Summary
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The Bull Family Collection consists of a snapshot into the lives of Pleasant M. Bull (1808-1836) and Elisha Rufus Bull (1820-1904) through correspondence. Lola Smith collected the letters and provided transcriptions of them in her genealogical manuscript. The family history written in 1986 provides context for the broader Bull family.
Biographical Note
Pleasant Marshall Bull emigrated to Texas from Alabama in 1831. He participated in the Texas Revolution fighting in the October 28th, 1835 capture of Mission Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar on December 5, 1835. He died in 1836 of an unknown illness en route by ship to New Orleans.
Elisha Rufus Bull was the younger brother of Pleasant Bull. Elisha emigrated to Texas in 1853 with other members of the Bull family in an attempt to secure land as heirs of Pleasant Bull.
Lola C. Smith was the great-granddaughter of Elisha Rufus Bull. She compiled the history of the Bull family in 1986.
Scope and Content
Elisha Rufus Bull was the younger brother of Pleasant Bull. Elisha emigrated to Texas in 1853 with other members of the Bull family in an attempt to secure land as heirs of Pleasant Bull.
Lola C. Smith was the great-granddaughter of Elisha Rufus Bull. She compiled the history of the Bull family in 1986.
The Bull Family Collection consists of 11 letters of correspondence and 1 bound manuscript. The letters provide insight into the life of Pleasant Bull and the subsequent quest by his heirs to secure land grants in Texas. Three letters from Marion Martin (nee Albury), Pleasant Bull's fiancé at the time of his death urge Elisha Bull to travel to Texas to claim land owed to Pleasant. Two other letters received by Elisha Bull from Sarah Jane Thompson provide a glimpse into the nature of courtship in the mid 19th century. The manuscript, "A Lot of Bull" is a family history of the Bull family and it's descendants, 1635-1986.
Date
1832-1986
Extent
2.50 Linear inches (1 box)
Language
English
Arrangement
The letters are arranged chronologically.
Preferred Citation
Bull Family Collection (BFC). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted access.
Use Restrictions
Materials may be under copyright protection. US copyright law does allow for reproduction of materials under copyright for uses such as critique, criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form.