Bullen was the second son of the Reverend John Bullen, Rector of Kennett, Cambridge, and of Rushmoor-cum-Newburn, Suffolk, and entered the Navy in November 1774 as a midshipman, on board the 36-gun frigate, commanded by Captain The Honourable William Cornwallis. He followed Cornwallis into the 50-gun ship, and was present at the Battle of Red Bank and siege of Fort Mifflin, in October and November 1777. Under Cornwallis he then served in the 50-gun ships, and, and 64-gun ship, in which he took part in the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779. Bullen was promoted to lieutenant on 6 March 1778, and shortly afterwards joined the 28-gun, commanded by Captain Horatio Nelson, and was present during the attack on Fort St. Juan during the San Juan Expedition of 1780. He then returned to the Lion, under Cornwallis, and was lent to the 90-gun ship, Captain John Williams, and participated as officer in charge of half the middle gun-deck in the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April 1782. His subsequent appointments were to the on 2 May 1785, and then the on 6 July 1786, both 74's stationed as guardships at Plymouth, commanded by Captain Anthony Molloy. On 16 June 1790, he moved to the, under Captain Peter Rainier, fitting out at Spithead for the East Indies. On 6 February 1793, soon after the outbreak of war with France, he was appointed to the 64-gun, Captain Horatio Nelson, and was actively employed in the Mediterranean. On 11 September 1793 he moved to the, flagship of Lord Hood at the siege of Toulon. For three weeks Bullen commanded "Fort Mulgrave", a battery mounted opposite the town, and on 20 November 1793 was appointed commander of the 20-gun sloop. That vessel being absent at the time, he was appointed acting-captain of the 36-gun frigate, employed as a floating battery. When the British finally evacuated Toulon, Proselyte brought out 300 Spanish and Neapolitan troops. In March 1794, during the early part of the Siege of Bastia, Bullen served as a volunteer under Captain Walter Serocold, who had superseded him as commander of Proselyte. Towards the end of the operation he commanded an advanced battery. Bullen was invalided out in July 1794, not returning to duty until early 1796, serving first as a volunteer in under Captain Thomas Byam Martin, and distinguishing himself during the recapture of the Tamise. He then, with the rank of commander, served as captain of the sloop, and as acting-captain of the ship. Bullen was advanced to the rank of post-captain on 24 November 1796, but was unable to obtain a ship. He served as the commander of the Lyme Regis district of the Sea Fencibles from 26 September 1804 until 1810, when the Corps was disbanded, and afterwards remained on half-pay. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 12 August 1819, to vice-admiral on 12 November 1840, and to admiral on 23 November 1841. Admiral Bullen died at Bath, Somerset on 17 July 1857.
