Copyright ©John Bullin. Version 4.0  All rights reserved.

I am the son of T W Bullin and my side of the Bullin family all come from Kent or the South London area. The earliest relative I can trace is JOHN (or James) BULLIN died in Woolwich about 1792

On my mother's side the Swaffer family lived in Kent mainly in the Mersham and Sevington district near Ashford, mostly farming in that area, and at one time occupied Stone Green Hall and The Den in Mersham. Over the years Samuel Swaffer farmed at Gills Farm (1739), Daniel was at Waterbrook Farm Sevington (1827) followed by John (1850), George at Swanton Farm (1840) and Daniel was at Conscience Farm, Mersham until about 1854.

   I shall be pleased to hear from anyone who has any information on my family history and    I have some further details which I can make available. Please contact me using the    feedback form below.

JOHN Edwin Bullin, mother Alice Gwendoline Bullin neé Swaffer

Thomas William Bullin, father in his 1921 bullnose Morris              He was a very active supporter of the Ashford Motor Club

                    from 1921 to 1928 when he received a presentation clock

** Joseph married Anne Maria Delmar in 1806 (24 yrs old) Their first son was named Alfred Delmar and their second son was my Great Great Grandfather who died young. Joseph Edwin and his son William were office workers. William's  father Joseph died when he was only four so an uncle brought him up. They were from the Canterbury area Thomas was born at Ashford, Kent and he was an accountant. My grandfather's wife's maiden name may have been Pringuer (a rare French name but recorded in the Oise Valley the the 17th century). The Bullins originated from France. They were Huguenots and left at the time of their persecution (The persecution of Huguenots under Louis XIV and Louis XV refers to hostile activities against French Protestants between 1715 and 1774 starting with Louis XIV and continuing in the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI. The members of the Protestant religion in France, the Huguenots, had been granted substantial religious, political and military freedom by Henry IV in his Edict of Nantes 1685). John or James Bullin who died in 1792 may have been a military man living in the Woolwich area. Perhaps he fled to England from the persecution in France? No details about him can be found.

Joseph was a military man and may have followed in his father’s footsteps. He was married in May 1806 at St. Mary

 Northgate, Canterbury, Kent. Born on 6 May 1782, St. Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, Kent and Died 18/9/1849, St. Alphage, Canterbury, Kent.

Service record in the Royal Artillery

Field Train Department of the Ordnance

1800-5 June - Conductor of Stores

1801 - served as a Conductor of Stores on expeditions to Egypt

1804 - served as a Conductor of Stores to Hanover

1805 - 1 Dec - Clerk to Stores

during 3 years as Clerk of Stores and Paymaster served in Madeira

1808 - 11 June - Assistant Commissary and in that capacity served  

in the Peninsula and in Belgium at the period of the battle of Waterloo

1816 - 23 Feb - retired on half pay

Made Freeman of the city of Canterbury 2 June 1818

Died of natural causes aged 64 (source copy of death cert.)

Buried 21st September 1849 at St. Alphage, Canterbury, Kent.

There are descendants of Joseph’s first son, Alfred Delmar, still living in Kent and if anyone is interested

in that side of the Bullins please contact me for details.

Anne Maria’s family (the Dalmars) were from Elmstone near Canterbury and some years ago Anne’s

descendants were still living in a substantial property in that village.

The Bullin Side of my Family

Dad, John and a crab

Hugenots came from France to London by their thousands between 1685 - c. 1700, fleeing religious persecution in Catholic France. The area of Spitalfields appealed because it was outside the jurisdiction of the City and the Livery  Companies, so they could ply their trade (mainly lace makinq) effectively. Part of  a lace bobbin was found recently in the mud of the Thames.