His father, Timothy Bush Jr. (1766–1850), was a blacksmith; his mother was Lydia Newcomb (1763–1835).
He served as vice president of the American Anti-Slavery Society and supported the Underground Railroad.
[3] He petitioned the New York State Legislature to secede from the Union in a protest against slavery, after which The Rochester Daily Advertiser accused him of encouraging anarchy.
Seeking to relocate there permanently, he set out for the East Coast by sea to wrap up his affairs.
Bush died some time en route in 1851, and was apparently buried at sea.