Cull Bush Sr was one of the sixteen known enslaved persons held at the Bush-Holley House. Our earliest known record of Cull is in the first United States Census in 1790. We do not know when Cull was first enslaved at the Bush household, but we know he was held there until 1803, the year of his emancipation.
Cull spent half of his life enslaved, but that is only half of his story. Cull was also a father of six. He was a loyal partner to the mother of his children, Patience, who was also enslaved by the Bush family. After his emancipation, Cull worked hard to purchase land near his still-enslaved family in Cos Cob so he could continue to be part of their lives. Cull was an achiever. In a world systematically stacked against him, Cull created a family, a home, and a career.
