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George Belcher was born about 1760 in Amelia County, Virginia. He was a veteran of the American Revolution. On 20 January 1777, George enlisted in Captain James Foster’s Company of the 15th Virginia Regiment (Continental Line), commanded by Lt. Colonel James Innes. Other regiments he served in were the 5th and 11th Regiments (Continental Line); and the 2nd Virginia Brigade. Places of note where his company was located include: Reading, Valley Forge, White Plains, Newark, Pompton, Middlebrook, Ramapaugh, Smith’s Cove and Morristown.
George Belcher spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It was at these winter quarters that 11,000 men under General George Washington suffered through a bitter cold winter. These poorly clothed and starving men, with little shelter from the elements, symbolized the indomitable and determined spirit of the fledgling American army at that time. As many as 2,500 men died during that brutal winter. George Belcher was even listed sick during roll call, while there.
One story has George Belcher participating in the battle of Cowpens, south Carolina, on 17 January 1781, even though his enlistment ended on 27 February 1780. He supposedly suffered a broken arm. It was at Cowpens that Brig. General Daniel Morgan and a force of 1,100 men, most of whom were backwoodsmen, met a British force of about 1,100 men under Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Using cunning tactics and the deadly fire of his riflemen, Morgan routed the British army.
Two other Belchers are found in the same company that George Belcher served in during the war. An Edward Belcher and a Robert Belcher. There is presently no clue as to their relationship to George Belcher. However, it is quite possible that they were closely related to George, possibly brothers of his. George Belcher served three years in the American army, and finished as a Sergeant( Revolutionary War Records Virginia, Section III, Virginia Military Land Warrants. Ancestry.Com Database.)
After the end of the American Revolution, George married Sally Powell, daughter of George Powell, on 14 August 1782, in Amelia County, Virginia. The only child born of this union was John Belcher. John was probably born in Washington County (now Russell County), Virginia. George Belcher, along with John Fugate, acquired 380 acres of land on a Commissioners Certificate on both sides of the upper north fork on the Clinch River, in what is now Russell County, Virginia. This John Fugate may have been a brother of George Belcher’s second wife Mary Fugate. George married Mary shortly after the death of his first wife Sally. George Belcher is listed on the Petition to form Russell County from Washington County, in December 1785. According to the 1787 Russell County Personal Property Tax List, George owned 2 horses and 6 heads of cattle. George bought 70 acres more on the Clinch river in February 1795, and acquired 100 acres more on the south side of the Clinch River on 7 December 1800 (Russell County Land Grants No. 46, page 527. Rootsweb.com). Other Belchers living in Russell County were Jesse, John, and Robert Belcher. Jesse and John were probably brothers of George, and Robert may have been a brother, also. Sometime later, George Belcher moved his family across into Floyd County, Kentucky. While there, George became one of it’s first Justice of the Peace. George died in Pike County sometime before 1830.
George Belchers land and tax Records:
1778: 100 acres on Maiden Spring Fork of Clinch River
1783: Washington County surveyors records: George Belcher and John Fugate assigne of Jospeh Fugate...380 acres...commissionaires cert on both sides of the upper north fork of the clinch river, running along, Joseph Fugates line. 23 May 1783
1785: grant abstract shows 1 Apr 1785 George Belcher and John Fugate...308 acres in Washington County Va on both sides of the upper north fork of Clinch River ADjoining Joseph Fugate.. grant #0 p 157
1795: George is listed in Russell county Va AbstractsB 25 Feb 1795 George and mary signed for 32 acres on Clinch River. 1800: Russell County Va, Dec 7 1800 100 Acres on the South side of Clinch River on both sides of a Branch Grant #46 page 527
1809: George witnessed will of Roeterman 2 Oct 1809 Franklin County Va By 1800 George was listed as living in Floyd County Kentucky George still owned real estate in Russel, Franklin, and Tazewell Counties in Virginia. 1805: Records show he was selling it up to March and April of 1805
He had bought land in Russell and Tazewell Counties up to 1803.
1814: He was the administrator for the estate of George Belcher, Jr., deceased in Jun 1814 in Floyd County, Kentucky.10 George Belcher, Sr. appointed administrator of the estate of George Belcher, Jr., deceased. Bartteth Adkins, Martin Thornsbury, Richard Johnson and John Sanders to appraise the estate.
page 97 in Annals of Floyd County states: September Court, 1814, Inventory of the estate of George Belcher, decd. is received
George Belcher Married: #1 Sally Powell
daughter of George Powell and stepdaughter of David Crawley
#2 Mary Fugate
daughter of Josiah Fugate and Elizabeth Smithers of Frederick Co. Virginia.
The Josiah Fugate family in"Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia"
are listed as being of French Huguenot Extraction, were in Westmoreland County as early as 1664, interestingly George and Mary's son Bartlett married Rachel Ramey also of French Huguenot extraction.
Child of George Belcher and Sally Powll: 1..John Belcher B: 1783 Married: #1 Mary Elswick #2 Jane Taylor
Children of George and Mary: 2..James Belcher B: 1784 Married: Polly Drake McCombs 3..Bartley (Bartlett) Belcher B: 1785 Married: Rachel Ramey 4..George Belcher Jr B: 1788 Married: Elizabeth Childers 5..Margaret (Peggy) Belcher B: 1792 Married: Allen Pinson 6..Ali (Eli) Belcher B: 1793 Married: Polly Pinson 7..Lucy (Sally) Belcher B: 1796 Married: Jesse Childers 8..William Belcher B: 1799 Married: Cynthia Adkins 9..Mary Ann Belcher B: 1800 Married: #1 Joseph Lawson #2 John Cook
Land Warrant for services in the Revolutionary War
George and Sally's Consent To MarryGeorge Belcher's War Record
Greg Belcher and Gayl Wells