Puritan Minister in Elizabethan Times — Edward Bulkeley

B. about 1540 in Woore, Shropshire, England¹
M. about 1566 in England¹
Wife: Olive Irby
D. Jan 1621 in Odell, Bedfordshire, England¹

If Edward Bulkeley had lived a generation later, he might have been one of the colonists of New England, but instead he was a Puritan preacher in England. He was born in about 1540 to Thomas Bulkeley and Elizabeth Grosvenor in the village of Woore in Shropshire, England,¹ and he was one of five children. His parents both had pedigrees that can be traced back hundreds of years and his father was a direct descendant of King Henry II.¹ Thomas Bulkeley was the steward of Drayton Manor and a man who owned a substantial amount of property.¹

Edward entered St. John’s College at Cambridge at about age 15 and studied theology.¹ He earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1560, a master of arts degree in 1663, and a bachelor of divinity degree in 1569.¹ He went on to receive a doctor of divinity degree in 1578.¹

Edward got married in about 1566 to Olive Irby, who was from Lincolnshire.¹ They had 11 children together between about 1567 and 1583 — 8 girls and 3 boys. In 1571, Edward became rector of All Saints Church in the town of Odell,¹ which was not far from Cambridge, and he settled there with his family. During the period 1578 to 1582, Edward was the vicar of St. Mary’s Church in Shrewsbury, but for the rest of his career as a minister he preached at the church in Odell.¹

 

All Saints Church in Odell, England.

During the years Edward was a minister, the Church of England was splintering into various interpretations of religion. After the reign of “Bloody Mary” ended in 1558 and Elizabeth I took the throne, theologians had different views as to how much their religion should deviate from Catholicism. Edward was said to be a “moderate Puritan,”¹ meaning that he believed in reforming the Church of England from within, not separate from it. Moderate Puritans wanted to have less emphasis on ceremony and focus more on preaching. They also wanted to make the practice of religion more democratic rather than being run by higher authorities. But they didn’t want to split off and form their own church.

Edward stepped down from his post as rector of All Saints Church in Odell in 1609, which was then taken over by his son Peter, who had followed in his footsteps and become a minister.¹ Edward continued as a theologian, and in 1610, edited an edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs,² a book that was first published in 1563 which told of the persecution of Protestants by Catholics.

Title page of the Book of Martyrs, 1610 edition, 

Edward’s wife Olive passed away on March 10, 1615. Edward lived another six years, dying in January of 1621,¹ and was buried in the All Saints Churchyard in Odell. His son Peter continued on as the rector in Odell, then migrated to Massachusetts in 1635, founding the church at Concord.¹ Edward’s daughters Elizabeth and Martha migrated to Massachusetts in 1633, and some of Edward’s grandchildren through other daughters migrated there as well¹.

Edward Bulkeley was the direct ancestor of John Hancock, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Norman Rockwell, Calvin Coolidge, Katharine Hepburn, Alan Shepard, Dick Clark, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, Sarah Palin, John Kerry, Bette Davis, Matt Damon, Harry Chapin, Kyra Sedgwick, Anna Gunn, Linda Hamilton and Edward Norton.²

Children:
1. Mary Bulkeley — B. about 1567, England¹

2. Frances Bulkeley – B. about 1568, Moulton, Lincolnshire, England;¹ D. before 7 Jun 1610, Moulton, Lincolnshire, England;⁴ M. Richard Welby, 4 Jun 1595, Whaplode, Lincolnshire, England⁵

3. Judith Bulkeley – B. 1570, England¹

4. Martha Bulkeley — B. 1572, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. about 1639, Charlestown, Massachusetts;¹ M. Abraham Mellowes (1570-1639), about 1595, Odell, Bedfordshire, England¹

5. Nathaniel Bulkeley — B. about 1574, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. before 4 Dec 1602, London, England¹

6. Deborah Bulkeley — B. 1575, Odell, Bedfordshire, England¹

7. Dorcas Bulkeley — B. about Aug 1577, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. 21 Oct 1616, Fishtoft, Lincolnshire, England;⁶ M. Anthony Ingoldsby (1560-~1627), 10 Dec 1598, Odell, Bedfordshire, England¹

8. Elizabeth Bulkeley — B. about 1579, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. 14 Oct 1643, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ M. (1) Richard Whittingham (~1575-~1618);¹ (2) Attherton Haugh (~1593-1650), 9 Jan 1618, Boston, England¹

9. Sarah Bulkeley — B. about 1580, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. before 1611, Keysoe, Bedfordshire, England;¹ M. Oliver St. John (~1575-1626), about 1597¹

10. Peter Bulkeley — B. 31 Jan 1583, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;¹ D. 9 Mar 1659, Concord, Massachusetts;¹ M. (1) Jane Allen (`1587-1626), 12 Apr 1613, Goldington, Bedfordshire, England;¹ (2) Grace Chetwood (~1602-1669), England¹

11. Paul Bulkeley — B. before 21 Jan 1584, Odell, Bedfordshire, England;⁷ D. before 19 Oct 1610, Odell, Bedfordshire, England¹

Sources:
1    The Bulkeley Genealogy, Donald Lines Jacobus, 1933
2    Tudor Times: The Book of Acts and Monuments, Chapter 3: Editions after Foxe’s Death (website) 
3    Famous Kin listing of Edward Bulkeley
4    Burial record of Frances (Bulkeley) Welby, Moulton, Lincolnshire, England Records, FamilySearch.org
5    Marriage record of Richard Welby and Francis Bucklye, England, Lincolnshire Parish Registers, 1538-1990. FamilySearch.org
6    Find-a-Grave listing of Dorcas (Bulkeley) Ingoldsby 
7    WikiTree listing of Paul Bulkeley