Henry Bull (Governor)
Encyclopedia
Henry Bull was an early colonial Governor of Rhode Island, serving for two separate terms, one before and one after the tenure of Edmund Andros
under the Dominion of New England
. Sailing from England as a young man, Bull first settled in Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, but soon became a follower of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
and Anne Hutchinson
, and was excommunicated from the Roxbury church. With many other followers of Hutchinson, he signed the Portsmouth Compact
, and settled on Aquidneck Island
in the Narragansett Bay
. Within a year of arriving there, he and others followed William Coddington
to the south end of the island where they established the town of Newport
.
Bull was a Corporal and Sargent on the island, and kept the prison for the colony. He also built a house shortly after his arrival that continued to stand in Newport for nearly three centuries, until destroyed by fire. Late in life, Bull became active in the service of the colony, fulfilling roles as Commissioner, Deputy, and Assistant. In 1685, during a chaotic period in Rhode Island's history when the colony was being accused of irregularities, and its charter was being threatened under a new King, the 75-year old Henry Bull stepped into the office of Governor, serving for a year. Soon after he left office, Edmund Andros
was appointed Royal Governor of all the New England colonies, remaining in this position for three years, until another change in England's monarchy resulted in Rhode Island's return to its former charter
. Uncertainty prevailed in the colony, and two other individuals refused to serve as Governor, until Bull, as an octogenarian, once again assumed the governorship in 1690, returning Rhode Island to its previous form of government under its charter.
Considered to be as fearless as he was honest, Bull was elected to the highest position in the gift of the colony, despite the fact that he could not sign his name (he used a mark for his signature in the Portsmouth Compact
). He became a Quaker after his arrival in the Rhode Island colony, and following a long life, was buried in the Coddington Cemetery
in Newport where several other Quaker governors of the colony were also interred.
at the age of 25, aboard the ship James in 1635, Henry Bull first settled in Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. Bicknell states that Bull had come from South Wales
, but Anderson, in reviewing the evidence, offers no support to this assertion. Bull was made a member of the Roxbury Church in late 1635, and in the church records he was called "a man servant" who "lived honestly for a good season, but on the sudden (being weak & affectionate) he was taken & transported with the opinion of familism" for which he was excommunicated. On 20 November 1637 he was among many Boston men who were disarmed as supporters of the dissident minister John Wheelwright
. While still in Boston on 7 March 1637/8, he was one of 23 men who signed an agreement
to form a Christian-based government, affixing his mark to the document since he could not sign his name. Five days later he was licensed to depart Massachusetts with William Coddington
, John Coggeshall
and others. Roger Williams
suggested that this group of Anne Hutchinson
supporters purchase land of the Indians along the Narragansett Bay
, which they did, settling on Aquidneck Island
and establishing the settlement of Pocasset, later named Portsmouth
.
. Within this group of men, William Coddington
was listed as "judge," and the other eight men were termed "elders." Once at Newport, Bull was elected Sargent for the two years from 1640 to 1642, and became a freeman
in 1641.
Many years elapsed before Bull was once again found in the public record, and in 1655 he became a Commissioner, which position he held for two years. In 1663 he and his son Jireh sold 43 acres of land on Conanicut Island
(later Jamestown, Rhode Island
) to Caleb Carr
. Bull had become a member of the Religious Society of Friends
, better known as Quakers, and in 1665 the Friends' records of Portsmouth state that Bull's wife, Elizabeth, died on the first day of October that year. Shortly thereafter, Bull went to Sandwich, Massachusetts
where he married his second wife, Esther Allen.
in England, the ascension of James II
brought about some frightful changes to the New England colonies. At the meeting of the General Assembly in May 1685 Governor Coddington
was absent, but was re-elected to the governorship. When contacted, Coddington refused to serve, and the 75-year old Henry Bull, "a man who afterwards proved himself to be as fearless as he was honest," was then chosen Governor, with Walter Clarke
chosen as his deputy. The loss of the colony's freedoms began to appear when Edward Randolph
urged the Board of Trade to revoke the charters of both Rhode Island and Connecticut because of alleged irregularities. In October 1685 Joseph Dudley
was appointed to govern the colonies of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and King's Province, the latter in the Narragansett country (later Washington County, Rhode Island
), and Randolph was made secretary of his council.
At the election of May 1686, Walter Clarke was chosen governor of the colony, but served only a few weeks before the Dominion of New England
was imposed on the northern colonies, and Edmund Andros
was appointed as the Royal Governor. Andros ruled for nearly three years, when in April 1689 news of the ascension of William and Mary
to the English throne arrived in Boston, and Andros and Randolph were both arrested. Clarke called the freemen of the Rhode Island colony together for an election in Newport in May 1689, but wary of the implications of serving at this time, he refused the position, and for ten months Rhode Island was without an acknowledged governor. The October meeting of the General Assembly was poorly attended due to a storm, and it wasn't until February 1690 that they met again. Clarke once again refused to assume the governorship, and Christopher Almy was elected in his place, but also declined. Then, wrote Arnold, quoting historian Bancroft "all eyes turned to one of the old Antinomian
exiles, the more than octogenarian, Henry Bull; and the fearless Quaker, true to the light within, employed the last glimmerings of life to restore the democratic charter of Rhode Island."
At the meeting of the Assembly in May 1690 Bull was once again elected to the office of Governor, but this time the ancient administrator declined. John Easton
, son of the former Governor, Nicholas Easton
, became Governor, serving for the next five years. During the winter of 1693/4, the Friends' records contained the following entry, "Henry Bull, aged about eighty-four years; he departed this life at his own house in Newport (he being the last man of the first settlers of this Rhode Island) ye 22d 11mo 1693-4 [22 January 1693/4]." He is buried in the Coddington Cemetery
on Farewell Street in Newport, where Quaker Governors William Coddington
, William Coddington, Jr.
, Nicholas Easton
, John Easton
and John Wanton
are also buried.
. Bull's grandson, Jireh (son of Jireh) married Godsgift Arnold, the daughter of Governor Benedict Arnold
. His granddaughter Mary Bull, and his grandson, Ephraim Bull, both married grandchildren of early colonial President John Coggeshall
, and his grandson Henry Bull married a granddaughter of William and Anne Hutchinson
.
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
under the Dominion of New England
Dominion of New England
The Dominion of New England in America was an administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. The dominion was ultimately a failure because the area it encompassed was too large for a single governor to manage...
. Sailing from England as a young man, Bull first settled in Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, but soon became a follower of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, and was excommunicated from the Roxbury church. With many other followers of Hutchinson, he signed the Portsmouth Compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
, and settled on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
in the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. Within a year of arriving there, he and others followed William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
to the south end of the island where they established the town of Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
Bull was a Corporal and Sargent on the island, and kept the prison for the colony. He also built a house shortly after his arrival that continued to stand in Newport for nearly three centuries, until destroyed by fire. Late in life, Bull became active in the service of the colony, fulfilling roles as Commissioner, Deputy, and Assistant. In 1685, during a chaotic period in Rhode Island's history when the colony was being accused of irregularities, and its charter was being threatened under a new King, the 75-year old Henry Bull stepped into the office of Governor, serving for a year. Soon after he left office, Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
was appointed Royal Governor of all the New England colonies, remaining in this position for three years, until another change in England's monarchy resulted in Rhode Island's return to its former charter
Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
. Uncertainty prevailed in the colony, and two other individuals refused to serve as Governor, until Bull, as an octogenarian, once again assumed the governorship in 1690, returning Rhode Island to its previous form of government under its charter.
Considered to be as fearless as he was honest, Bull was elected to the highest position in the gift of the colony, despite the fact that he could not sign his name (he used a mark for his signature in the Portsmouth Compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
). He became a Quaker after his arrival in the Rhode Island colony, and following a long life, was buried in the Coddington Cemetery
Coddington Cemetery
The Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
in Newport where several other Quaker governors of the colony were also interred.
Massachusetts
Sailing from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the age of 25, aboard the ship James in 1635, Henry Bull first settled in Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. Bicknell states that Bull had come from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, but Anderson, in reviewing the evidence, offers no support to this assertion. Bull was made a member of the Roxbury Church in late 1635, and in the church records he was called "a man servant" who "lived honestly for a good season, but on the sudden (being weak & affectionate) he was taken & transported with the opinion of familism" for which he was excommunicated. On 20 November 1637 he was among many Boston men who were disarmed as supporters of the dissident minister John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
. While still in Boston on 7 March 1637/8, he was one of 23 men who signed an agreement
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
to form a Christian-based government, affixing his mark to the document since he could not sign his name. Five days later he was licensed to depart Massachusetts with William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the first President of all four towns in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England as a successful merchant in the silk trade, Coggeshall arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 and quickly...
and others. Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
suggested that this group of Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
supporters purchase land of the Indians along the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, which they did, settling on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
and establishing the settlement of Pocasset, later named Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
.
Rhode Island
On 27 June 1638 Bull was present at a general meeting held at Pocasset, and during this year he was chosen to the military post of Corporal of the Train Band. The following winter he was selected as Sargent, with one of his jobs being to keep the prison. At the same time it was ordered that the prison construction be completed, and that it sit adjacent to or nearby the house of Henry Bull. This house stood for nearly three centuries, before being destroyed in a 1912 fire, and was depicted in Field's book about Rhode Island at the end of the 19th century. In April 1639 there was dissension within the new government at Pocasset, and a group of nine men, including Bull, signed a compact, and then moved to the south end of the island to establish the town of NewportNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. Within this group of men, William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
was listed as "judge," and the other eight men were termed "elders." Once at Newport, Bull was elected Sargent for the two years from 1640 to 1642, and became a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
in 1641.
Many years elapsed before Bull was once again found in the public record, and in 1655 he became a Commissioner, which position he held for two years. In 1663 he and his son Jireh sold 43 acres of land on Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on the...
(later Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...
) to Caleb Carr
Caleb Carr (Governor)
Caleb Carr was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving a very short term prior to his death by drowning. In 1635, at the age of 11, he sailed from England on the ship Elizabeth and Ann with his older brother Robert...
. Bull had become a member of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, better known as Quakers, and in 1665 the Friends' records of Portsmouth state that Bull's wife, Elizabeth, died on the first day of October that year. Shortly thereafter, Bull went to Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,675 at the 2010 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the Dexter Grist Mill, in the historic district of town....
where he married his second wife, Esther Allen.
Governorships
Once in his middle age, Bull became more active in the service of the colony, and in 1666 was elected Deputy to the General Assembly for a year, and then held that position again in 1672 for two years, and again in 1680 for a year. In 1671 he was a juryman, and in 1674 he was selected as an Assistant for a year. With the death of King Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in England, the ascension of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
brought about some frightful changes to the New England colonies. At the meeting of the General Assembly in May 1685 Governor Coddington
William Coddington, Jr.
William Coddington Jr. was an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving two consecutive terms from 1683 to 1685...
was absent, but was re-elected to the governorship. When contacted, Coddington refused to serve, and the 75-year old Henry Bull, "a man who afterwards proved himself to be as fearless as he was honest," was then chosen Governor, with Walter Clarke
Walter Clarke (governor)
Walter Clarke was an early Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the first native-born governor of the colony. The son of colonial President Jeremy Clarke, he was a Quaker like his father. While in his late 20s, he was elected as a Deputy from Newport, and in 1673...
chosen as his deputy. The loss of the colony's freedoms began to appear when Edward Randolph
Edward Randolph (colonial administrator)
Edward Randolph was an English colonial administrator, best known for his role in effecting significant changes in the structure of the England's North American colonies in the later years of the 17th century...
urged the Board of Trade to revoke the charters of both Rhode Island and Connecticut because of alleged irregularities. In October 1685 Joseph Dudley
Joseph Dudley
Joseph Dudley was an English colonial administrator. A native of Roxbury, Massachusetts and son of one of its founders, he had a leading role in the administration of the unpopular Dominion of New England , and served briefly on the council of the Province of New York, where he oversaw the trial...
was appointed to govern the colonies of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and King's Province, the latter in the Narragansett country (later Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
), and Randolph was made secretary of his council.
Dominion of New England
The Dominion of New England in America was an administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. The dominion was ultimately a failure because the area it encompassed was too large for a single governor to manage...
was imposed on the northern colonies, and Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
was appointed as the Royal Governor. Andros ruled for nearly three years, when in April 1689 news of the ascension of William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
to the English throne arrived in Boston, and Andros and Randolph were both arrested. Clarke called the freemen of the Rhode Island colony together for an election in Newport in May 1689, but wary of the implications of serving at this time, he refused the position, and for ten months Rhode Island was without an acknowledged governor. The October meeting of the General Assembly was poorly attended due to a storm, and it wasn't until February 1690 that they met again. Clarke once again refused to assume the governorship, and Christopher Almy was elected in his place, but also declined. Then, wrote Arnold, quoting historian Bancroft "all eyes turned to one of the old Antinomian
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
exiles, the more than octogenarian, Henry Bull; and the fearless Quaker, true to the light within, employed the last glimmerings of life to restore the democratic charter of Rhode Island."
At the meeting of the Assembly in May 1690 Bull was once again elected to the office of Governor, but this time the ancient administrator declined. John Easton
John Easton
John Easton was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming Governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England with his widowed father and older brother, settling in Ipswich...
, son of the former Governor, Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
, became Governor, serving for the next five years. During the winter of 1693/4, the Friends' records contained the following entry, "Henry Bull, aged about eighty-four years; he departed this life at his own house in Newport (he being the last man of the first settlers of this Rhode Island) ye 22d 11mo 1693-4 [22 January 1693/4]." He is buried in the Coddington Cemetery
Coddington Cemetery
The Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
on Farewell Street in Newport, where Quaker Governors William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, William Coddington, Jr.
William Coddington, Jr.
William Coddington Jr. was an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving two consecutive terms from 1683 to 1685...
, Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
, John Easton
John Easton
John Easton was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming Governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England with his widowed father and older brother, settling in Ipswich...
and John Wanton
John Wanton
John Wanton was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for six consecutive terms from 1734 to 1740. He was the son of Edward Wanton who was a ship builder, and who became a Quaker after witnessing the persecution of these people, also becoming a preacher of...
are also buried.
Family
Following the death of his second wife, Bull married Ann Easton, the widow of former colonial Governor Nicholas EastonNicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
. Bull's grandson, Jireh (son of Jireh) married Godsgift Arnold, the daughter of Governor Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (governor)
Benedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby...
. His granddaughter Mary Bull, and his grandson, Ephraim Bull, both married grandchildren of early colonial President John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the first President of all four towns in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England as a successful merchant in the silk trade, Coggeshall arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 and quickly...
, and his grandson Henry Bull married a granddaughter of William and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
.
See also
- List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...