BROWN & BELL

New York NY

Most recent update: January 12, 2021.
David Brown and Jacob Bell started in the industry as apprentices in the shipyard operated by Adam and Noah Brown, on the East River, at the foot of Houston Street.  Following the end of the War of 1812, they started their own yard on the Tombigbee River, in St. Stephens, the capital of the Alabama Territory, north of Mobile.  The site was physically constrained, however, so they moved their operation to Blakely, on the Tensaw River, just northeast of Mobile.  Then in 1821 they moved back to New York to take over the Adam & Noah Brown yard.  David Brown died in 1848 and the firm continued as Jacob Bell.  Bell died in 1852 and his son carried on for a few years, but the yard closed in 1855.  If anyone can add to the table below, please send your info to me at timcolton@aol.com.  Note that on this table, "Abandoned" in the last column includes scuttling and scrapping.
Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Ship Type GT Feet Built Disposition
Built by Brown & Bell in St. Stephens AL and Blakely AL
    Alabama   Steamboat 218   1818 In collision and lost 1824
    Mississippi   Steamboat 378   1819 Snagged off Ste. Genevieeve MO 1825
    Tensas   Steamboat 58   1820 Abandoned 1821
    Tombeckbe   Steamboat 64   1821 Snagged off Erie AL 1824
Built by Brown & Bell in New York NY
    William Tell   Sailing Ship 414   1821  
    Orbit   Sailing Ship 465   1821  
    New York   Sailing Ship 615   1822  
    Baltic Say   Sailing Ship 400   1822  
    John Wells   Sailing Ship 442   1822  
    Henry   Sailing Ship 306   1822  
    Savannah   Sailing Ship 267   1822  
    Canada   Sailing Ship 615   1823  
    Calhoun   Sailing Ship 295   1823  
    Maria   Schooner 48   1823  
    Pacific   Sailing Ship 657   1824  
    Hudson   Steamboat 177   1824 Abandoned 1848
    Gratitude   Pilot Boat 57   1824  
    Augusta     206   1824  
    Washington   Sailing Ship 979   1825  
    Roman   Sailing Ship 601   1825  
    United States   Sailing Ship 829   1825  
    Constitution   Steamboat 280   1825 Abandoned 1849
    Constellation   Steamboat 280   1825 Abandoned 1850
    Washington   Steamboat 330   1825 In collision and lost 1831
    Ohio   Ferry 85   1825  
      Ferry 85   1825  
    Wm. Cutting   Ferry 150   1825 Abandoned 1840
    Rufus King   Sloop 70   1825  
    Great Britain   Sailing Ship 893   1826  
    Britannia   Sailing Ship 741   1826  
    McDonough   Steamboat 265   1826 Stranded off Little Egg Harbor 1839
    Marco Bozzaris   Steamboat 125   1826 Stranded off Bermuda 1833
    Barnet   Steamboat 37   1826  
    John Jay   Sailing Ship 593   1827  
    Helen   Sailing Ship 548   1827  
    George Canning   Sailing Ship 637   1827  
    Havana   Brig 160   1827  
    Independence   Steamboat 345   1827 Abandoned 1858
    Caledonia   Sailing Ship 741   1828  
    Cyrus Butler   Bark 472   1828  
    Benjamin Franklin   Steamboat 421   1828 Converted to barge 1842
    Thomas H. Smith   Pilot Boat 80   1828  
    Ohio   Steamboat 371   1829 Converted to barge 1840
    President   Steamboat 528   1829 Converted to barge 1842
    Ned   Schooner 96   1829  
    Albert   Schooner 64   1829  
    Hibernia   Sailing Ship 665   1830  
    Seraphina   Brig 196   1830  
    John Stoney     163   1830  
    William Drayton   Sailing Ship 390   1831  
    Congress   Sailing Ship 472   1831  
    North America   Sailing Ship 699   1831  
    Montevideo   Brig 260   1831  
    Water Witch   Steamboat 187   1831 Abandoned 1862
    Boston   Steamboat 380   1831 Abandoned 1857
    South America   Sailing Ship 720   1832  
    Erie   Steamboat 490   1832 Abandoned 1842
    Champlain   Steamboat 490   1832 Converted to barge 1843
    Hercules   Steamboat 191   1832 Abandoned 1856
    Providence   Steamboat 344   1832 Converted to barge 1843
    Wave   Yacht 30   1832  
    Victoria   Sailing Ship 719   1833  
    Europe   Sailing Ship 743   1833  
    Mississippi   Sailing Ship 708   1833  
    Francis Depeu   Sailing Ship 696   1833  
    David Brown   Steamboat 192   1833 Foundered 1836
  45270 John Mason   Steamboat 189   1833 Converted to barge 1865
    William Gibbons   Steamboat 299   1833 Stranded off Body Island 1836
    Tampico   Steamboat 144   1833 To Mexico 1835
    Troy   Sailing Ship 666   1834  
    Silvie de Grasse   Sailing Ship 738   1834  
    Vicksburgh   Sailing Ship 554   1834  
    Bangor   Steamboat 353   1834 Sold foreign 1843
    Columbia   Steamboat 417   1834 Sold foreign 1841
    Pluto   Ferry 100   1834 Converted to barge 1861
    Shakespeare   Sailing Ship 827   1835  
    Montezuma   Sailing Ship 471   1835  
    Emerald   Sailing Ship 596   1835  
    Frank   Steamboat 115   1835 Abandoned 1861
    James Boatwright   Steamboat 175   1835  
    Massachusetts   Steamboat 660   1835 Abandoned 1859
    Rhode Island   Steamboat 587   1835 Foundered 1850
    Washington   Pilot Boat 81   1835  
    Switzerland   Sailing Ship 638   1836  
    Garrick Dramatic Line Packet Ship  927   1836  
    Sheridan Dramatic Line Packet Ship  927   1836  
    Home   Steamboat 550   1836 Foundered off Ocracoke 1837
    Saint Matthew   Steamboat 185   1836 Stranded off Darien GA 1851
    Siddons Dramatic Line Packet Ship  927   1837  
    New York   Steamboat 375   1837 Foundered off Gulf Coast 1846
    Savannah   Steamboat 349   1837 Foundered off Cape Hatteras 1841
    Fulton   Ferry 180   1837 Abandoned 1859
    Relief   Ferry 100   1837 Abandoned 1844
    Amelia   Schooner 171   1837  
    James Avery   Pilot Boat 61   1837  
    Eutaw   Sailing Ship 708   1838  
    Roscius Dramatic Line Packet Ship 1,009   1838  
    Kosciusko   Steamboat 253   1838 Converted to barge 1857
    Colonel Jewett   Steamboat 132   1838 Sold foreign 1842
    Joseph Leggett   Pilot Boat 96   1838  
    John E. Davidson   Pilot Boat 91   1838  
    Rochester   Sailing Ship 779   1839  
    Patrick Henry Blue Swallowtail Line  Packet Ship 854   1839  
    Una   Brig 312   1839  
    Jacob Bell   Pilot Boat 86   1839  
    Lion Spanish Navy Gun Boat 181   1840  
    Eagle Spanish Navy Gun Boat 184   1840  
    Angola   Fast Schooner 85   1840 Built for the opium trade
    Cornelia   Sailing Ship 1,184   1841  
    Jove   Steamer 189   1841 Sold foreign 1842
    Dan   Steamer 189   1841 Sold foreign 1842
    Florida Bianco   Brig 184   1841  
    Liberty   Brig 239   1842  
    Mazeppa   Schooner 184   1842  
    Jacob Bell   Tug 229   1842 To USN 1861, lost under tow 1865
    Mutual Safety Samuel L. Fox Tug 420   1842 Stranded in the St. Johns River 1846
    Liverpool Woodhull & Miniums Steamer  1,074   1843  
    Queen of the West   Sailing Ship 1,169   1843  
    Houqua A. A. Low & Brother Sailing Ship 706   1844  
    Sultana   Sailing Ship 692   1844  
    Matilda   Gun Boat 69   1844  
    Emily   Gun Boat 69   1844  
    Lizzy   Gun Boat 77   1844  
    Addy   Yacht 18   1844  
    Spray   Yacht 41   1844  
    Ianthe   Yacht 59   1844  
    Henry Clay Blue Swallowtail Line  Sailing Ship 1,228   1845 Wrecked 1861
    Isabella   Gun Boat 77   1845  
    Jane   Gun Boat 77   1845  
    Clara   Gun Boat 77   1845  
    Galena   Sailing Ship 851   1846  
    Spitfire   Steamer 241   1846  
    Vixen US Navy Steamer 241   1846 Sold 1855
    Reefer   Gun Boat 77   1846  
    Bonite   Gun Boat 77   1846  
    Petrel   Gun Boat 77   1846  
    Palmetto Charles Morgan Steamer 533   1846 Stranded in Matagorda Bay 1851
    Southerner Spofford, Tileston & Co Steamer  785   1846 First merchant ship with U.S.-built side-lever engine, abandoned 1858
    Northerner Spofford, Tileston & Co Steamer 1,012   1847 Stranded off Cape Mendocino 1860
    Constitution   Sailing Ship 1,334   1847  
    Maid of Orleans   Sailing Ship 1,050   1847  
    Rimac Peruvian Navy Steamer 656   1847  
    Samuel Russell A. A. Low & Brother Clipper Ship 957   1847 Wrecked 1870
    Rover   Bark 380   1848  
    J. W. Bell   Schooner 100   1848  
  23219 Senator J. Cunningham Steamer 754   1848  Sold foreign 1884
Built by Jacob Bell in New York NY
    Oriental A. A. Low & Bros. Clipper Ship 1,003   1849  
    Seneca Navy Yard Ferry Co. Ferry 232   1849 Burnt 1870
    Pacific Collins Line Steamer 2,707   1849 Disappeared 1856
  2308 Baltic Collins Line Steamer 2,723   1850  
  22822 St. Louis   Steamer 1,050   1850 Abandoned 1878
    White Squall William Platt & Son Clipper Ship 1,119   1850  
    Trade Wind Booth & Edgar Clipper Ship 2,030   1851  
    Jacob Bell A. A. Low & Bros. Clipper Ship 1,381   1852  
    Messenger Slate & Co. Clipper Ship 1,351   1852  
    North Wind Grinell, Minturn & Co. Clipper Ship 1,041   1853  
    San Francisco Wardell & Co. Clipper Ship 1,307   1853  
    America   Steamer 923   1853 Burned at Crescent City CA 1855
    Adelaide Wardell & Co. Clipper Ship 1,831   1854