A stonemason and progenitor of the Bull Family of Orange County, New York
Born 1689 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England to John Bull, son of Peter Bull
Baptized July 30, 1691 in St. Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton
Immigrated to America about 1715 after learning the trade of stonemasonry in Dublin, Ireland
Built a number of stone houses in Orange County
Builder of the “Grey Court” tavern in 1716, near Craigville, for Daniel Cromeline, who had bought into the Wawayanda Patent
Builder of a stone house, near Craigville, circa 1716-18 where his descendants, the Roe Family, have resided since 1827
Granted 100 acres for 5 shillings, New York currency. He built his home there beginning in 1722. He called his residence Hamptonburgh, in honor of his birthplace, now known as The Bull Stone House
Granted 2600 acres by King George I of England in 1723
Granted an additional 500 acres in 1724 where his son Thomas built a stone house that is now known as Hill-Hold in 1769. It is currently an Orange County museum. His son William II built his homestead on other parts of this parcel.
Built a house for the Ellison family in Vails Gate, NY in 1754. It is the oldest building contract known in Orange County and is on display there. During the Revolutionary War, the house became General Henry Knox’s Headquarters. It is a New York State Historic Site.
Died in the winter of 1755-1756 leaving a will that was probated June 19, 1756 giving “my dear wife Sarah Bull my dwelling house and farm”
Buried near the Bull Stone House on Bull Buryin Hill, now known as the Hamptonburgh Cemetery.
Some of William Bull’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren carried on his stone masonry trade by erecting many fine stone buildings in Orange County.
Sarah Wells
She was born in 1696 (or April 6, 1694 according to family bibles) and little is known of her parentage or early life.
The first woman of European descent to settle on the Wawayanda Patent in May 1712.
An indentured servant for Christopher Denne and his wife Elizabeth. Denne was an original owner, among 12, of the Wawayanda Patent in what is now Orange County, NY
At the age of about 16, Sarah accepted Denne's offer to make his land claim by settling a camp on the Otterkill ahead of the Denne’s arrival. In exchange he promised her 100 acres when her indentureship ended.
She traveled by single-mast sloop from NYC up the Hudson River to Plum Point (now New Windsor, NY) with 3 hired carpenters and 3 Munsee indigenous men as guides.
They hiked 20 miles through the wilderness inland to the banks of the Otterkill
The Munsee men and the carpenters built Sarah a tree-branch wigwam on the creek and helped her to get established before the Dennes arrived.
The first documented woman of European descent to settle on the Wawayanda Patent in May 1712.
She married William Bull on August 25, 1718.
They had 12 children, five sons and seven daughters, born between 1721 to 1745. All 12 children grew to adulthood, married, and raised families.
William died in the winter of 1755-1756, leaving Sarah at home with 5 minor children.
Sarah married Johannes Miller, a German Lutheran settler in Montgomery, NY, sometime between 1756 and 1770.
In 1770 she left Johannes and returned to the Bull Stone House, essentially divorced.
She died on April 21, 1796 and is buried at Hamptonburgh Cemetery near the Bull Stone House on Bull Burying Hill next to her first husband William Bull.
Sarah’s death is recorded in the Blooming Grove Presbyterian Church. The ceremony was performed by Rev Benoit Bradner.
On April 23, 1796, the day of Sarah’s funeral, a family memorial was written listing her 12 children, 98 grandchildren, 212 great grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren, totaling 335 descendants.
