There was a ship lying at the dock which he knew was sailing that day for New York. He searched his pockets and discovered five guineas with which and a few books he boarded the vessel. The captain on being asked if that much money would take him to America, answered it would. On reaching New York the captain told him the money had brought him, but had not paid his full passage and he must be sold for the balance. Bull was highly indignant and refused to leave the ship. He replied that he would return to Ireland and face his debts. Daniel Cromline, who also had a share in the Wawayanda patent, heard that an Irish ship was in dock, and hoping to procure some workmen had it proclaimed on board the ship. Bull felt that Providence and strangers would help him, and on telling his story to Mr. Cromline the money was advanced and they traveled together as far as Greycourt. Here he did the mason work on the old stone Greycourt house in 1716.
This was long a public inn on the way from the Hudson to New Jersey, and was a famous resort for the people around.
William Bull lived in the Cromline family, whose patent was not far from that part of the Wawayanda patent on which Mr. Denn had settled. They were in fact neighboring families, and so William Bull met Sarah Wells. They loved each other and were married in 1718.
The ceremony took place in the new double log house of Christofer Denn, and as Bull was an Episcopalian and desired to be married by the rites of his church they did not know how to proceed. There was no church nor a clergyman who could proclaim the banns three weeks, but courts of justice had been established and a magistrate was in the neighborhood.
They decided that circumstances alter cases and summoned their guests. All being assembled the magistrate carrying the prayer book proceeded first to the front door and proclaimed the banns to the trees of the forest, then through the hall to the back door where he proclaimed it to the cattle and the outbuildings. He made proclamation then once more from the front door to the wilderness at large and then performed the marriage ceremony. The wedding dress was of homespun linen delicately embroidered by the bride, and is now in the possession of one of her descendants, who has exhibited it at the family picnic held each year on the last Wednesday in August in the grove at Campbell Hall.
Later Sarah Wells Bull asked for and received the promised reward of 100 acres from Christofer Denn for having gone alone at his bidding to settle his claim and save his title.
William Bull and Richard Gerard received a grant joining Denn's of 2,600 acres, August 10, 1723.
On the 100 acres given to Sarah, Bull built a barn of hand-sawed planks. These were of ash, rived, and the shingles of split pine and put on each with two pegs. This barn is still in use and never has been painted. Afterwards he built the stone house in 1727 on his own land near by, and it is still occupied by the family and probably will stand for generations to come. It is built on a rock, with a spring in the cellar, and before the house was quite finished in September, 1727, an earthquake which was felt for 1,500 miles, cracked the east side of the house and the crack can still be seen. The lightning struck it in 1767-8, but only slight damage was done to its thick stone walls. The house has two stories of eleven feet each, with basement and a good-sized garret. It is a truly fine house for those times. Mr. Bull called his place Hamptonburgh, from Wolverhampton where he was born. There were eight children born to him.
FEATURES AND SETTLERS.
Stephen Jayne. Daniel Jayne. Joseph Hildreth. Adam Miller. Isaac Tobias. David Bloomfield. Gilbert Roberts. Lawrence Ferguson. Daniel Harrison. Daniel Miller. Joseph Gold. Henry Davenport. Israel Osmun. Ezekiel Osmun. Henry Hall. William Cooper. Samuel Lows. Jacob Lows.