874-1936), the owner and editor of The Progress,  began to fail and he sold his newspaper to his printer, Ernest E. Beaugez .  Mr. Lee left Ocean Springs for New Orleans and was there when a conflagration destroyed the printing plant of Mr. Beaugez on March 4, 1905.  Returning here after the fire in order to review his business interests, A.E. Lee was met by enthusiastic supporters who were desirous of him to commence a new publishing venture at Ocean Springs.  Thusly, The Ocean Springs News was born on March 15, 1906, from a two hundred dollar loan to A.E. Lee for the initial payment on a small printing plant.  The Ocean Springs News was a success from the initial issue. (The Biloxi Herald, March 31, 1906, p. 8)   Young Ernest E. Beaugez died untimely at Ocean Springs in August 1907.  His corporal remains were interred in the Bellande Cemetery.  No further information. (The Daily Herald, August 22, 1907, p. 1)  
 
 
REFERENCES:

                                                                                   BOOKS
The American State Papers, Volume III 1815-1824 Public Lands, (reprint Southern Historical Press: Greenville, South Carolina-1994).  
Nap L. Cassibry II, Early Settlers and Land Grants at Biloxi, Volume II, Special Issue No. 5, (Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society: Biloxi, Mississippi-1986).
Darlene Jones Krohn, The Descendants of Jerome Ryan, (Krohn:  Latimer, Mississippi-1995).
Jerome Lepre, Catholic Church Records Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, Volume I, (Catholic Dioceses of Biloxi: Biloxi, Mississippi-1991).
Jerome Lepre, Gulf Coast Genealogy-The Seymour Family, (Lepre: 2001-New Orleans, Louisiana).
C.E. Schmidt, Ocean Springs French Beachhead, (Lewis Printing Company: Pascagoula, Mississippi-1972).
Tim Wallis, Ross-Allen Families, (Wallis: Biloxi, Mississippi-1992). 

                                                                   CHANCERY COURT CASES
 
Harrison County, Mississippi Chancery Court Cause No. 20, 
Harrison County, Mississippi Chancery Court Cause No. 30, "Pauline Bellman v. Charles Bellman", August 1858.
Jackson County, Mississippi Chancery Court Cause No. 3616, "H.F.Russell, administrator of the Estate of A.P. Kotzum v. Mrs. H.C.Seymour, et al", October 1917.
Jackson County, Mississippi Chancery Court Cause No. 3936, "Estate of A.P. Kotzum", November 1917.
Jackson County, Mississippi Chancery Court Cause No. 4648, "Philip M. Bellman v. C.P. Martin and S.J. DeBlaeau operating The Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Company", February 1925.
 
JOURNALS
The Biloxi Herald, "Ocean Springs", February 7, 1891. The Biloxi Herald, "City Paragraphs", March 31, 1906.
The Daily Herald, "City News", August 22, 1907.
The Daily Herald, "Ocean Springs men return to homes", December 19, 1916.
The Daily Herald, "Phillip Bellman Dies", March 4, 1927.
The Daily Herald, "Mrs. Beaugez Dies", December 21, 1932.
The Daily Herald, "Ocean Springs Man Drowns As Boat Sinks", December 9, 1938.
The Daily Herald, "Open Bel-Bru Sporting Good Store", November 1, 1946.
The Daily Herald, "Mrs. Marie Noel", January 16, 1956.
The Daily Herald, "Herman E. Noel", September 15, 1967.
The Daily Herald, "Percy Bernard Noel", March 17, 1977.
The Daily Herald, "Charles Bellman", September 26, 1956.
The Jackson County Times, "Local News Items", September 23, 1916.
The Jackson County Times, "Local News Interest", November 20, 1920.
The Jackson County Times, "Local and Personal", September 15, 1923.
The Jackson County Times, "R.L. White", March 3, 1928.
The Jackson County Times, "Joseph Edmund Brou", November 17, 1934.
The Jackson County Times, "Local and Personal", September 5, 1936.
The Jackson County Times, "The Column", August 12, 1939.
The Jackson County Times, "B.J. Noel Dies", April 25, 1942.
The Jackson County Times, "Gloria Mathieu Fatally Shoots Winson Noel", January 26, 1946.
The Ocean Springs New, "Local News", May 14, 1910.
The Ocean Springs News, "Eagle Point Oyster Company advertisement", November 24, 1915, p. 12.
The Ocean Springs News, "Local News", March 23, 1916.
The Ocean Springs News, "Ocean Springs Fish & Oyster Co.", March 30,1916.
The Ocean Springs News, "Lt. Cmdr. Brou Funeral Is held; Victim of Crash", October 2, 1958.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Phyliss Bellman Burke", September 27, 1970.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Open House Guests", August 22, 1985.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Birthday celebration", March 19, 1987.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Died", March 25, 1892.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Ocean Springs News", March 25, 1892.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Sudden Death of Moses Seymour", January 13, 1893.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Ocean Springs Locals", February 17, 1896.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Ocean Springs Locals", October 10, 1899.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, "Ocean Springs Locals", February 2, 1900.
The Progress, "Local News Interest", February 20, 1904.
The Sun Herald, "Brou stays agile, wins five medals at Games", July 18, 1997.
The Sun Herald, "Inez Virginia Bellman McLain", October 8, 2004, p. A-7.
The Sun Herald, "Thomas J. Bellman", November 18, 2007, p. A-14.
The Sun Herald, "Mr. Edward J. 'Eddie' Bellman", November 8, 2009, p. A-12.
The Sun Herald, "Bellman kept Elvis alive on the Coast", November 8, 2009, p. A-13.