Artist and designer. Born in Silton in the west country to a family of skilled carpenters and craftsmen, Alfred Bell was introduced to George Gilbert Scott by the rector of Silton, and was offered a place in Scott's studio in 1844. He worked there with G.F. Bodley and G.E. Street before designing for Nathaniel Lavers, preferring to work in stained glass and the decorative arts, rather than as an architect. He formed a partnership with John Richard Clayton in 1856, and their firm, known as Clayton & Bell, was among the most successful firms producing stained glass in the nineteenth century. After establishing the partnership, Alfred Bell also designed for James Powell & Sons. He was a prolific watercolourist and exhibited at the Royal Academy.
