Thomas Bulkeley 18 and his family left England in 1634 or 35: “No doubt the long drawn out enrollments and the lack of effort to standardize spelling of the name were reflections of the family’s attempt to board the ship without being apprehended” from The Great Migration Vol 1 page 464. Thomas’s father Peter, a Puritan minister  had issues with the Church of England and Archbishop Laud, one of many, who left for New England. The Bulkeleys settled in Concord, Massachusetts and were part of a solid Puritan community.

In 1637 there were breaks in the Puritan community, Anne Hutchinson was part of it. Rev. Peter Bulkeley called her the devil. The breakdown was the Antinomian Controversy.  At an Ecclesiastical Council Reverend Bulkeley,  Reverend John Jones, John Cotton and others agreed to carry on and compromise.

In 1640 Thomas married Sarah Jones, the daughter of the Reverend John Jones. Rev. Buckeley and Rev. Jones were friends, the families were happy with the marriage.

In 1644 Reverend John Jones had to leave Concord he couldn’t abide by the religious beliefs. He left for Fairfield, Connecticut, many families left with Reverend Jones. Reverend Bulkeley in Concord was left with about 30 followers. Thomas and Sarah had to choose a side, his dad’s or her dad’s they chose her dad Reverend Jones’s side and moved to Fairfield.

Antinomian Controversy was huge in early America. My very basic understanding with no offense or expertise intended, it was the Covenant of Works -do this and you are saved- VS the Covenant of Grace -Christ did this so all are saved-. The whole story is at Wikipedia with 139 source citations.

Thomas Bulkeley (1617 – 1658)
Sarah Bulkeley (1640 – 1723)
Rebecca Brown (1684 – 1768)
Mary English (1715 – 1791)
John Connable (1749 – 1813)
Obed Gaines (1793 – 1877)
William Newcomb Gaines (1825 – 1907)
Mary Ella Gaines (1855 – 1917)
William Earl Miller (1879 – 1949)
Faber W Miller (1905 – 1957)