Many researchers do not start with Henry (1575) or William Thomas (1615), but go back to an earlier Belcher - Hugh, born in the middle 1440s.
The Belchers possibly came over with William the Conqueror, and the name is presumably French "Bel Chere," meaning (according to the web-page I copied this from) "good company or companion." (It sounds to me as if it should mean "beautiful dear one.") The name Belcher is found in the records of Northhamptonshire,Warwickshire, and Staffordshire as early as 1176. [Warwickshire is just west of Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire is northwest of Warwickshire, with the city of Birmingham in between.]
1. Hugh Belcher is said to be descended from Ralph De Belcher of Staffordshire (1176). He was born ~1460 in Northhamptonshire, and was Lieutenant of the Forest of Needwood in Staffordshire at the time of Edward IV (1442-1483). [The Blankenstein site says Hugh was born 1450 and married Havis Belson, daughter of Thomas Belson.]
2. John Belcher, b. 1478, Staffordshire, is said to be the son of Hugh. He married Elizabeth Saunders (b. 1480).
3. Edmond Belcher, b. 1506, Guliborough (I can't find it in the atlas, so I don't know what county it is in), is said to be the son of John and Elizabeth. He married Emma Wryley, daughter of Cornelius Wryley, b. ~1510. Edmond died very young, in 1529, but not before fathering two sons, William and Gregory.
4. William Andrew Belcher, son of Edmond and Emma, b. ~1525, Northhamptonshire. He is the one who married Elizabeth Randes. He was possibly the father of Henry, from whom the Belchers in the US descend. [Other researchers give him a birth date of ~1534. I assume the discrepancy in dates comes from the desire to connect him to Edmond.] His brother Gregory married Alice Wirrits and had 4 children, Isabel, Elizabeth, Alice and Thomas (whose will was probated in 1627 in Berkshire - quite a bit south of the normal Belcher haunts.) To get back to William Andrew - he and Elizabeth had another son, William b. 1545. [According to the Blankenstein site, this William married Christine Dabridgecourt.] Henry's birthdate is unknown but is generally put at "before 1575," for some reason I have not yet discovered. William, according to the Blankenstein site, died 1580.
5. Henry Belcher, b. before 1575 in Warwickshire. He married Mary Mitchell, and they were the parents of William Thomas Belcher, who emigrated to Virginia.
6. William Thomas Belcher, b. 1615 Warwickshire. He emigrated to
Virginia sometime before August 1636, because he married Tabitha Bartlett on 4 August
1636 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Their death dates are unknown. Their son was
Robert George Belcher.
Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight (975.554 Bodie)
Page 422 Will of Samuel Bridger of the City of Glouchester July 30th 1650
…To my son James lands in the tenure of WM. BELCHER of Forbridge…
7. Robert George Belcher, b. 1649, Isle of Wight County, VA. Isle of Wight County, by the way, is closer to the mouth of the James River than Jamestown. It is on the southern side of the river, opposite [the independent city of] Newport News and Warwick. He married Phoebe Isham (b. 1648/1650, daughter of Henry Isham and Katherine Banks) in Henrico County in 1669. Henrico County is further up the James River and surrounds [the independent city of] Richmond. In the early days it included land on the south side of the James as well, land that later became Chesterfield County.
Another source, http://angelfire.com/la2/gen/index.html, says that the Belchers first came to Massachusetts before moving on to Virginia. Angelfire says that it was Robert or his son John who first showed up in the southwestern Henrico County (the part that would become Chesterfield).
At any rate, Robert and Phoebe Isham Belcher had a son, John.
8. John Belcher, b. ~1670 somewhere in Virginia, married Elizabeth Frogley, b ~1679 in Childrey, Berkshire, England. According to various Frogley researchers, she was married to John Belcher 7 Nov 1710 in Denchworth, Berkshire, England. Their children were: John, b ~1689 or 98, James 1694, Robert 1700, William, b ~1707, Richard D b. ~1710 in Chesterfield County, Virginia, George 1712, and Isaac 1714.
These notes copied from the Blankenstein site.
Richard Bailey of Chesterfield and Tazewell Counties, Virginia and his Descendants by Mary Ellen Howe - p. 1-11
The earliest known record of James Bailey appears in Henrico County, Virginia in John Nash's Sheriff's Bond along with John and Richard Belcher: James Bailey Dr. 1736. 1 Levy. Store debt. Mr Cary's debt. A bond due. Paid 75 lbs. Tobo. By Jno Pride, Jr. 74 lbs. Tobo. Pd by John worsham. John Belshar, Jr. 1 Levy. Clks fee. Store debt. "To Rig'r yr. Son Thos. An
item cancelled ‘To yr order to Richard Belshar – note paid by JOHN BELCHER SR.'"Henrico Co, Southside 1736
Page 7 Richd. Belshar. Dr. 1736. 1 Levy. For your last year's levy. Pd by JOHN BELSHAR SENR.
Page 10 JOHN BELSHAR. Dr. 1736. 1 Levy. Clerk's fees. To I Registerar"to your promise for Rd Belshar". "Cr given you in my Store 110". "To yr or to R Belshar for his Levy 51". In the Credits "The Clk fee is to Belshar junr".
The balance of 338 lb tobo pd by Inspector's note."Colonial Wills of Henrico Co, Va Pt 1 1654-1737 (975.5453 Wiesiger)
Page 140 p.447 Will of Gilbert Gee of Henrico Parish …
Wit: John Perdue, JOHN BELSHER, John Ferguson
Recorded Aug. 1734
John and Elizabeth Frogley Belcher both died in 1739.
To John Belcher's page (info basically the same as what is here)
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contact me at: lee@leesgenes.com
page last updated 26 Aug 2004