Barbara Breedlove Rollins' Family Files

THE BULL FAMILY

A.)   John BULL and his wife, Elizabeth.

John BULL was born in 1674, probably in Radnorshire, Wales. His wife's name was Elizabeth, but we do not know much else about her. John BULL died in November, 1736, in Perkiomen County (now Montgomery County) Pennsylvania.

John BULL was one of the party of immigrants from Radnorshire, Wales, who settled about Perkiomen and on Shippack Creek. There they formed a parish, as they were English Church people, and together built the old Church of St. James about 1700. This log building was later burned and all records were lost. The present Church was built on the original site, and the village of Evansburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, has been built near it. The graveyard of the Church contains the remains of many of the original settlers and their descendants.

In the History of St. David's Church at Radnor, Pennsylvania, page 92, by Henry PLEASANTS, there is found a copy of a letter sent to the Society for the Propagation of the Church of England, dated August 1, 1736, and signed by thirty-seven names of "St. James Church ner Perquihoma," asking for the detail of a clergyman to hold service there. The signatories include Henry PAWLING (2 times) William BULL, John BULL, Richard BULL, and Thomas BULL.

The first record of John BULL directly connected with the locality was January 12, 1717, when an agreement was made by him for the transfer of land. The farm of John BULL adjoined that of Henry PAWLING.

The gravestone of John BULL is marked "Here lyeth the Body of John BULL, who died November 1736. Aged 62 years."

Although most Welsh settlers were Quakers, this group were members of the Church of England. Edward LANE had invited the Welshmen from Radnorshire in the different Church of England Parishes, to come over and take up the land he had secured and had offered for sale. In Radnorshire the BULL family line was found, and also many of the other settlers of early Pennsylvania were located, in the different Parishes of the Church of England. Col. Thomas BULL named his home in Chester County "Nantmel," knowing his grandfather's origin.

Children of the couple included the following:

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B.)   Richard BULL (I) and wife Elizabeth PAWLING.

Richard BULL (I), son of John BULL and wife Elizabeth, was born in 1714 in Perkiomen, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth PAWLING, the daughter of Henry PAWLING (II) and wife Jacomyntie KUNST. Elizabeth was baptized in Kingston, New York March 22, 1719. Richard died April 11, 1799, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; he is buried at Bull's Hill Graveyard near Donelly's Mill, in Raccoon Valley. Elizabeth's date of death is unknown; she is probably buried at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The BULL book states, "No record of Elizabeth BULL is found after her signature to the deed in 1775, except in the family legends of Perry County." I wonder what the legends say!

Richard BULL first settled on the property left to him by his father's will in Tredyffin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He recorded as vestryman of St. James Church, Perkiomen, in 1740. In 1760 he and his wife Elizabeth sold this farm (Deed Book H, p. 488) and bought a farm of 251 acres in Whiteland Township, Chester County (Deed Book T, p. 393). They lived there until 1775 and sold the property. He is named on the church records of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Chester Valley as vestryman, from 1763 to 1771. The last mention is made of his having subscribed 76 pounds in 1775 for building of pews in the gallery of the church. Soon after this he joined his sons Henry and William in Raccoon Valley, Cumberland County, where he bought a tract of land (Deed Book C C, page 353) and built a log house on the property. This was standing until 1903, when it was pulled down. Richard BULL's will is on file in Will Book - 69-7-141 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

The children of Richard BULL (I) and wife Elizabeth PAWLING are the following:

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C.)   Richard BULL (II) and wife Ann ANDERSON.

Richard BULL (II), son of RICHARD BULL (I) and wife Elizabeth PAWLING, was born September 21, 1757, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He married Ann ANDERSON, September 11, 1788, Orange County, North Carolina, Samuel SCOTT, bondsman. He died August 30, 1840, Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee. Ann was born July 8, 1762, in North Carolina. Her mother's maiden name was MABIN. She died June 1, 1841, Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee. Both are buried in the King Cemetery in Sumner County, Tennessee.

He was a private from Chester County, Pennsylvania in the Revolution-ary War, serving in the company of West Whiteland and North Goshen under Captain Evan ANDERSON. [Source]

Richard and his sister Jemima went to North Carolina in 1785. He remained there until some time between 1800 and 1804 when he moved with his family to Gallatin, Tennessee, where he lived for about forty years until his death.

Richard A. CHAPMAN, who lived at Sherman, Texas, now deceased, described his grandfather Richard BULL, whom he remembered well, as six feet tall and weighing about 180 to 200 pounds, stout and muscular, very lively and full of jokes and fun, which he enjoyed more than accumulating property. He also remembered that his grandfather told him that his mother's name was PAULDING. Mr. CHAPMAN said that his grandfather lived at Hillsboro, Orange County, North Carolina and was very fond of horses, having established there the first race track in the state.

He is on the Orange County, North Carolina 1800 census at page 545. [Source]

A traditional relative on this line is "General BULL of the Civil War" as remembered from stories told to Alma Ellen ANDERSON BREEDLOVE. I have not found this general. The Union general at Shilow was Don Carlos BUELL. There was a Lt. Col. George P. BUELL who led a campaign in the Red River War of 1874-75, marching north from Fort Griffin, Texas. [Source] I can put a William BULL in Camp Jackson, Missouri, and probably make him kin to us, but I can't make him a general.

Children include:

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