Contents [hide]

Belcher History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Belcher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Belcher family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Belcher is based on the Old Norse word which means good friends. The name appears in the oldest of all English plays The Mystery Plays. "Lo, here is the Belshere broght ye had bring". 1 A parochial name from Bellecourt, near Perrone in Normandy, it is believed to have arrived in England with the Norman Conquest and the name appears on the Roll of the Battel Abbey as Bellesur. 2

Early Origins of the Belcher family

The surname Belcher was first found in Yorkshire, where the Assize Rolls of 1219 list Thomas Belcher as holding lands at that time. 3 A few years later, Richard Belcchere was listed in Gloucestershire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed John Belsire in Kent. 1

"Belcher has long been an Oxfordshire name. It was established in Enstone in the 16th and 17th centuries. William Belcher, yeoman, of Steeple Aston, presented his son, Thomas Belcher, to the incumbency of Westcot Barton in 1640. Samuel Belcher, apothecary, died at Deddington in 1668. " 4

Early History of the Belcher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belcher research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1453, 1530, 1539, 1553, 1563, 1580, 1621, 1673, 1681, 1730, 1741, 1747, 1757 and 1783 are included under the topic Early Belcher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belcher Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Belcher were recorded, including Belcher, Belsher, Belleser, Bellcher, Bellsher, Beleser, Bellesur, Bellecourt, Belcourt and many more.

Early Notables of the Belcher family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Jonathan Belcher (1681-1757), an American merchant, businessman, and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (1730-1741), Governor of the Province of New Hampshire (1730-1741) and Go...

Belcher Ranking

In the United States, the name Belcher is the 1,073^rd most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Belcher family to Ireland

Some of the Belcher family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belcher migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Belcher arrived in North America very early:

Belcher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Walt Belcher, who landed in Virginia in 1624 6
Mrs. Christian Belcher, from Northamptonshire who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, settled in Boston 7
Mr. Edward Belcher, Jr., from Northamptonshire, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet settled in Boston 7
Edward Belcher, from Northamptonshire, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, he settled in Boston Massachusetts and was made a freeman.
Jeremy Belcher, who settled in Ipswich Massachusetts in 1631 after having made the voyage on the "Susan and Ellen"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Belcher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Geo Belcher, who landed in Maryland in 1725 6
Susanna Belcher, who landed in Maryland in 1725 6
Elijah Belcher, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1792 6

Belcher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martha Belcher, who arrived in America in 1821 6
W Belcher, who landed in America in 1821 6
L Belcher, who landed in America in 1822 6
J J Belcher, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
E A Belcher, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Belcher migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Belcher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Belcher, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
Benjamin Belcher, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 29, 1828, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. William Belcher, (b. 1797), aged 33, English clerk who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Henry Belcher, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. William Belcher who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Belcher migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Belcher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Belcher, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Martaban" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1856 13
Miss Elizabeth Belcher, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Martaban" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1856 13
Mr. John Belcher, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Martaban" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1856 13
William Belcher, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Richard Belcher, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Belcher (post 1700) +

Page Henry Belcher (1899-1980), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma (1953-1973), eponym of The Page Belcher Federal Courthouse
Patricia Belcher (b. 1954), American film and television actress, best known for her role as attorney and prosecutor Caroline Julian on Bones
Jovan Henry Allen Belcher (1987-2012), American NFL football linebacker
Supply Belcher (1751-1836), American composer and singer
Taylor Belcher (1920-1990), American diplomat, U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus (1964-69) and Peru (1969-74)
Finley "Red" Belcher (1926-1952), American bluegrass performer from Kentucky
Admiral Sir Edward Belcher KCB (1799-1877), Canadian-born, British naval commander and explorer, great-grandson of Governor Jonathan Belcher 14
Jem Belcher (1781-1811), English bare-knuckle boxer and Champion of All England 1800-1805
John Belcher (1841-1913), English architect, recipient of the Royal Gold Medal (1907)
Allan Belcher (1884-1921), Australian rules footballer
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Belcher family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Edgar Raymond Belcher (1915-1941), Australian Wireman from Croxton, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 15

The Belcher Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Loyal au mort
Motto Translation: Faithful unto death.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1828 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1828
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 14 June. 2019
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp