Belchers In America

It is scarcely conceivable that William Belcher of Guilsborough, who had two wives, should have been

the father of but one child, a son, William Belcher of Guilsborough, who died 5 Apr 1609. It is quite within the

bounds of probability that Robert Belcher, of Kingwood, in Wiltshire, whose descendants claimed the coat

of arms of the Guilsborough family, was the youngest brother of the second William of Guilsborough,

and we have so placed him in the Belcher ancestral line.

The New England Historical Genealogical Society in its April 1906,Vol. LX, issue of the "NEHGR Register",

contains an article by Joseph Gardner Bartlett, Esq., entitled; "The Belcher Families of New England".

In this article he said; " The name Belcher is of great antiquity in England, being found as early as 1176,

when Ralph Belcher was witness to a deed."[5]

The name is uncommon, however, and is found mostly in the county of Warwick and the and the surrounding

counties of Stafford, Worcester, Oxford, Wilts & Northampton. One line of the family was seated at Guilsborough in Northamptonshire for several generations, and was lineally descended from Hugh Belcher of Needwood, co.

Stafford, who was living in the reign of Edward IV, abt. 1470. This branch of the family held landed estates,

and bore for arms "Paly of six or and gules, a chief vair", and their pedigree was entered in the Visitation of

Nothamptonshire in 1619, and also in the Visitation of Warwickshire of the same year.

The Will of Gregory Belcher, yeoman, of Berkswell, co. Warwick, dated 20 Mar 1620, mentions wife Joane;

son Thomas Belcher, sons-in-law, John Bonney & William Cook; daughters, Elizabeth Cook,

Isabel Bonney & Alice Pemberton.[6] It seems likely that Thomas Belcher, son of Gregory of this Will,

was the Thomas Belcher who lived in the hamlet of Wardend, Parish of Aston, co. Warwick, where he had three

children recorded: John, bap. 24 Aug 1604; Gregory, bap. 30 Mar 1606; and Margery, bap. 9 Jul 1615.

Aston is about 9 miles northwest of Berkeswell.

As Gregory Belcher, one of the emigrants to New England, in a deposition made in June, 1665,

stated he was then about 60 years of age, it seemed probable that he was identical with the Gregory Belcher,

son of Thomas, who was born in Aston in 1606, who would be in his 60th year at the time of the deposition,

and of whom no further mention appears in the Aston registers, although his brother & sister were married thetre.

How these Belchers of Berkeswell & Aston were related to the armorial Belchers of Guilsborough has not

been ascertained, but doubtless they were of the same original stock.

There were five persons named Belcher who settled in New England before 1650, and from two of them are

descended practically all of the name in the United States. These five emigrants, in the order of their arrival in

I. Edward Belcher, b. abt. 1595, came to New England in 1630 with Governor Winthrop, and was one

of the founders of Boston. he was the 4th son of William Belcher of Guilsborough, Northamptonshire,

England, and of positive armorial descent. His male descendants became extinct, however,

with his grandson.[7] Ship records on the "Little James" states Edward & Mrs. Belcher.

English records indicate he m. 10 Jul 1623, Christian Talmadge Wormwood.

II. Jeremy, (or Jeremiah) Belcher, b. c. 1613, came to New England in the spring of 1635 and settled in Ipswich,

where he d. in Mar 1692/93. he had 11 children, and his descendants are very numerous.

Nothing is known of his ancestry, but he is probably in some degree related to the other emigrants of the name.[7]

III. GREGORY BELCHER, b. c.1606, came to New England abt. 1637 and settled in Braintree,

where he d. 25 Nov 1674. He had 7 children, and many descendants live in the Untied States.

He was perhaps the Gregory Belcher, son of Thomas Belcher, who was bap. in Aston, co. Warwick,

He is the progenitor of the Belcher family line considered in this genealogy.[7]

IV. Andrew Belcher, was b. c.1614/155, d. 2 Jul 1658 @ age 44. He was the 6th son of William Andrew Belcher,

of Guilsborough, and a grandson of Robert Belcher, Weaver, of Kingswood, co. Wiltshire, England.

He immigrated to America in 1630, and by 1639 settled in Sudbury. Although there was but one male who

married in each generation of his descendants, his family attained great distinction. His son, Andrew Belcher,

was a Royal Councillor, and the greatest merchant of his day in New England. His grandson, Jonathan Belcher

was Royal Governor of Massachusetts and also of New Jersey. Another grandson, Jonathan Belcher was

Chief Justice & Liuet. Governor of Nova Scotia; and his great-great-grandson, Andrew Belcher was a

Royal Councillor of Nova Scotia, whose children settled in England, and of whom a son, Sir Edward Belcher, K.C.B.,

was a distinguished naval officer, attaining the rank of Rear Admiral in the British Navy. A few descendants remain

in England, but the name is extinct in the United States. The descendants of Andrew Belcher have always used

the arms of the Belchers of Guilsborough, although their descent from that branch has not, to the writer's knowledge

been proven. For full account of the descendants of Andrew Belcher, see NEHGR: Vol. XXVII, Pages 239-245.[7]

V. Thomas Belcher, stated to have been in the family of Nicholas Frost of Kittery, ME as early as 1640,

and to have died in 1652. "Old Eliot, ME", Vol. I, pages 87-245. The writer has no further knowledge of this individual,

who probably died unmarried. It is a curious coincidence, that, about 1693, John Belcher of Boston,

deserted his family there and went to Kittery, ME where he entered the service of Charles Frost, son of Nicholas Frost,

and remained in his employ and in that of his son and grandson for 40 years, until his death in 1730,

leaving his property to his last employer, Charles Frost.[8]

[5] "Historical Collections of Staffordsshire" Vol. I, Page 291.

[6] "Putman's Historical Magazine", Vol. IV, Page 183.


	Belcher Family Website \| home Battle Abbey \| Belchers of England \| Belchers In America \| 1st & 2nd Generations \| 2nd Generation Cont'd \| Third Generation \| 3rd Generation Cont'd \| Fourth Generation \| 4th Generation Cont'd \| 5th Thru 7th Generations \| 8th & 9th Generations \| 10th Generation \| 11th & 12th Generations \| Contact Us The Belchers In America It is scarcely conceivable that William Belcher of Guilsborough, who had two wives, should have been the father of but one child, a son, William Belcher of Guilsborough, who died 5 Apr 1609. It is quite within the bounds of probability that Robert Belcher, of Kingwood, in Wiltshire, whose descendants claimed the coat of arms of the Guilsborough family, was the youngest brother of the second William of Guilsborough, and we have so placed him in the Belcher ancestral line. The New England Historical Genealogical Society in its April 1906,Vol. LX, issue of the "NEHGR Register", contains an article by Joseph Gardner Bartlett, Esq., entitled; "The Belcher Families of New England". In this article he said; " The name Belcher is of great antiquity in England, being found as early as 1176, when Ralph Belcher was witness to a deed."[5] The name is uncommon, however, and is found mostly in the county of Warwick and the and the surrounding counties of Stafford, Worcester, Oxford, Wilts & Northampton. One line of the family was seated at Guilsborough in Northamptonshire for several generations, and was lineally descended from Hugh Belcher of Needwood, co. Stafford, who was living in the reign of Edward IV, abt. 1470. This branch of the family held landed estates, and bore for arms "Paly of six or and gules, a chief vair", and their pedigree was entered in the Visitation of Nothamptonshire in 1619, and also in the Visitation of Warwickshire of the same year. The Will of Gregory Belcher, yeoman, of Berkswell, co. Warwick, dated 20 Mar 1620, mentions wife Joane; son Thomas Belcher, sons-in-law, John Bonney & William Cook; daughters, Elizabeth Cook, Isabel Bonney & Alice Pemberton.[6] It seems likely that Thomas Belcher, son of Gregory of this Will, was the Thomas Belcher who lived in the hamlet of Wardend, Parish of Aston, co. Warwick, where he had three children recorded: John, bap. 24 Aug 1604; Gregory, bap. 30 Mar 1606; and Margery, bap. 9 Jul 1615. Aston is about 9 miles northwest of Berkeswell. As Gregory Belcher, one of the emigrants to New England, in a deposition made in June, 1665, stated he was then about 60 years of age, it seemed probable that he was identical with the Gregory Belcher, son of Thomas, who was born in Aston in 1606, who would be in his 60th year at the time of the deposition, and of whom no further mention appears in the Aston registers, although his brother & sister were married thetre. How these Belchers of Berkeswell & Aston were related to the armorial Belchers of Guilsborough has not been ascertained, but doubtless they were of the same original stock. There were five persons named Belcher who settled in New England before 1650, and from two of them are descended practically all of the name in the United States. These five emigrants, in the order of their arrival in New England were: I. Edward Belcher, b. abt. 1595, came to New England in 1630 with Governor Winthrop, and was one of the founders of Boston. he was the 4th son of William Belcher of Guilsborough, Northamptonshire, England, and of positive armorial descent. His male descendants became extinct, however, with his grandson.[7] Ship records on the "Little James" states Edward & Mrs. Belcher. English records indicate he m. 10 Jul 1623, Christian Talmadge Wormwood. II. Jeremy, (or Jeremiah) Belcher, b. c. 1613, came to New England in the spring of 1635 and settled in Ipswich, where he d. in Mar 1692/93. he had 11 children, and his descendants are very numerous. Nothing is known of his ancestry, but he is probably in some degree related to the other emigrants of the name.[7] III. GREGORY BELCHER, b. c.1606, came to New England abt. 1637 and settled in Braintree, where he d. 25 Nov 1674. He had 7 children, and many descendants live in the Untied States. He was perhaps the Gregory Belcher, son of Thomas Belcher, who was bap. in Aston, co. Warwick, England, 30 Mar 1606, as suggested above. He is the progenitor of the Belcher family line considered in this genealogy.[7] IV. Andrew Belcher, was b. c.1614/155, d. 2 Jul 1658 @ age 44. He was the 6th son of William Andrew Belcher, of Guilsborough, and a grandson of Robert Belcher, Weaver, of Kingswood, co. Wiltshire, England. He immigrated to America in 1630, and by 1639 settled in Sudbury. Although there was but one male who married in each generation of his descendants, his family attained great distinction. His son, Andrew Belcher, was a Royal Councillor, and the greatest merchant of his day in New England. His grandson, Jonathan Belcher was Royal Governor of Massachusetts and also of New Jersey. Another grandson, Jonathan Belcher was Chief Justice & Liuet. Governor of Nova Scotia; and his great-great-grandson, Andrew Belcher was a Royal Councillor of Nova Scotia, whose children settled in England, and of whom a son, Sir Edward Belcher, K.C.B., was a distinguished naval officer, attaining the rank of Rear Admiral in the British Navy. A few descendants remain in England, but the name is extinct in the United States. The descendants of Andrew Belcher have always used the arms of the Belchers of Guilsborough, although their descent from that branch has not, to the writer's knowledge been proven. For full account of the descendants of Andrew Belcher, see NEHGR: Vol. XXVII, Pages 239-245.[7] V. Thomas Belcher, stated to have been in the family of Nicholas Frost of Kittery, ME as early as 1640, and to have died in 1652. "Old Eliot, ME", Vol. I, pages 87-245. The writer has no further knowledge of this individual, who probably died unmarried. It is a curious coincidence, that, about 1693, John Belcher of Boston, deserted his family there and went to Kittery, ME where he entered the service of Charles Frost, son of Nicholas Frost, and remained in his employ and in that of his son and grandson for 40 years, until his death in 1730, leaving his property to his last employer, Charles Frost.[8] [5] "Historical Collections of Staffordsshire" Vol. I, Page 291. [6] "Putman's Historical Magazine", Vol. IV, Page 183. [7] NEHGR: (Apr 1906) Vol. LX, Page 126. [8] Ibid: Page 127. Continue For First Generation