Benjamin Hull was the brother of Phineas Hull who was the father of Dorcas Hull. However, Phineas died in the early 1690’s, after Dorcas’ mother had died a few years earlier. Dorcas must have moved from New England to New Jersey in her teenage years, as evidenced by the fact that she married Phillip Cox in New Jersey. While we have no proof, we suspect that she went to live with her uncle Benjamin. Another uncle, Hopewell, had died before she would have arrived. We wanted to include the story of Benjamin on this website, then discovered the following written by Cliff McCarthy. We couldn’t have done a better job, so with our thanks to him, and his permission to us, we offer this biography for Benjamin Hull and Rachel York.
To see the biography at its original site go to: https://commonheroes3.wordpress.com/11th-generation/hull-benjamin-rachel-york/
Cliff McCarthy, 2016
Last Updated 18 February 2019
Capt. Benjamin Hull, of Oyster River (now Durham) and Dover, New Hampshire, and Piscataway, New Jersey, was the son of Rev. Joseph Hull and his wife Agnes. He was baptized at Weymouth or Hingham, Massachusetts on 22 March 1639, by Rev. Mr. Hobert. When Benjamin was about four years old, his father removed and settled at York, Maine. When he was thirteen, Benjamin’s father left for England, leaving the family behind.
In 1659, at the age of twenty, Benjamin received a grant for a tract of 100 acres of land southwest of Lamprey Falls, on the Lamprey River, “beginning at a marked tree in the town bounds by the Indian graves that are thear.” This is what are now Rockingham and Strafford Counties, New Hampshire. From 1659 to 1669, he paid taxes at Oyster River, now known as Durham, New Hampshire. It was during this time that he met Rachel Yorke, daughter of Richard York, of Dover, New Hampshire and they were married in 1668.
It is said that Benjamin Hull was a member of Capt. Robert Mason’s troop of horse and was subsequently commissioned Captain during King Philip’s War. However, experts at the Hull Family Association dispute this, claiming that Benjamin was already a resident in New Jersey at the time and that the captain’s commission was given to a different Hull.
Benjamin & Rachel (York) Hull were among the early settlers of Piscataway in Middlesex Co., NJ
For eight years following their marriage, Benjamin and Rachel Hull lived near Rachel’s community of Cocheco (now Dover, NH), in the heart of the Piscataqua country. On 22 March 1678, Benjamin Hull transferred to John Rand 120 acres of land in Dover, New Hampshire “commonly called by ye name of Benjamin Hull’s meadow.” He then removed his family to Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey, where he had previously purchased 498 acres of land. His brother Hopewell Hull was among the four associates who were original grantees of the Piscataway settlement and Benjamin joined them shortly thereafter.
In the Founders of New Jersey, published by the Descendants of the Founders of New Jersey (2016 edition), the founding of Piscataway is described this way:
Hugh Dunn, John Martin, Hopewell Hull and Charles Gillman from New Hampshire answered the call in 1666 to immigrate to New Jersey. Traveling from Elizabethtown they explored southwest along Indian paths to the Raritan River, there they found a few log huts on the site of an old Indian village (across the river from what is now New Brunswick). Pleased with the area they purchased 40,000 acres, from Daniel Pierce, a third of his share in the Woodbridge acquisition, on 18 December, 1666. On 30 May 1668, John Gillman, Benjamin Hull, Robert Dennis and John Smith were joined by endorsement to the deed as associates. Less than two years later they were joined by Francis and Mary Drake who came from the vicinity of Portsmouth.
They called their purchase New Piscataqua, after Piscataqua County, an area lying between Maine and New Hampshire River. Here they founded the township of Piscataway for the purpose of colonization; a provision of the deed was the speedy settlement of the territory. In addition to their own families the associates brought numerous other families from Piscataqua, in New Hampshire (now Maine) as well as other areas of New England. In 1677, the area that became the village of Piscataway was purchased from two Indian chiefs, Canackawack and Thingorawis.
His military record shows Benjamin Hull in New Hampshire in 1676, but in 1678 he was granted a license to keep a tavern in the new settlement. It is said that the business of tavern-keeping then established by him was carried on continuously under the family name for nearly two hundred years. The license reads:
“These are to permit and Lycense Benjamin Hull of New Piscataway to keepe an Ordinary or public victualing hous within the said towne For the entertainment of strangers and passengers and to sell and retaile all manner of Drinks and Strong Liqrs to, all Psons In Genll, provided that he keeps good orders in his hous, observe the Laws and orders — made or to be made concerning the selling of strong Liquers to the Indians and that he does not Exceed the prices Limited by the Laws Upon Victualls and Drink, and also to provide sett accommodations For strangers and passengers, hereby prohibiting all manner of persons whatsoever within the said towne to sell or retaile any manner of Liquers to be drunk or spint in their houses without any License. Upon the penalty of paying by way of fine the sum of Fifty shillings for Every such default, excepting the said Benjamin Hull, which said Lycense Is to continue for one whole Yeare from ye first day of this Instant month of Stembr unless there be any just occasion Given to the Contrary and to be by him continued yearely with my Consent by ye Secretary. given under my hand and Seale of the province the 2d. of Anno, 1678.” (signed by Phillip Carteret, Esq., Govener & J.E.)
In his Hull Family History, Jay G. Hull states:
Being a tavern-keeper, however, Benjamin also occasionally found himself on the wrong side of the law. These problems were mostly related to his apparently permissive attitude towards games being played on the premises [20]. In 1686 he was indicted for “gaming.” In 1694 he was “presented by ye Grand Jury for having gameing, at cards & Boule & Pins at his house.” In the same year he was also indicted for keeping a “disorderly house.”
In spite of these transgressions, in January of 1693, Benjamin Hull was elected “Select Man” along with Captain Francis Drake, Thomas FitzRandolph, Isaac Smalley, and Edward Slater — all of whom were related by blood or marriage.
Again, the Hull Family History states:
The building of Hull’s tavern stood opposite the present St. James Episcopal Church on the north side of Woodbridge Avenue, where there is now the residence of the Episcopal Rector. It was a “good, large Stone-House” situated “half a mile above the Raritan Landing in 1679” with Doctor Greenland, John Langstaff, and John Smalley as neighbors. By 1686, Benjamin had acquired 498 acres composed of orchards, meadows, and wooded land in and around Piscataway and Woodbridge. He was the largest landowner in the area for a number of years and was taxed at the rate of ten pounds annually. He evidently got along well with his neighbors: even the Indian Cowaukeen professed a “great affection” for Benjamin and his son “Bennie”. Of course, he wasn’t on good terms with all of his neighbors — in 1686 he sued Anne Pane for stealing three gallons of molasses.
The records also show numerous transfers of land to and from him. The History of Union County, New Jersey states:
“All of Plainfield southwest of Sonman’s patent was purchased by Benjamin Hull from the Indian ‘Cowankeen,’ in 1683. In this deed Plainfield was called ‘Blondyn Plains.’ This purchase was included in a grant of the Proprietors to Sir Evan Cameron of Lochiel, Scotland, the grant being bounded approximately by Sonmans, the base of the mountain and the Bound Brook of Piscataway.”
It is said that Benjamin Hull lived until 1713, but I have seen no proof of his death or that of his wife. The Hull Family History says:
After arriving in New Jersey, Benjamin and Rachel continued to have children, but unfortunately many of them died in childhood. In addition, [brother] Hopewell Hull died in 1693 at the age of 57; and Joseph Hull, Benjamin’s eldest son, left New Jersey for Maryland sometime in the mid-1690’s. Benjamin himself lived out his life in Piscataway and remained well-off until his death in 1713. Thus, the records show numerous transfers of land to and from him and as an example of the style of living to which he was accustomed there exists in the D.A.R. Hall in Washington, D.C. (California Room) a simple but elegant grandfather clock reputed to have been his.
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Children of Benjamin & Rachel (York) HULL
BENJAMIN HULLwas born Bef. 24 March 1638/39, and died 1713. He married RACHEL YORK 1668, daughter of RICHARD YORK. The Children of BENJAMIN HULL and RACHEL YORK are:
i. ELIZABETH HULL, b. 5 May 1669; m. THOMAS HIGGINS in 1690.
ii. GRACE HULL, b. 5 May 1672; m. NATHANIEL FITZRANDOLPH in 1692.
iii. JOSEPH HULL, b. 9 January 1673/74; m. (1) UNKNOWN WIFE #1, m. (2) HANNAH STAPLEY; m. (3) FRANCES ?; d. 1743.
iv. RACHEL HULL, b. 9 July 1676; m. JOHN DENNIS in 1694.
v. SARAH HULL, b. 27 September 1678; m. BENJAMIN CARLE in 1696.
vi. BENJAMIN HULL, b. 4 or 14 April 1680; d. 1732; m. SARAH DRAKE in 1704; b. 1686; d. May 1749.
vii. TEMPERANCE HULL, b. 28 December 1683; m. JOSEPH MANNING.
viii. TRISTRAM[1] HULL, b. 23 August 1685; d. 10 October 1687.
ix. TRISTRAM[2] HULL, b. 18 May 1688.
x. HOPEWELL HULL, d. 3 April 1693.
xi. MARTHA HULL, d. 5 December 1694.
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SOURCES:
- “1666 – Founding of Piscataway,” in Founders of New Jersey, by Dr. Evelyn Hunt Ogden, e-book published by the Descendants of the Founders of New Jersey, 2016 edition
- History of Union County, New Jersey, 1664-1923, (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1923).
- Hughes, Phyllis J., “Common Errors in the Rev. Joseph Hull Line,” Hull Family in America website: http://www.hullfamilyassociation.org/
- Hull, Jay G., Hull Family History, Chandler Farm Press, Wilder, VT, 1985.
- Lincoln, George, History of the Town of Higham, Massachusetts, (New England History Press, Somersworth, NH, 1982).
- Monnette, Ozra Eugene, “The Hull Family in America — New Jersey Branch,” The Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, Vols. XII & XIII, 1909-1910.
- Skillman, William Jones, “The Skillmans of America and Their Kin,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vols. 37-38.
- Stackpole, Everett S. & Winthrop S. Meserve, History of the Town of Durham, New Hampshire, Vol. 2, (Durham, NH).
- Weygant, Charles H., Hull Family in America, (The Hull Family Association).