| Notes |
- Ralph de Belcher: Hugh Belcher, Lieutenant of the Forst of Needwood
Staffordshire, descended from Ralpoh de lBLelcher of Staffordshire in
1176 lineal ancestor of the Belcher's of LGuilsborough in
Northamptonshire; was of the time of Edward IV (1442-1483).
The name Belcher, is an old one, found in legal records as early as
1176 in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worchester, Wiltshire, and North
Hamptonshire (Northants), England.
From "Historical Collections of Staffordshire, Vol 1, pg. 1291: When
Ralph de Belcher was witness to a deed.
The name is uncommon and the origin of the name is from the old french
"Bel-chere", meaning, "good company or companion". Some early Norman
translations mean "good cheer" or "good and cheerful". One line of
the Belcher's is seated in Guilsborough in Northamptonshire and was
descended from Hugh Belcher, the earliest descendent of this branch,
found at this time was born around 1460 in Northants, England. Living
in the reign of Edward IV, this branch of the family held landed
estates and bore arms: "Loyoal au Mort" (Loyal even to death). The
coat of arms is described as paly of six, or (gold) gules (red) a
chief vair. Crest a greyhound's alertness in the discharge of duty. A
chief signifies dominion and authority, and ermine and vair (also fur)
authority and honor. Ermine and vair are the oldest furs of heraldry,
and denotes generosity and elevation of mind, gules, military
fortitude and magnanimity. The pedigree was entered into the
"Visitation of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire in 1619.
The original ancestor of the Belcher family in England is listed in
the Roll of Battle of Abbey. This roll was the original list of those
who came to England with William the Conqueror's Army more than nine
hundred years ago during the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest
known beginning of Belcher genealogy starts here.
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1450 - Aft 1478 (> 29 years)