Name/Title
1945 & 1947 Bull PicnicsEntry/Object ID
000501Tags
Bull Picnic, Wedding dressScope and Content
(August 30, 1945): Covers the 78th annual reunion, which saw a turnout of over 200 members following the relaxation of wartime gasoline restrictions. This gathering celebrated Mrs. Anna Leiper Jordon (85) as the oldest member present, George Collier Ayers (seven weeks) as the youngest, and noted Mrs. James Link traveling all the way from Honolulu. The association president, Henry Bull, announced plans for a special homecoming reunion the following year to welcome veterans of World War II, mirroring the very first family reunion in 1867 which welcomed home Civil War veterans.
[Top Left Column Photo Caption] In Old-Fashioned Wedding Gown
An item of considerable interest at the annual Bull family picnic
Wednesday at Hamptonburgh was this old-fashioned wedding gown,
worn by Martha Carpenter of Chester. The gown had been worn by
Sarah Wells' daughter, Margaret.-Photo by Zaimes.
Babies Assure Long Continuation Of Bull Family
The tribe of Sarah Wells and William Bull will not vanish from
the earth at any foreseeable time, at least. Seven young citizens
between the ages of three and six months in lineal descent from the
early Hamptonburgh couple cooed, cried, napped and entertained
their Bull elders at the annual picnic reunion of the family at
the stone house of Sarah and William in Hamptonburgh yesterday.
It was the largest number of babies ever recorded at a family
gathering. The refrigerator was jammed with bottles of prepared
formula and if bottles were mixed - well, it was all in the family.
At feeding time the kitchen looked like a hospital nursery. Youngest was James Schaefer Condict, son of George and the former
Mary Ackerly Condict of Andover, N. J. He is three months old. Mr. and Mrs. John E. McCuen of Greenwich, R. I., and their four months old child left
home at 4 a. m. to attend the picnic. Mrs. McCuen was Miss Lucy
Bull of Presque Isle, ME. At the other extreme was Mrs.
Elizabeth Bull Green of Stony Ford, who will be 86 next month
and said that was her 80th family gathering. She was rewarded
with an orchid. At the other extreme also were two sets of three brothers, each of the 6th generation from the pioneer Sarah and William. For
Ernest C., of Savannah, Ga., William S. and George S. Bull of Piermont, N. Y.,
it was the first time they had been together in 38 years. The other three of that generation were Ebenezer, Bartow and Harry Bull, all of Orange County.
Cadwell Tyler of Goshen became president of the family.
Miss Laura Craft of Chester was elected vice president and Myron
Bull of New York City, treasurer. Charles Johnson of Chester was
named to the board of managers. Robert McL. Jackson of Campbell Hall continues as secretary.
[Handwritten Date above Bottom Left Column]
Aug. 27, 1947
MIDDLETOWN TIMES HERALD, MIDDLETOWN, N. Y., THURSDAY, AUG
200 at 80th Annual Picnic Of County's First Family
HAMPTONBURGH-More than 200 members of the Bull family
met yesterday at the old Stone House here for the eightieth annual
picnic of the descendants of William and Sarah Wells Bull, Orange
County's "first family." The picnic also marked the twenty-seventh
meeting of the William Bull and Sarah Wells Family Association, Inc.
Picnic tables were spread on the spacious lawns of the historical
family homestead where once lived the progenitors of the nearly 2,000
Bull descendants listed in the family record at present. Basket
lunches were served. The business meeting also was held on the lawn
and the yearly routine of awarding ribbons to the oldest, youngest and
the one who came the greatest distance was observed.
An appointment with a bottle of milk prevented three-month-old
James Condict from appearing personally at the business session to
accept his ribbon for being the youngest member of the clan. He
was being fed in the kitchen, as were four other young Bull descendants ranging in age four to six months. Mrs. Elizabeth Bull Greene of
Stony Ford was the oldest present and proudly announced she would
be eighty-six next month, adding she has never missed a reunion
picnic. She was given an orchid. The honor of being the one who
traveled the greatest distance to attend went to Ernest C. Bull of
Savannah, Ga. It was the first time he had ever attended one of the
family reunions. This year's picnic was of particular importance to Ernest for it brought about a meeting with his two brothers, George S. Bull of
Piermont, N. Y. and William S. Bull of College Point, L. I. The
three brothers had not been together for thirty-eight years.
Three other sixth generation descendants of William and Sarah
Wells Bull attended. They were three other brothers, Ebenezer and
Bartow Bull of Stony Ford and Harry Bull of Campbell Hall.
New officers elected after the business meeting yesterday
included Tadwell Tyler of Goshen, president; Laura Kraft of Chester, vice
president; Robert Jackson of New York City, secretary; and Myron
Bull of New York City, treasurer. New board member is Charles
Johnson of Texas.
Youthful Delegation at Annual Bull Reunion
Youngest delegation at the eightieth annual reunion of the Bull family was this group of five infants, shown here with their mothers. Left to right, they are, three-month-old James Candit, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Condit of Andover, N. J.; four-and-a-half month old Janet McCuen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John McCuen of East Greenwich, L. I.; four-month-old Wells Duffy, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Spencer Duffy of New York; Julia, five-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Michel of Highland Falls; and Sharon, six-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Cole of Goshen.-Photo by Zaimes.
Middletown Times Herald
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1945.
[Top Photo Caption]
Oldest and Youngest at Bull Family Picnic
Seated in the center of the group above is Mrs. Anna Leiper Jordon
of Newburgh who yesterday was awarded a blue ribbon for being the
oldest member in attendance at the seventy-eighth annual picnic of
the Bull Family. Seven times a grandmother, Mrs. Jordon was de-
lighted at the opportunity afforded to hold the youngest member, George
Collier Ayers, seven-week-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Ayers of
Warwick. Seated at left in the picture is Henry P. Bull of Middletown,
president of the association and at right, Robert McLeod Jackson of
Campbell Hall, secretary. Standing are members of the Board of Man-
agers. Left to right are Charles W. Slaughter, vice president; Charles
Howell, Miss Laura Craft, Cadwell Tyler, George W. Ackerly, Alfred
Booth and Hamlet S. Roe.-Photo by Conklin.
[Bottom Left/Right Article]
200 at Old Stone House For Bull Family Picnic
HAMPTONBURGH-More than 200 members of the Bull Family,
descendants of William and Sarah Wells Bull, took advantage of the
combination of continued clear weather and relaxation of gasoline re-
strictions to attend the seventy-eighth annual picnic and reunion held
yesterday at the Old Stone House. Picnic tables were spread on the
spacious lawns adjacent to the historical family homestead. After
the picnic a business meeting was held with Henry P. Bull of Middletown presiding. The ribbon award presented to the youngest family member in
attendance went to seven-week-old George Collier Ayers of Warwick,
son of Mr. and Mrs. James Ayers. Asleep in a crib in the Stone House
the award-winner slept throughout the afternoon proceedings.
The award to the oldest member in attendance went to Mrs. Anna
Leiper Jordon of Newburgh who at eighty-five took part in the festivities with a spirit unsurpassed by any of the picnickers. Mrs. Elizabeth Bull Greene of Sidney, N. Y., winner of last year's old-timer award, was present yesterday to
keep intact her record of never having missed a family picnic. The member present from the farthest distance was Mrs. James Link of Honolulu. She was married there to Lieutenant James Link of Scarsdale and at present is visiting his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Link. Three managers named to serve for three years were Hamlet S. Roe of Chester to succeed himself; Miss
Laura Craft of Chester to succeed Charles F. Johnson of Chester; and
Charles B. Howell of Middletown to succeed Mrs. Elizabeth Bull
Schuerholz. Cadwell Tyler of Goshen was named to fill out the un-
expired term of Mrs. Caroline Bull Knight of Monroe, who had re-
signed. Robert McLeod Jackson of Campbell Hall, association secretary,
announced that greetings had been received from many family members from all sections of the country who had been unable to attend.
He reported that there were 1,800 family names on the mailing list
and that members lived in virtually every state in the union as well
as Australia, England and Canada. Henry Bull, association president,
announced that next year's picnic would be in the form of a special
welcome to the many members of the family now serving in the armed
forces of the nation. He said that such a homecoming picnic would be
in the spirit of the family reunion since the first gathering in 1867
was for the express purpose of welcoming home the men who had
served in the Civil War. In line with plans for that occasion, he
said, a committee would be delegated to arrange a special program.
(August 1947): Covers the 80th annual reunion (and the 27th meeting of the family association) held at the historic Old Stone House in Hamptonburgh. Key highlights include an unusually large number of infants in attendance (seven babies under six months old), the modeling of an old-fashioned wedding gown worn by Sarah Wells' daughter Margaret, and a rare reunion of three brothers (Ernest, William, and George Bull) who had not been together in 38 years.
