Biographical notes

The initial clue to the elucidation of this family came from a 1901 Census record where Lilian Daw was recorded as living with her spinster aunts; Jane, Elizabeth, and Sophia Bull in Eastbourne, Sussex. Subsequent research of previous Census records, the BMD registers and the LDS website allowed the history of most of the members of this family to be pieced together.

Recently (September 2016) I have been contacted by John Richardson (New Zealand, Great Great Grandson of Richard Bull, brother of Charles Bull), who has meticulously researched the Bull family and who has kindly provided additional details.

Nothing much is known of the parents. Charles Bull (b. about 1785) died sometime after the birth of their last child, Jane in 1832, in Edgbaston, Birmingham, but no BMD record of his death has yet been traced, which suggests that he died sometime before 1837, when civil registration commenced in England.

Even less is known about Elizabeth as the register entry for her marriage to Charles Bull has not been traced and the registers recording the birth of her children refer only to her first name. The birth of her first recorded child Hannah Bull (at Birtsmorton, Worcestershire) was in 1810 and that of her last child Jane Bull (at Edgbaston, Birmingham) in 1832, suggesting a birth date of about 1787. No record of her death in the BMD registers has been traced so she may also have died before 1837, when her last child, Jane would have been less than 5.

The birth of the first two children, Hannah in 1810, and Maria in 1812 are recorded in the Birtsmorton Church registers indicating that the family were residing in Birtsmorton. All the subsequent children (with the exception of Jane), appear to have been christened in Worcester. An unsourced LDS IGI batch number (I013280) lists them all and presumably must have been transcribed from one of the Worcester registers. Research at Worcester Record Office may resolve this. Subsequent Census entries for the surviving children show a birthplace of Birtsmorton (or Birchmorton). Jane Bull, the last of the children (born in 1832), was registered in the Church of St Thomas Birmingham, and subsequent Census records record her place of birth as Edgbaston, Birmingham. This suggests that by 1832 the family had moved to Birmingham.

That the family ended up in the Birmingham area is supported by the 1841 Census returns of the children where George Bull is living in Dudley (his wife Esther was Dudley born and they were married in 1837 in Edgbaston). Charles Bull (Jnr.), with the occupation of Collar Maker (an occupation recorded on all subsequent census returns to 1891), is living in Walsall (his wife Ann Proffitt) was born in Walsall). Living with him is Thomas Proffitt (possible sister of Ann Proffitt) who, in 1848, married Ann Bull - so she must have been living nearby in 1841 although no record has so far been traced in the 1841 Census. Apart from George and Charles, No other members of the family have yet been traced in the 1841 Census, but they are all (with the exception of John), recorded in the 1851 and later Census returns. The christening dates of the children of Charles and Elizabeth are listed below.

LDS Hannah Bull Christening: 16 SEP 1810, Birtsmorton, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizth (C035491)

LDS Maria Bull Christening: 13 SEP 1812, Birtsmorton, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizth (C035491)

LDS George Bull Christening: 18 SEP 1814, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS Emma Bull Christening: 05 JUN 1816, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS Charles Bull Christening: 14 JUN 1818, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS John Bull Christening: 23 APR 1820, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS James Bull Christening: 29 JUL 1821, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS Elizabeth Bull Christening: SEP 1823, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth Bull

LDS Ann Bull Christening: 07 MAY 1826, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS Sophia Bull Christening: 07 FEB 1829, Worcester, England, parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth

LDS Jane Bull Christening: 22 JAN 1832 Saint Thomas, Birmingham, Warwick, England parents Charles Bull and Elizabeth (C041171)