General Notes

(source): Roger Charles Bull> bulldata@@hotmail.com

Military service: March 1779, Served in American Revolutionary War.Enlisted as private soldier in company lead by Capt. Charles Roach. Thecompany was part of regiment commanded by Col. Jonas Johnson. Marchedfrom Craven Co N.C. to somewhere in S.C. Served for 6 months.
Occupation: Have a note from Susie Bull, who recieved it from an unknowsource, which reports that Ambrose Bull may have come from England on theship "Annie" with the families of Bull, Pepper and Pickett.
Property: 1786, Craven Co. Land Grant Book II, p. 102 (No. 234) For thesum of 10 pounds for every 100a, grant Ambrose Bull 100a of land inCraven Co. on the N side of Swift's Creek --- side of Palimetto Swamp.Beginning at a small pine on Charles Roach's line.
Residence: Bef. 1789, New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina
Will: March 27, 1789, Leaves his wife, Elizabeth: a negro, cattle, sheep,a horse, bed and furniture. His son James gets a manor plantation, cattleand 40a on Potoketo Branch. Son Robert gets 300a, part of land on LongBranch and part on Poteketo Branch, and two heifers.

Even though the parents of Ambrose Bull have not been determinedconclusively, the following information seems to indicate a connectionthat warrants consideration. Barbara Horton and her sister, RuthHoughton, researched the early Virginia records and found severaltransactions that seem to be related to the Bull family. The following isfrom their letter to the Bull Cousins dated 24 Dec 1990: "We think (andcan't prove) that Ambrose's parents were Robert and Rachel Bull. RobertBull received a gift deed for 150 acres of land on Reedy Creek inBrunswick County, VA on 26 Sep 1753, from his father Thomas Bull. (Thisis in Deed Book 5, p. 456, and we believe Robert was the eldest son andthat the gift deed was given when he came of age.) "We next caught upwith Thomas Bull when he settled -- directly after leaving BrunswickCounty -- in Halifax County, North Carolina. We found in the NC Archiveshis land grant, and also grants to his two sons, Thomas and Henry. (Wealso found that James Hogan, the Revolutionary War hero, was a neighborof the family in Halifax County.) "Thomas Bull's will was filed inHalifax County Inferior Court April 1763. In it, he mentions his wife,Susannah, his daughters Susannah and Ann, his sons Thomas and Henry, hisson-in-law Thomas Bates, and his daughter-in-law Rachel, and her heir,who received a bequest of 5 shillings." The following will supplement andstrengthen the above relationship. Robert and Rachel Bull sold the 150acres in Brunswick County, Virginia on 27 Dec 1757 to Ambrose Harwell andon the same day, Thomas sold the remainder of the tract (99 acres) toLemuel Harwell. This is the last entry found about Robert Bull. Thecoincidence of the name Ambrose caused further research. Reviewing thewills of both Ambrose Harwell and Lemuel Harwell in 1802 and 1805 inIredell County, North Carolina failed to find any mention of the nameRachel. This is not conclusive, but it seems that Rachel was not aHarwell, but may have been related in some way. Apparently, the sale ofthe Virginia lands were the prelude to moving to Halifax County, NorthCarolina. The first land grant records show that the first grant inHalifax County was made in 1755 to John Alsobroke, who is mentioned lateras a witness to the will of Thomas Bull. He may have been the one whoencouraged the Bulls to come to Halifax. There were only a few grants inHalifax before Thomas Bull, Jr. had a survey don 13 Feb 1761, patented 13Aug 1761; Thomas Bull had a survey done 14 Nov 1761, patented 10 Jan1762. In the same vicinity James Hogan, the Revolutionary War hero, had asurvey done 6 May 1762, patented 25 Jun 1762. One of the chain carriersfor the survey was Thomas Bull. Thomas Bull, Sr. signed his will 22 May1762 and it was filed in April 1763. He left legacies as shown above. Nomention was made to Robert, but he did include his "daughter-in-lawRachel, and her heir