Who was the enslaved women named Sophia and what was her relationship to Enoch Bell? From the surviving newspaper accounts their actual relationship is unclear, it remains possible that Sophia was a member of the Bell family. Since there is considerable documentation that other members of the Browning/Bell families were owned by Rachael Pratt, the mother of Governor Thomas Pratt it may be that Enoch Bell acted to free this enslaved women out of love or familial duty. From the accounts in the Baltimore Sun, it is doubtful whether Enoch or his family was ever allowed to post bail and it appears Enoch may have fled to New Bedford Massachusetts where he was enumerated on the 1850 U.S. Census for Massachusetts.

        Bell lived in New Bedford, Massachusetts and would remain there for over fifteen years. In New Bedford, Enoch Bell, would have been secure from retaliation by the large and powerful Pratt family or further from legal action initiated by Thomas Pratt in his role as Maryland State Governor (1844-1848). Governor Pratt was ardently and staunchly proslavery as governor he chastised the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1847 for Pennsylvania's non compliance with the Fugitive Slave Law. New Bedford Mass. had strong abolitionist leaning so. Enoch Bell's departure for New Bedford probably meant that his mother Sophia Browning Bell and other members of the Bell family had to keep a low profile until interest in the case this case diminished. Below are three of the original accounts which appeared in the Baltimore Sun. The transcription for the news articles below reflects the original spelling, punctuation and grammar. The Baltimore Sun reporter's use of the term "yellow" was typical of the time and widely used to designate light skinned African Americans during the antebellum era.

        In 1850 as a Maryland Senator Pratt would try unsuccessfully to amend the Fugitive Slave law (most likely with the Enoch Bell's actions in mind) to require the federal government to compensate slave owners for their economic losses and legal expenses when northern states hindered their slaves return. In 1861 Senator Pratt was briefly jailed in Fortress Monroe for advocating the cause of the Confederacy.

Kidnapping - Enoch G. Bell, a yellow man, long known as a porter at our navy yard, was yesterday arrested by officer Jeffers, of your city, and Capt. Goddard, on a charge of having been concerned in the conveyance of a slave woman, the property of Governor Pratt from Maryland. This arrest was based upon a copy of an indictment by the grand jury of Anne Arundel count, now sitting, and the requisition of the Governor of Maryland. Bell was committed to jail, Charles l. Jones Esq., brought out under a writ of habeas corpus. The case was postponed until this morning, when it is understood the argument would be listed to.
        This morning on the opening of the court, Joseph H. Bradley, Esq., who had been called upon to act in conjunction with C.L. Jones, Esq., moved the court to postpone the further consideration of the case until and opportunity shall be afforded to investigation important Constitutional question which was involved therein. After hearing some remarks in opposition to the postponement by Mr. Key, district attorney, the court postponed the further hearing until Monday next, at 9 o'clock. After this decision was announced, bail was offered to any amount for Bell's appearance on Monday morning. Hon. Judge Cranch however, declined the questions being before him alone , and he had never felt himself authorized to take bail in such cases.

End Note: J. D. Warfield, Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard County, ( Kohn and Pollack: Baltimore 1905) 278.

The Slave Case- The case of Enoch G. Bell, colored man, charged with having been concerned in the abduction of a slave woman Sophia, the property of Governor Pratt, was postponed until 4 o'clock this afternoon. Bell is now before the court under a writ of habeas corpus. Charles l. Jones, Esq has closed his speech in favor of the prisoner, and Mr. Key, District Attorney, in opposition is now addressing the court. Mr. Bradley will follow on behalf of the prisoner. The court room is crowed to excess- seven members of Congress present. - The affair has created an unusual interested amongst the colored portion of our population - I have never seen so many within the court house at any one time.

Circuit Court - The case of Enoch G. Bell, Negro. The court this morning delivered its opinion upon the motion made by the counsel of the prisoner upon a habeas corpus to discharge him from custody of Madison Jeffers, to whom he had been delivered by a warrant of Judge Cranch, issued upon a requisition of the Governor of Maryland.
        The court (Judge Morsell dissenting) ruled that the prisoner be remanded to the custody of Jeffers; to be conveyed by him to the county of Anne Arundel there to be dealt with according to the law. To this opinion Mr. Bradley offered bill of exceptions, with a view to carry the matter to the Supreme Court upon a writ of error. A question was here started by the U.S. district attorney as to what should be done with the prisoner while the writ was pending.- The learned counsel for the U.S. contending that he should be delivered to the authorities of Maryland. Mr. Bradley resisted such a disposition of the prisoner, denying the authority of any power to remove the accused from the jurisdiction of this court, The court postponed a further hearing of the case till some future day and took up the cases of others

Circuit Court - Exparte, Enoch G. Bell - This case came before the court this morning at nine o clock. Mr. Key and Mr. C.L. Jones offered some authorities upon the appeal to the Supreme Court - and the case was continued till Monday.

Biography of Enoch G. Bell

Biography of Sophia Browning Bell

Manumission documents of the COOK family
The Cooks were related to Enoch Bell his aunt Alethia "Lethe" Browning Tanner had many dealing with Rachael Pratt in order to purchase her own freedom, and that of the Cooks other family and various friends.