Thomas Bell (capitalist)
[6][7] Next known as Bolton, Barron & Company, it was located in London and had branches in Mexico, South America, and San Francisco.
[4] The Tepic house was a branch office that conducted general banking and commission business in Mexico and South America.
[6] It focused on local mercantile, financial, and mining businesses, including the Comstock Lode, and founded the old bank of California.
Bell operated the business by himself until May 1, 1879 when he brought in George Staacke, a fellow clerk in their younger days, to be his partner.
He moved his corporate Thomas Bell & Company office to the upper floors of the California Bank building after it was constructed.
[6] Bell was investor in many organizations in California in its early American pioneer years, including in the silver, quicksilver, and quartz mining and railroad ventures and real estate.
[4] Bell entered into a partnership with a widow and philanthropist Mary Ellen Pleasant, making investments and establishing businesses that made her $30 million (equivalent to $832,363,636 in 2023) by 1875.
Her legal fees were paid by Pleasant, and since their finances has become co-mingled, Bell was accused of being involved in the suit as well.
From the start, Thomas expressed that John was due a portion of the profits and any monies earned from selling off some of the acreage.
Besides overseeing housekeeping and managing the servants, Pleasant selected Teresa's clothes and social activities and controlled the disbursement of money.
Because she controlled the activities at the residence, and turned away visitors, Bell's friends and acquaintances were discouraged from calling on them at the mansion.
Teresa, concerned about being a poor widow, negotiated that Thomas Bell would leave at least $50,000 (equivalent to $1,695,556 in 2023) for each of the children he fathered.
[6][4] An inquest was held on October 18, with testimony by two attending physicians, and it was ruled that he died of a concussion due to an accident.
The principal was managed by George Staacke, Henry Pichoir, and John W. C. Maxwell, based upon their expertise, with the income divided in thirds.
[16] After hearing the will, and that he was not mentioned in the will, John S. Bell contented to his friends that he believed he was the only living natural heir to the estate.
John had a number of sources, he said, who could vouch for his uncle's intention to leave the ranches in Santa Barbara County to him.
[9] If John's contention that he was the only living natural heir was true, it meant that Thomas had not fathered any of Teresa's six children.
[20] John won the case against Thomas Bell's estate on October 26, 1897, giving him the 10,000 acres Los Alamos Ranch, worth around $300,000 (~$9.45 million in 2023).
[15] His widow Teresa sued to gain control of Pleasant's investment that were in Thomas Bell's name.
