Working in the Opposite Direction

In the past, I have started discussing a branch of the family at its furthest point and brought the family tree back to me. I am going to go with the opposite approach with this branch of three because of its reach and distance.

As a child I was told that that one of my ancestors was famed US Navy Commodore Isaac Hull of the USS Constitution who had fought in the Quasi War, the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. Before the days of the internet, I had seen hand written family trees where it showed my second great-grandmother was named Sophia Kelley Hull. She was married to John Guttridge Wright. I had discussed them a few years ago in this post but we explored the Wright side of the family. Now, I will escort you on my journey to reveal if Isaac Hull was actually in my family tree or is one of those long told family lore that cannot be verified.

Commodore Isaac Hull

Sophia Kelley Hull (1838-1927), born in New York City to John William Hull (1810-1881) and Sophia C. Kelley (1815- ?). She married John G. Wright when she was 19 years old and had three children (Frederick Harriman Wright, William John Wright, and Madeleine Wright) by the time she was 25. John was a successful grain merchant and they seemed to be doing well before 1880. In the 1880 Census it appears that John and Sophia were living separately. Sophia and her son William, a book keeper, were living in Park Slope, Brooklyn at 401 Third Street. John was living a few blocks away at 426 Sixth Street with Frederick, 16 years old. They were all listed as "boarders". John died in 1908 in Chaptico, MD. Sophia was located in the 1910 census in Washington DC with her son William, who had become a minister. In 1920 she was with her son William & wife Lucy Hayden Gough (1881-1969) in Statesville, North Carolina according to a local newspaper article but was also listed in the census as residing with her daughter Madeleine and her husband Cheever Newhall Ely (1849 - 1929) at 289 Madison Ave, NYC (with their two maids). She died on March 11, 1927 in Washington, DC and was buried in NYC on March 27th.

John William Hull, Sophia's father, was a railroad iron dealer according to the 1860 census. He & his wife, Sophia Kelley, lived in 21st Ward. This was the area of Sixth Ave to East River from E 25 St to E 40 St. They also resided in the same building as their daughter Sophia & John G Wright along with 2 servants. Their "Personal Estate" was worth $14,000 according to the census record. John Hull died in 1881 at 71 years old. I wonder if The Hull's were on hand for the grand opening of Central Park in 1858?

Sophia C. Kelley (my 3rd great-grandmother) was born in Philadelphia in 1815. I have not found any records indicating who her parents were. I am not sure how she came to live in NYC or how she met John W. Hull, however, after his death she lived with her daughter Sophia Wright in the Brooklyn apartment on Third St... and no servants!