Biography:

Dr. William Henry Bullis was born on December 26th, 1857 on Wolfe Island, Ontario. His father, Joseph Bullis had emigrated from Leicestershire, England. His mother was the former Emeline Abbott and she was born around 1832. He was the 4th of 7 children.  His siblings were; Lucy Bullis, Eliza Ann Bullis, George Bullis, Samuel Bullis, Emma Bullis and Edwin Bullis.  Dr. Bullis graduated from Chatham High School before attending medical school.  According to the 1881 census, Mr. and Mrs. Bullis were farming in Raleigh Twp (Chatham-Kent) and on that same census, Dr. Bullis is listed as a medical student.

He graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Medicine (Kingston) in April of 1884. Dr. Bullis furthered his medical education in Edinburgh, Scotland for 6 months. He interned in London, England and in Paris, France.

Dr. Bullis set up a medical practice in Dresden in 1885.  On the 18th of November, 1889  Dr. John Irvine Wiley joined Dr. Bullis in his medical practice which was located on St. George Street in Dresden. In the 1891 census Dr. Bullis was listed as a single person practicing medicine.

Dr. Bullis belonged to the C.O.H.C. and the I.O.O.F.  He was also a member and at one time President of the Dresden Blue Rock Gun Club.

Dr. Bullis married Adelyn Frances Ford on the 18th of September, 1895 in Mitchell (Perth County), Ontario.  On the marriage record Dr. Bullis was listed as living in Dresden.  Mrs. Bullis was born on the 10th of March, 1865 in Fullerton Twp (Perth County).  She was the the 6th of 7 children born to Thomas Ford and the former Frances Mitchell Wade.  At the time of her birth her father was a farmer in Fullerton Twp but by 1871 he had transitioned to being a merchant in Mitchell.  Mrs. Bullis’s siblings were; Mary Matilda Ford, Lucy Agnes Ford, Bessie Teresa Ford, Thomas Symons Ford, John Mitchell Ford and Annie Travena Ford (died in childhood).  Mrs. Bullis’s father died on the 22 of January, 1874 when Mrs. Bullis was 9 years old.

Shortly after their marriage, Dr. and Mrs. Bullis immigrated to Rochester, New York in 1895.  Dr. Bullis was licensed to practice medicine in New York in 1896.  According to the 1905 U.S. Census, Dr. and Mrs. Bullis resided at 234 University Ave., in Rochester.  A son, William “Ormand” Ford Bullis was born to them in March of 1908.

Dr. Bullis died at his residence on the 28th June of 1917 in Rochester, New York.  He was buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.  Mrs. Bullis died on the 8th of January, 1941.  At the time of her death Mrs. Bullis was living with her son and his wife Katherine, at 97 Avenue C in Point Pleasant New York.  Mrs. Bullis was buried at Woodland Cemetery in Mitchell.

Their son Ormand Bullis, died in 2000.

*Dr. John Irvine Wiley also appears on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.