Name/Title
Bullish on AmericaEntry/Object ID
000582Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House AssociationScope and Content
Overview of the Article
The article explores the extensive, interconnected family ties of the Bull family in Orange County, New York, and how these relationships came to light during preparation for a high school summer study tour to Europe.
Key Highlights
The Discovery of Family Ties: Jean Vogelbach of Thompson Ridge, a teacher in the Pine Bush school system, organized a European summer study tour for local youth and adults. Surprisingly, the first half-dozen high schoolers to sign up turned out to be direct descendants of the Bull family, though they did not know each other well beforehand.
Complex Genealogy: Mrs. Vogelbach mapped out the intricate genealogical connections of the participants:
Her daughter, Lisa Anne Brown, is a seventh cousin to Janice Lee Courter, and a fourth cousin (once removed) to Mrs. Vogelbach herself.
Lisa Anne Brown and Mrs. Vogelbach both descend from William and Sarah Wells Bull, early American settlers of Orange County. Their lineage runs through the couple's son Thomas, who built the historic Hillhold stone house in Campbell Hall, and their son Daniel, after whom Bullville was named.
Cultural Observations on Dining: The article concludes with an anecdote from the group's studies of European culture. A girl from Wales, Hannah Dean of Gilshen, asked the American touring group why Americans "use only one hand in eating" (referring to the American style of switching the fork to the dominant hand after cutting food, while resting the other hand in the lap). This prompted the Americans to reflect on their table manners, with some wondering if the European style—holding the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right throughout the meal—was more "genteel" than struggling to eat certain foods with just a fork.