Peter Bulkley
Encyclopedia
Peter Bulkley or Bulkeley (January 31, 1583 – March 9, 1659) was an influential early Puritan
preacher who left England for greater religious freedom in the American colony of Massachusetts
. He was a founder of Concord
, and was named by descendant Ralph Waldo Emerson
in his poem about Concord, Hamatreya.
, and was born at Odell, Bedfordshire
, England
. He was admitted to St. John's College
at Cambridge University at the age of sixteen, where he received several degrees. At one point he was even a Fellow
of St. John's. After finishing his education, Bulkley succeeded his father as rector of Odell, 1610-1635. During this time Bulkley followed in his father's footsteps as a non-conformist. Finally in the 1630s there were increasing complaints about his preaching and he was silenced by the archbishop for his unwillingness to conform with the requirements of the Anglican Church.
In 1633, Charles I
reissued the Declaration of Sports
, an ecclesiastical limitation on allowed recreational activities, with the stipulation that any minister unwilling to read from the pulpit should be removed, and Bulkley's sentiments, along with others in the Puritan movement, were against it. In 1634, Bulkley refused to wear a surplice
or use the Sign of the Cross
at a visitation for Archbishop William Laud
. For this infraction he was ejected from the parish, at least temporarily.
, coming aboard the Susan and Ellen in 1635. He was ordained at Cambridge, Massachusetts
in April 1637, and "having carried a good number of planters with him into the woods", became the first minister in Musketaquid, later named Concord. He was "noted even among Puritans for the superlative stiffness of his Puritanism".
He was known for his facility in Latin
with both epigrams and poetry, with Cotton Mather
praising the latter. As a writer, his book of Puritan sermons titled The Gospel Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace Opened, published in London
in 1646, in which he appealed to "the people of New England," that they might "labor to shine forth in holiness above all other people", and evoked the City upon a Hill
of John Winthrop
. To historian Moses Coit Tyler
, the "monumental book ... stands for the intellectual robustness of New England in the first age." It is considered one of the first books published in New England.
Bulkley served as moderator at a 1637 synod
called in Cambridge due to what Emerson called the "errors" of Anne Hutchinson
. According to "tradition", a council of Indians considering attacking the town of Concord held off because "Bulkley is there, the man of the big pray!"
(This occurred during King Philip's War in 1675-6, after Peter was dead, and refers instead to his son Rev. Edward Bulkley.)
In 1643, he was the author and the first signer of a petition sent to Governor John Endecott
in favor of Ambrose Martin
, who was fined for speaking negatively towards the Puritan
church and consequently met significant financial hardship.
Bulkley died in Concord.
, a Massachusetts Freeman (franchised voter), and a Commissioner of the United Colonies, in addition to a career as a preacher.
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
preacher who left England for greater religious freedom in the American colony of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was a founder of Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, and was named by descendant Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
in his poem about Concord, Hamatreya.
Early life
According to the 8th edition of Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, Bulkley is a descendant of the PlantagenetsHouse of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
, and was born at Odell, Bedfordshire
Odell, Bedfordshire
Odell is a village and civil parish in the north of the county of Bedfordshire in England that lies to the north-west of the county town of Bedford, near the villages of Harrold, Felmersham, Sharnbrook, and Carlton.-Roman and Saxon period:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was admitted to St. John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
at Cambridge University at the age of sixteen, where he received several degrees. At one point he was even a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of St. John's. After finishing his education, Bulkley succeeded his father as rector of Odell, 1610-1635. During this time Bulkley followed in his father's footsteps as a non-conformist. Finally in the 1630s there were increasing complaints about his preaching and he was silenced by the archbishop for his unwillingness to conform with the requirements of the Anglican Church.
In 1633, Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
reissued the Declaration of Sports
Declaration of Sports
The Declaration of Sports was a declaration of James I of England issued in 1617 listing the sports that were permitted on Sundays and other holy days. It was originally issued in consultation with Thomas Morton, bishop of Chester, to resolve a dispute in Lancashire between the Puritans and the...
, an ecclesiastical limitation on allowed recreational activities, with the stipulation that any minister unwilling to read from the pulpit should be removed, and Bulkley's sentiments, along with others in the Puritan movement, were against it. In 1634, Bulkley refused to wear a surplice
Surplice
A surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
or use the Sign of the Cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
at a visitation for Archbishop William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
. For this infraction he was ejected from the parish, at least temporarily.
Career in America
Within the year he emigrated to New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, coming aboard the Susan and Ellen in 1635. He was ordained at Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in April 1637, and "having carried a good number of planters with him into the woods", became the first minister in Musketaquid, later named Concord. He was "noted even among Puritans for the superlative stiffness of his Puritanism".
He was known for his facility in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
with both epigrams and poetry, with Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather, FRS was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer; he is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials...
praising the latter. As a writer, his book of Puritan sermons titled The Gospel Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace Opened, published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1646, in which he appealed to "the people of New England," that they might "labor to shine forth in holiness above all other people", and evoked the City upon a Hill
City upon a Hill
A City Upon A Hill is a phrase from the parable of Salt and Light in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:14, he tells his listeners, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."-American usage:...
of John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
. To historian Moses Coit Tyler
Moses Coit Tyler
Moses Coit Tyler was an American author and professor of American history.-Biography:He was born in Griswold, Connecticut. At an early age he removed with his parents to Detroit, Michigan...
, the "monumental book ... stands for the intellectual robustness of New England in the first age." It is considered one of the first books published in New England.
Bulkley served as moderator at a 1637 synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
called in Cambridge due to what Emerson called the "errors" of Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
. According to "tradition", a council of Indians considering attacking the town of Concord held off because "Bulkley is there, the man of the big pray!"
(This occurred during King Philip's War in 1675-6, after Peter was dead, and refers instead to his son Rev. Edward Bulkley.)
In 1643, he was the author and the first signer of a petition sent to Governor John Endecott
John Endecott
John Endecott was an English colonial magistrate, soldier and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During all of his years in the colony but one, he held some form of civil, judicial, or military high office...
in favor of Ambrose Martin
Ambrose Martin
Ambrose Martin was one of the first settlers of the early colonial town of Concord, Massachusetts. While living there, he was fined 10 pounds, a large sum for the time, for speaking out against the Puritan church covenant, stating that it was "a stinking carrion and a human invention," thus being...
, who was fined for speaking negatively towards the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
church and consequently met significant financial hardship.
Bulkley died in Concord.
Personal life
His first wife, Jane Allen, died in 1626. His second wife Grace Chetwode and sons John, Benjamin, and Daniel accompanied him to America. His son, Peter Bulkley, married Rebecca Wheeler ca. 1667, was a Fellow of Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, a Massachusetts Freeman (franchised voter), and a Commissioner of the United Colonies, in addition to a career as a preacher.