Reverend Peter Bulkeley^[1]

1583 - 1659  (76 years)

• Name	Peter Bulkeley
  Title	Reverend
  Birth	31 Jan 1583	Odell, Bedfordshire, England   [2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Departure	1635  [4]
  Residence	Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA   [4]
  Residence	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA   [4]
  Death	9 Mar 1659	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA   [2, 3]
  Burial	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA   [2]
  Person ID	I47739	Master
  Last Modified	11 Feb 2023

  
  

  Father	Edward Bulkeley, DD,   b. 1540, Shropshire, England d. 5 Jan 1621, Odell, Bedfordshire, England (Age 81 years)
  Mother	Olive Irby,   b. 1547, Odell, Bedfordshire, England d. 10 Mar 1615, Odell, Bedfordshire, England (Age 68 years)
  Family ID	F10850	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Jane Allen,   b. 17 Jan 1587, Odell, Bedfordshire, England d. 8 Dec 1626, Odell, Bedfordshire, England (Age 39 years)
  Marriage	12 Apr 1613	Goldington, Bedfordshire, England
  Children	+ 1. Reverend Edward Bulkeley,   b. 12 Jun 1614, Odell, Bedfordshire, England d. 2 Jan 1695, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA (Age 80 years)
  Family ID	F10855	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Feb 2023

  
  

  Family 2	Grace Chetwood,   b. 1602, Chetwode, Buckinghamshire, England d. 21 Apr 1669, New London, New London, Connecticut, USA (Age 67 years)
  Marriage	Apr 1635	, , , England
  Family ID	F10853	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Feb 2023

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 31 Jan 1583 - Odell, Bedfordshire, England Residence - - Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Residence - - Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Marriage - Apr 1635 - , , , England Death - 9 Mar 1659 - Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Burial - - Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. Volume II Bulkeley (XIII) Rev. Peter (2) Bulkeley, son of Rev. Edward de Bulkeley, was born January 31, 1582-83, at Odell, Bedfordshire, England. He entered St. John's College, Cambridge, March 22, 1604-05; fellow 1608, with M.A. degree; and "said, but on doubtful authority, to have proceeded Bachelor of Divinity". He succeeded his father as rector of Odell. He was known to be a non-conformist, but "the Lord Keeper Williams, formerly his diocesan, and his personal friend, desired to deal gently with his non-conformity", and connived at it, as he had at his father's for twenty years; but when Laud became Primate of England in 1633, Mr. Bulkeley was silenced and with no hope of reinstatement. He therefore sold his estate and sailed for New England in 1635, at the age of fifty-two, with his children, on the ship "Susan and Ellen". His wife Grace, aged thirty, was enrolled on the ship "Elizabeth and Ann", but it is probable that she sailed with her husband. There is a tradition in the family that while on the voyage the wife Grace apparently died. Unwilling to have her body buried at sea, the husband pleaded with the captain to keep it until they reached port. As no signs of decay appeared, he consented, and on the third day symptoms of vitality appeared, and before land was reached animation was restored. Though carried from the ship an invalid, she recovered and lived to a good old age. Rev. Peter Bulkeley settled first in Cambridge and the next year with twelve others began the settlement of Concord. Three years later he received a grant of three hundred acres of land at Cambridge. He was teacher of the church at Concord, of which Rev. John Jones was pastor, and was installed pastor April 6, 1637. He is always spoken of as the first minister of Concord. He brought with him from England about six thousand pounds, most of which he spent for the good of the colony. He was a learned and pious man. He wrote several Latin poems, some of which Cotton Mather, in his Magnalia, quotes, as a part of a sketch of his life. He also published a volume in London in 1646, entitled "The Gospel Covenant", made up of sermons preached at Concord; and an elegy on his friend, Rev. Mr. Hooker. He was among the first to instruct the Indians, and the singular immunity of Concord from Indian attack was largely credited, by tradition, to his sanctity and influence. He died at Concord, March 9, 1658-59. His will, dated April 14, 1658, with codicils of January 13 and February 26, following, was proved June 20, 1659. Before his death he gave many books to the library of Harvard College. He married (first) Jane, daughter of Thomas Allen, of Goldington. He married (second), about 1634, Grace Chetwode, born 1602, died April 21, 1669, at New London, Connecticut, daughter of Sir Richard and Dorothy (Needham) Chetwode, of Odell. Children of first wife, born in England: Edward, born June 17, 1614, came to New England before his father, died January 2, 1696; Mary, baptized August 24, 1615, died young; Thomas, born April 11, 1617; Nathaniel, born November 29, 1618, died 1627; Rev. John, born February 11, 1620; George, born May 17, 1623; Daniel, born August 28, 1625; Jabez, born December 20, 1626, died young; Joseph, (probably) born 1629; William, of Ipswich; Richard.

  
  

• Sources

  [S761] Yates Publishing, Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Tree. [S751] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). [S1068] Ancestry.com, Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1600-1889, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography; Volume: Vol. I. [S862] Ancestry.com, New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.).