Name/Title
June 1, 1916 Bull Picnic at Hamlet Roe's homestead "Greycourt House"Entry/Object ID
000437Tags
Bull PicnicScope and Content
BULL FAMILY PICNIC.
Invitation to Hold it at Historic "Greycourt House."
Should the invitation extended by Hamlet S. Roe be accepted, the next annual picnic of the Bull family will be held at the historic "Greycourt House," built by William Bull just 200 years ago and now owned by Mr. Roe. The suggestion by Mr. Roe is both timely and appropriate, and will doubtless receive the hearty endorsement of the descendants of William and Sarah Wells Bull. The location is convenient and the facilities for holding both the basket picnic and the meeting that follows are ample. Willard H. Bull, president of the Bull Family Association, strongly favors the acceptance of Mr. Roe's kind invitation and is desirous of receiving suggestions from members relative to the preparation of a program of unusual interest for the occasion. His address is 149 Highland Avenue, Middletown, where communications may be sent.
Mr. Roe’s invitation contains much interesting historical matter relative to the old "Greycourt House" and is as follows:
Chester, N. Y., June 1, 1916. Willard H. Bull, Middletown, N. Y. Dear Sir:- Local history informs us that in 1716, there was a settlement made at Greycourt, by Daniel Cromline. This gentleman, we believe, lived on Long Island, and in 1704, in company with several others, purchased the interest of Philip Rockeley and Hendrick Tenyck in the patent of Wawayanda. In year first named, Daniel Cromline, accompanied by William Bull, and with other workmen, went upon the patent to prepare to erect a dwelling and make a settlement. Bull executed the mason work, and the others the carpenter work. The house they built was known for a century afterward as the "Greycourt House." The boards of the house were sawed by a whip in a sawpit and the whole wood-work fastened by wood pins, in place of nails. This at the time, and for years afterwards, was known as "the largest and best house from New Windsor to New Jersey." As it was on the travelled route leading into New Jersey, it soon became of great notoriety, and being a public inn was a place of resort for the country round.
This house was without doubt the first permanent dwelling erected in Orange County, being built 12 years before the Bull house in Hamptonburgh. The corner stone marked "D C., 1716, G. C.", is preserved at the present time by being placed in the old Bull homestead at Hamptonburgh. This settlement was about five miles southeast from the log mansion of Christopher Denn, in Hamptonburgh, and either on or near the present "Greycourt Farm" of the writer.
This year, 1916, is the two hundredth anniversary of this settlement and of William Bull coming to Orange County. In commemoration of that historic event, I would like to extend through you, as president of the Bull Family Association, the privilege of my farm and place for holding your next annual Bull Family Picnic. Several years ago you celebrated at Hamptonburgh the coming of Sarah Wells, the first white woman, to Orange County. That event will be long remembered. I thought at this anniversary you might wish to meet at the place where William Bull first settled, and view some of the beautiful scenery of the Schunnemunk Mountains, old "Goose Pond," "Sugar Loaf" and the broad and fertile valleys that inspired William Bull to make this beautiful county of Orange his home. Sincerely yours, HAMLET S. ROE.
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BULL FAMILY PICNIC.
Forty-eighth Annual Reunion of Descendants of Sarah and William.
On Wednesday, in the grove at Campbell Hall, the 48th annual picnic of the Bull family was enjoyed. The day was one of the fairest of the summer and the sunny spot at the edge of the woods was an ideal picnic ground. The green fields and hills about the grove appeared as fresh as June with no sign to indicate it was the last Wednesday of August—the day celebrated for so many years by the Bull family association.
As usual the picnic dinner was bountiful and tempting, the tables filled with a feast of good things. At two o’clock the meeting was called to order by Willard H. Bull. In the absence of the secretary, Wm. B. Cocks, of Cornwall, his sister, Miss Margaret B. Cocks, of Stony Ford, acted as secretary. She read the minutes of the last meeting, and the list of those who died during the past year. The committee appointed to erect a tablet at the place where Sarah Wells's first log cabin was erected made a full report of their success in getting permission to mark the site. They were appointed to act again this year, and therefore requested that those interested send to the chairman, Jesse Booth, Campbell Hall, suggestions for an inscription to be engraved on the tablet.
Letters were read from Wm. E. Bull, of Charleston, S. C., Wm. Cocks, of Cornwall, Frank Drake, of Goshen, and T. D. Landon, of Bordentown Military Academy, N. J. The two latter expressed the wish that the stone house might always remain in the family, and gratitude that the present owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Bull, are preserving the historic place so sacredly, and for their hospitality to all who visit it.
Along this line, Jesse Durland, of the Warwick Historical Society, gave an eloquent address.
The election of officers followed. Judge Wm. Bull, of Stony Ford, said the presiding officer showed such dignity and wisdom that he was glad to again nominate him for president of the association. Willard H. Bull, of Monroe, was therefore unanimously elected president, with Mrs. Susan B. Howell, Miss Mary Duryea and Jesse Booth, vice presidents; Wm. B. Cocks, secretary and Miss Mary Wheeler, treasurer. The meeting closed with the singing of "God Be With Us Till We Meet Again."
The attendance was larger than usual and many distinguished members of the family from a distance were present, making the picnic one of the most successful in the history of the association.
Mrs. Susan B. Howell, of Campbell Hall is collecting records of each branch of the Bull family hoping to have a complete genealogy of the descendants of William Bull and Sarah Wells, and much history of local events and happenings contributed by the older members of the family. These records will be placed in the stone house and eventually published.
Mon, Oct 16, 1916 | Evening Post (Charleston, SC) | Page 5
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Bull Family Reunion
Mr. William Edgar Bull has received word from Judge William Bull,
treasurer of the Bull Family Association, and Miss Mary Wheeler, secretary, notifying him of the two hundred and second anniversary celebration that
took place this year at the farm of Mr. Hamlet S. Roe, of Craigville, near
Greycourt, Orange County, New York, and expressing the regrets of
the Association that he was not able to be present. Accounts of the re-
union were also given which will be interesting to many outside of the
family connection, telling as they do of a custom so fine, so quaint and un-
usual in these days. On this occasion nearly four hundred members of
the family were present, although it had been decided to leave the younger
people at home. The day preceding the reunion a letter from Kansas came
telling of the beginning of the ninth generation in that State. If William
Bull, the "pioneer" gentleman, could have witnessed the beauty of the
matchless October New England weather and the brilliant gathering
among which were men and women famous in the annals of their country,
coming to do honor to the memory of their ancestors—his heart would
doubtless have swelled with pride. And that the motto, "God is gracious," and
"Courtesy," inscribed beneath their ancient coat-of-arms, is no mere figure of speech, but the outward expression of a deep inward conviction is
signified by the fact that amid the pleasure and excitement of the day,
time was found to notice and regret the absence of a single member
in Dixieland. Notable among ladies of the family present was Miss Edna
Tuthill, of Craigsville, N. Y., wearing the bridal dress of her ancestress,
Sarah Wells, in which she was wedded to William Bull over two hundred
years ago. After calling the meeting to order the president, Mr. Willard
Bull, of Middletown, introduced Mr. Hamlet S. Roe, who made the address
of welcome, and was responded to in a delightful way by the president.
Other speakers followed, giving sketches, historical reminiscences and
anecdotes, grave and funny. At 12 o'clock an elegant luncheon was
served, the meeting adjourning for the purpose. When again called to order
by the president a brief business session was gone into, during which the
officers for the ensuing year were appointed. The meeting then enjoyed a
charming social program, a prominent feature of which was music—both
instrumental and vocal. In conclusion the members of the reunion rose and
"America" was sung with great enthusiasm, after which "God Be With Us
Till We Meet Again" was rendered with much feeling and pathos. Mr.
William Edgar Bull, of this city, has in his possession artistic photos and
Kodaks of the old Bull Mansion at Hamptonburgh, Orange County, New
York.
