Henry Bull (speaker)

Bull was apprenticed as a carpenter, but abandoned it to study law at the age of twenty-seven, becoming "one of the foremost lawyers of his day in Rhode Island."^[7] In 1720, he was appointed captain of the First Military Company in Newport.^[7]

He served as Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1721 to 1722. In 1720, he was elected as a Delegate to the Rhode Island General Assembly and served as Speaker of the House of Delegates from April 1728 to May 1729.^[8] He was the first justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the Newport County when the courts were established in 1729.^[7]

On 22 June 1710, Bull was married to Martha Odlin (1691–1721), a daughter of John Odlin and Lydia (née Tillinghast) Odlin.^[1] Before her death in 1721, they were the parents of four sons and two daughters, including:^[1]

• Henry Bull (1711–1731), who died unmarried.^[9]
• Lydia Bull (1712–1764), who married Capt. Rouse Potter.^[10]
• John Bull (1715–1726), who died young.^[9]
• Elisha Bull (1718–1718), who died in infancy.^[9]
• Jireh Bull (1721–1721), who died in infancy.^[9]

After the death of his first wife, he married Phebe Coggeshall (1706–1774) on 1 February 1722. Phebe was a daughter of Daniel Coggeshall of Portsmouth (son of President John Coggeshall) and Mary (née Mowry) Coggeshall.^[1] Together, they were the parents of seven sons and three daughters, including:^[1]

• Joseph Bull (1722–1774), who married Sarah Nichols in 1746.^[11]
• Ann Bull (1723–1790), married William Stevens, son of John Stephens, in 1742.^[12]
• Daniel Bull (1725–1753), who died unmarried.^[9]
• Mary Bull (1728–1821), who married Jonathan Nichols, Deputy Gov. of Rhode Island, in 1750.^[13] After his death in 1756, she married John Gideon, son of Gov. Gideon Wanton, in 1760.^[9]
• Peleg Bull (1730–1750), who died unmarried.^[9]
• Henry Bull (1732–c. 1781)^[9]
• John Bull (1734–1808), who married Ruth Cornell, a daughter of George Cornell of Middletown.^[7]
• Phebe Bull (1739–1814)^[9]
• William Bull (1740–c. 1782)^[9]
• George Bull (1743–1760), who died young.^[9]

Bull died on 24 December 1774 and was buried in the Common Burying Ground in Newport.^[9]