Samuel Belcher

• General Notes
  • 
    There is no confirmed record of Samuel`s birth, parents or place
    of birth. He married Ann Swallow on 9th May 1786 by banns at St
    Georges Church Hanover Square Westminster therefore it can be
    assumed that being of marriageable age he was born in 1766 or
    earlier. Samuel and Ann were both residents of the parish. There
    were three sons of this marriage. It is likely there were
    daughters. I have prepared separate birth briefs for Richard,
    Betsy, Jane and Sarah Belcher on the basis of circumstantial
    evidence but there is no positive proof.
    
    In the register of the parish church of Wantage in Berkshire there is an entry that on the 26th April 1755 William Belcher [described as of the Parish of St. George`s Hanover Square, London] was married by licence to Mary Yates. There would appear to be a possible connection here with the Belcher family of  London, Enfield and Birmingham as Samuel and Anne Swallow were married  by banns at St George`s Hanover Square on the 9th May 1786. Could this Samuel have been a son or nephew of William Belcher of Kells ? The surname Belcher has for centuries been common in Berkshire [usually in the less prominent ranks of life] and it cannot therefore be taken as certain that this marriage is of William of Kells: but it is more probable; since the Yeats or Yeates family  was of some standing in the county, and it appears [from his later marriages and apparent position] that William of Kells was either of fairly good birth or had A come up in the world@. The bridegroom`s address at marriage AHanover Square. London@ need not imply that he was a stranger to Wantage.
    
    Supposing him to have been a native of Wantage the birth-entry in the Wantage Church registers which is most likely to relate to him is one recording that William, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Belcher, was born there on 28th February 1730, this [conceding the identity] bearing in mind the frequency of the name in the locality: [ the marriage of Benjamin and Elizabeth is not recorded in the Wantage registers]. A Thomas Belcher who matriculated at Christ Church Oxford, 26th March 1751, was then 18 [so born in 1733 or thereabouts] and is described as son of ABenjamin Belcher of Wantage Berks Pleb@. If this man was, as seems likely a brother of William of Kells. The entry is interesting as showing the humble status of the family and at the same time that they were not disregardful of learning.