Person:John Belcher (6)

John Belcher, born in Virginia about 1786, came to Kentucky to claimland in 1806.

                     He selected 6 1/2 acres on Meshack Creek whichwas then located in Cumberland
                     County. He returned to Franklin County, VA tomarry Permelia Biggers and to serve
                     in the War of 1812. He moved his family to theMeshack Creek property in 1816.
                     In 1820, the county lines were redrawn and theMeshack Creek property became a
                     part of Monroe County. John and Permelia raisedtheir eight children on the
                     Meshack Creek homeplace. When John died in 1864,the property was devided
                     equally between his eight children. One of hisdaughters, Harriet Belcher Grider,
                     purchased the shares of the Belcher homeplacefrom her brothers and sisters and
                     combined it with her nearby Grider holdings. Theproperty has remained in the
                     family, passed down to her children, and then totheir children. Today it is owned by
                     a great-great grand daughter of John andPermelia [Biggers] Belcher and is a
                     Kentucky State Historical Farm. The descendantsof John and Permelia [Biggers]
                     Belcher of Monroe Co, Kentucky are now scatteredthroughout the United States.
                     Some of these descendants established homes inTexas and New Mexico in the
                     early 1900s. All descendants of John andPermelia Belcher are invited to share their
                     family stories and information at the New MexicoBelcher Family Reunion at
                     Portales, New Mexico on Sunday, July 18, 1999.Please contact me through this
                     page for further information. Some of the namesthat married into the Belcher Family
                     are: Gentry, Headrick, Grider, Hammer,Ryherd[Richards], Strode, Fults, Proffitt,
                     Osborn, Webb, Owen, Moss and Fletcher. If youhave any information to share
                     about these families and their Belcher links,please contact me. Juanita Belcher
                     Thinnes