Henry Bull (Governor)
| Henry Bull | |
|---|---|
| 12th and 14th Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations | |
|
In office 1685–1686 |
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| Preceded by | William Coddington, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Walter Clarke |
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In office 1690–1690 |
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| Preceded by | Edmund Andros under Dominion of New England |
| Succeeded by | John Easton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1610 |
| Died | 22 January 1693/4 Newport, Rhode Island |
| Resting place | Coddington Cemetery, Newport |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Elizabeth _______ (2) Esther Allen (3) Ann (Clayton) Easton |
| Children | Jireh, Amy |
| Occupation | Corporal, Sergeant, Deputy, Assistant, Governor |
| Religion | Quaker |
Henry Bull (1610–1694) was an early colonial Governor of Rhode Island, serving for two separate terms, one before and one after the tenure of Edmund Andros under the Dominion of New England. Sailing from England as a young man, Bull first settled in Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but soon became a follower of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright and Anne Hutchinson, and was excommunicated from the Roxbury church. With many other followers of Hutchinson, he signed the Portsmouth Compact, and settled on Aquidneck Island in the Narragansett Bay. Within a year of arriving there, he and others followed William Coddington to the south end of the island where they established the town of Newport.
Bull was a corporal and sergeant on the island, and kept the prison for the colony. He also built a house shortly after his arrival that continued to stand in Newport for nearly three centuries, until destroyed by fire. Late in life, Bull became active in the service of the colony, fulfilling roles as commissioner, deputy, and assistant. In 1685, during a chaotic period in Rhode Island's history when the colony was being accused of irregularities, and its charter was being threatened under a new King, the 75-year-old Henry Bull stepped into the office of governor, serving for a year. Soon after he left office, Edmund Andros was appointed royal governor of all the New England colonies, remaining in this position for three years, until another change in England's monarchy resulted in Rhode Island's return to its former charter. Uncertainty prevailed in the colony, and two other individuals refused to serve as governor, until Bull, as an octogenarian, once again assumed the governorship in 1690, returning Rhode Island to its previous form of government under its charter.
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