Casualty of the Great War, William was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers~Service No:545340. He died of the effects of gas poisoning sustained in the trenches on the Western Front.

He left a widow,Gertrude Mary Tull, nee Boxer, of 59 Greenfield Rd., Folkestone, and children.

He was 37 and the eldest brother of Second Lieutenant Walter Daniel John Tull notable for having been a professional football star and the first black combat officer to be killed in the Great War. In fact, he was not black, but of mixed race because although his father was from Barbados, his mother was white, English. William was therefore also best described as of mixed race.

His father, Daniel, was a carpenter who had moved to Folkestone and married a local woman, Alice Palmer from Hougham, Kent.Alice died in 1895.Daniel re-married but died two years after Alice. The two younger sisters remained with their step-mother, but William's brothers,Walter and Edward were moved to an orphanage in Bethnal Green, London.

1891 census
Name: William Tull
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882
Father's Name: Daniel Tull
Mother's name: Alice Tull
Where born: Folkestone, Kent, England
Civil parish: Folkestone
Town: Folkestone
County: Kent
Household Members:
Daniel Tull 35
Alice Tull 38
William Tull 9
Lelillia Tull 7
Edward Tull 4
Walter Tull 2

1911 census
Name: William Tull
Age in 1911: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883
Relation to Head: Son-in-law
Birth Place: Folkestone, Kent
Civil parish: Folkestone
County: Kent
Address: 45 Princess Street, Folkestone
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: House Carpenter
Registration district: Elham
Household Members:
Mildred Boxer 59 [William's mother-in-law]
William Tull 28
Gertrude Tull 29
Doris Tull 6
Mildred Tull 4
Gladys Tull 3
Frederick Tull 10 months

-another child,Winifred A Tull was born to the couple in 1912.
Births Jun 1912 Tull Winifred A Boxer Elham 2a 2176

Births Jun 1882
Tull William Stephen Elham 2a 987

Marriages Dec 1903
Boxer Gertrude Mary Elham 2a 2412
Tull William Stephen P Elham 2a 2412

Deaths Mar 1920 TULL William S P 37 Elham 2a 1453

With thanks to Find a Grave member geoffrey gillon for William's biography.

Casualty of the Great War, William was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers~Service No:545340. He died of the effects of gas poisoning sustained in the trenches on the Western Front.

He left a widow,Gertrude Mary Tull, nee Boxer, of 59 Greenfield Rd., Folkestone, and children.

He was 37 and the eldest brother of Second Lieutenant Walter Daniel John Tull notable for having been a professional football star and the first black combat officer to be killed in the Great War. In fact, he was not black, but of mixed race because although his father was from Barbados, his mother was white, English. William was therefore also best described as of mixed race.

His father, Daniel, was a carpenter who had moved to Folkestone and married a local woman, Alice Palmer from Hougham, Kent.Alice died in 1895.Daniel re-married but died two years after Alice. The two younger sisters remained with their step-mother, but William's brothers,Walter and Edward were moved to an orphanage in Bethnal Green, London.

1891 census
Name: William Tull
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882
Father's Name: Daniel Tull
Mother's name: Alice Tull
Where born: Folkestone, Kent, England
Civil parish: Folkestone
Town: Folkestone
County: Kent
Household Members:
Daniel Tull 35
Alice Tull 38
William Tull 9
Lelillia Tull 7
Edward Tull 4
Walter Tull 2

1911 census
Name: William Tull
Age in 1911: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883
Relation to Head: Son-in-law
Birth Place: Folkestone, Kent
Civil parish: Folkestone
County: Kent
Address: 45 Princess Street, Folkestone
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: House Carpenter
Registration district: Elham
Household Members:
Mildred Boxer 59 [William's mother-in-law]
William Tull 28
Gertrude Tull 29
Doris Tull 6
Mildred Tull 4
Gladys Tull 3
Frederick Tull 10 months

-another child,Winifred A Tull was born to the couple in 1912.
Births Jun 1912 Tull Winifred A Boxer Elham 2a 2176

Births Jun 1882
Tull William Stephen Elham 2a 987

Marriages Dec 1903
Boxer Gertrude Mary Elham 2a 2412
Tull William Stephen P Elham 2a 2412

Deaths Mar 1920 TULL William S P 37 Elham 2a 1453

With thanks to Find a Grave member geoffrey gillon for William's biography.