Bulkeley, Peter

Bulkeley, Peter a Congregational minister, was born at Odell, Bedfordshire, England, Jan. 31, 1582. He was the son of the Rev. Dr. Edward Bulkeley, author of a supplement to Fox's Book of Martyrs. Peter, when about sixteen years old, was admitted to St. John's College, Cambridge, and was subsequently, after acquiring his education there, chosen a fellow. He succeeded to the large estate of his father, and also succeeded him in the ministry at Odell, as a clergyman of the Established Church. But he did not long continue to conform to the ceremonies of that Church, although, through the favor of the bishop of Lincoln, he remained unmolested for twenty-one years; when the matter was brought to the notice of archbishop Laud, he silenced him immediately. In 1635, having sold his estate, he crossed the ocean; and after remaining several months at Cambridge, Mass., he entered the wilderness in 1636, and began the settlement of a place which he called Concord (now in Massachusetts). On July 15,1636, he organized a church there; the next year John Jones was its pastor, and he was its teacher. In bestowing farms upon his servants he expended a large fortune. He continued to preach until a short time before his death, which occurred at Concord, March 9, 1659. A library was established at Harvard College, in part, at least, by contributions from Mr. Bulkeley's. In 1646 he published a work in London entitled The Gospel Covenant; or, The Covenant of Grace Opened.

It passed through several editions. It is composed of sermons preached at Concord from Zec 9:11. The book was held in high estimation. Mr. Bulkeley was distinguished as a scholar, and wrote Latin with great ease and elegance. See Sprague, Annuls of the Amer. Pulpit, i, 51.