BELCHER, JOHN (fl. 1721-1763), Methodist exhorter

Son of Edmund Belcher of Eglwys Ilan, Glamorganshire. Father and son were smiths by trade, but the latter began to preach with the Methodists. In the Watford Association of 1743 he was appointed to visit the unmarried brethren and a year later was appointed Howel Harris's assistant in some of the southern counties. He had grave doubts as to the propriety of the continued connection between the Methodists and the Church of England, and, in 1745, joined with others in addressing a letter of remonstrance to the Association and threatening to resign. Shortly afterwards he was appointed to tour North Wales. In the dispute between Harris and Daniel Rowland he repudiated the former and attached himself to the latter.

In 1758 he was crossed in love, impetuously enlisted in the army, and later fought in America. It was rumoured in Wales that he died out there c. 1751, but it is known that he was at Trevecka in August 1763. He was a man of strong intellectual gifts and an exceedingly acceptable preacher.

Author

• Reverend Gomer Morgan Roberts, (1904 - 1993)

Sources

• Diary of William Thomas, Cardiff Manuscript 4, 877
• Methodistiaeth Cymru (1851–6), i, 487, ii, 141, iii, 4, 21-2
• J. Morgan Jones and W. Morgan, Y Tadau Methodistaidd (1895-1897), i, 229-30
• Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, ii, 373-4
• D. E. Jenkins, Calvinistic Methodist Holy Orders (1911), 103-5, 135
• Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, xxviii, 39, xxix, 27, 30, 70, 73-4, 134, xxx, 30, xxxi, 52, 95, xxxii, 43

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: John Belcher

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733354

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/