Descended from the ancient Bulkeley family seated at Bulkeley, County Chester, England (Colonial families of the United States of America. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1966, vol. 7, pg. 124).

Thomas Bulkeley wrote his will on June 23, 33 Elizabeth, which was recorded at Lichfield on October 19, 1591. At the time of its writing he was 'now remayning at Coulsis in pish of Drayton in Hales', and requested burial in Our Lady Chapel in the Church of Saint Mary, Drayton in Hales (Market Drayton).

He was steward of Drayton Manor, and held various property and messuages at Gravenhunger and Woore (in Mucklestone), Shropshire; Knighton and Oakley (in Mucklestone), Staffordshire; Hurleston, Cheshire; Buerton (in Audlem), Cheshire; Haughton (in Eddisbury Hundred), Cheshire; Bridgemere, Hunsterson and Poole (in Nantwich Hundred), Cheshire; Moulton (in Northwich Hundred), Cheshire; and Stoke (in Wirral Hundred), Cheshire.