“B” is for Bull, William, II (1710-1791)

“B” is for Bull, William, II (1710-1791). Lieutenant governor. Born in South Carolina, Bull served in the Commons House of Assembly for thirteen years. While Speaker of the House, he collaborated with his father--a member of the Royal Council--to expand colonial authority. In 1749 he joined the Royal Council. In 1759 Bull became president of the Council and lieutenant governor—a post he held until 1775. During that time span he was acting governor on five occasions--for a total of eight years of service. In 1777 he refused to take the oath of allegiance to South Carolina’s revolutionary government and was banished from the state. When British forces captured Charleston in 1780, Bull returned home. With the end of the American Revolution, William Bull,II sailed back to England into a second, permanent exile.