Earl, Here's what I have on the Benjamin Belcher clan. I don't think I submitted this will to the PCVA GenWeb page, although I have transcribed it (with all grammatical errors intact!). What I'd really like to know is the parentage of Sarah/Sally Jones.... Anyhow, here's what I've collected from various sources: Descendants of Benjamin Belcher 1. Benjamin Belcher b. ca 1791, VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 22-Jun-1823, in Patrick Co VA, Sarah Jones, b. ca 1795, aka: Sally, ref: PC Hist. Soc. Benjamin died ca 1884, VA. Patrick County, VA will book 7 page 666 Benjamin Belcher Will The last will and testament of Benjamin Belcher of Rock Castle Patrick County Virginia. I Benjamin Belcher considering the uncerainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and memory do make and publish this my last Will and testament in manner and form following that is to say. Firstly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Belcher all of my Household and kitchen furniture and the rents of my land her life time. And at her death to be equally divided between my heirs John Belcher Mary Cruise Hardin Belcher's Heirs Martha Akers Elizabeth Wood, and Reed Belcher and my stock consisting of cattle, hogs, &c shall also be equally divided between the above named Heirs. And at my and my wifes deaths my will is that my tract of land known as the Akers place lying on Brammer Spur road shall be equally divided between John Belcher, Mary Cruise, and Hardin Belcher's Heirs. And my home tract of land where I now live on the head waters of Rock Castle shall be equally divided between Martha Akers, Elizabeth Wood, and Reed Belcher. My will is that my son Noah shall have one dollar only of my entire estate. My will is that the above named property willed to the above named Heirs shall be divided amongst themselves without an administrator. This the 28th day of August 1878. his Benjamin X Belcher mark The within will of Benjamin Belcher was now subscribed by the said Benjamin Belcher the testator in the presence of each of us and was at the same time declared by him to be his last will and Testament and we at his request signed our names hereunto as attesting witnesses. This the 28th day of August 1878. William E. Shelor Caleb Boyd In Patrick County Court February Term 1884. The last will and testament of Benjamin Belcher was presented in Court proven by the subscribing Witnesses thereto admitted to probate and orderd to be recorded. Teste L. G. Rucker, Clerk Children: 2. i John b. 4-Apr-1824. 3. ii Harden b. ca 1826. iii Mary Ann Belcher b. ca 1827, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 23-Dec-1847, in Patrick Co VA, James Cruise, b. ca 1820, VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. 4. iv Martha b. ca 1830. v Noah Belcher b. ca 1837, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 28-Jan-1858, in Patrick Co VA, Catherine Fisher, b. ca 1834, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. vi Obediah Belcher b. ca 1834, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. vii Benjamin Belcher, Jr. b. ca 1840, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., d. 5 Mar 1871, Patrick Co VA. viii Reed Belcher b. ca 1844, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 20-Dec-1870, in Patrick Co VA, Sarah M. Akers, b. ca 1844, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of James Akers and Agnes Houchins) ref: PC Hist. Soc. ix Martin Belcher b. ca 1846, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. 5. x Mary Elizabeth b. ca 1834. 6. xi Thomas b. ca 1802. Second Generation 2. John Belcher b. 4-Apr-1824, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 13 Feb 1845, in Patrick Co VA,1 Nancy Brammer, b. 28-Aug-1825, (daughter of John Brammer and Nancy Davis) ref: Chas & Ines. Nancy: Daughter of John Brammer and Nancy Davis? Children: i Mahaly Belcher b. ca 1846, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 23-Aug-1866, in Patrick Co VA, Costley Belcher, b. ca 1844, Patrick Co VA, (son of Thomas Belcher and Catherine Stanley) ref: PC Hist. Soc. ii Lucy E. Belcher b. ca 1847, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 22-Aug-1867, in Patrick Co VA, Peter B. Belcher, b. ca 1840, Henry Co, VA, (son of Thomas Belcher and Catherine Stanley) ref: PC Hist. Soc. Lucy died ca 1875, Patrick Co VA. iii Hardin Belcher b. ca 1849, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 17-Jun-1870, in Patrick Co VA, Louisa F. Palmer, b. ca 1847, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. iv Wesley Claiborne Belcher b. 19-Aug-1868, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 27-Dec-1889, in Patrick Co VA, Mary Alice Hall, b. 10-Feb-1874, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of Elijah Harden Hall and Nancy A. Cockram) ref: PC Hist. Soc., d. 30-Mar-1940, Patrick Co VA. Wesley died 27-Mar-1953, Patrick Co VA. Mary: Tombstone says she was born 1873. v Nancy Olivia Belcher b. 24-Sep-1870, Patrick Co VA, aka: Ollie, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. (1) in Patrick Co VA, William Madison Conner, b. 8-Jun-1883, Patrick Co VA, aka: Matt, (son of Daniel T. Conner and Susan) ref: PC Hist. Soc., occupation Baptist Minister, d. 30-Apr-1942, Patrick Co VA, m. (2) John B. Underwood, (son of Alfred Underwood and Judith Emma Hall). Nancy died 6-Jan-1973, Patrick Co VA. vi Sarah Elizabeth Belcher b. Mar-14-1854, Patrick Co VA, ref: Enterprise, m. Mar-24-1870, in Patrick Co VA, John C. Hubbard, b. Sep-14-1844, Patrick Co VA, (son of Jonathan Hubbard, Jr. and Frances Cruise) ref: Enterprise, d. Jun- 1-1904, Patrick Co VA. Sarah died Jul-22-1949, Patrick Co VA. John: Civil War Vet vii German Belcher b. ca 1854, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. viii Benjamin Belcher b. ca 1860, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 20-Jan-1898, in Patrick Co VA, Mary Lou Craig, b. ca 1874, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of Peter D. Craig and Sarah A. Wood) ref: PC Hist. Soc. ix Charles E. Belcher b. ca 1862, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 23-Dec-1883, in Patrick Co VA, Nancy E. Craig, b. ca 1852, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of Peter D. Craig and Sarah A. Wood) ref: PC Hist. Soc. 3. Harden Belcher b. ca 1826, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 3-Mar-1853, in Patrick Co VA,1 Elizabeth Hylton, b. ca 1821. Harden died ca 1865. Elizabeth: Father may have been Edward Hylton. Info from PC Hist. Soc. lists her birth year as 1827. Children: i Edward J. Belcher b. ca 1854, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. ii John Wesley Belcher b. May- 9-1858, Patrick Co VA, aka: Wes, m. 9 Feb 1875, in Patrick Co VA, Mary Jane Hall, b. Sep-20-1852, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of William M. Hall and Celia Ann Harris) d. Mar-25-1948, buried: Conner Cem., Rt. 764 (Meadows of Dan, VA, Pat. Co.). John died Oct-19-1947, buried: Conner Cem., Rt. 764 (Meadows of Dan, VA, Pat. Co.). Information from PC Historical Society, work of Eunice Kirkman, lists birthdate as Mar-9-1858. This work also lists his name as John Moses Wesley. Mary: PC Hist. Soc. lists her birthdate as Sep-30-1852. 4. Martha Belcher b. ca 1830, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 13-Mar-1848, in Patrick Co VA, Creed Akers, b. ca 1827, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. Children: i William B. Akers b. ca 1849, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc. 5. Mary Elizabeth Belcher b. ca 1834, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 12-Mar-1878, in Patrick Co VA, Jeremiah Wood, Jr., b. ca 1839, Patrick Co VA, (son of Jeremiah Wood and Mary A. DeHart) ref: PC Hist. Soc. Children: i Henry A. Wood b. ca 1843, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 12-Mar-1878, in Patrick Co VA, Sarah F. Rakes, b. 29-Dec-1858, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of Samuel Jackson Rakes and Ruth Ann Thomas) ref: PC Hist. Soc. 6. Thomas Belcher b. ca 1802, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. Catherine Stanley, ref: PC Hist. Soc. Catherine: Father was Thomas Stanley. Children: i Costley Belcher b. ca 1844, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 23-Aug-1866, in Patrick Co VA, Mahaly Belcher, b. ca 1846, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of John Belcher and Nancy Brammer) ref: PC Hist. Soc. ii Peter B. Belcher b. ca 1840, Henry Co, VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc.,4 m. (1) 22-Aug-1867, in Patrick Co VA, Lucy E. Belcher, b. ca 1847, Patrick Co VA, (daughter of John Belcher and Nancy Brammer) ref: PC Hist. Soc., d. ca 1875, Patrick Co VA, m. (2) 1-Sep-1887, in Patrick Co VA, Elizabeth Cockram, b. ca 1865, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., d. 26 Jan 1888, Patrick Co VA,2 m. (3) Dec-30-1897, Mahalia Hubbard, b. ___-??-1849, Patrick Co VA, aka: Mahaley, Hala, (daughter of Jonathan Hubbard, Jr. and Frances Cruise). Elizabeth: d/o John B. & Nannie Cockram per PCVA death records. Mahalia: Hala and Peter lived together only a short while. Hala, Dave Mazie and one other of the girls lived together. They were buried in a old burial plot on Jack's Creek Rd (no markers, no trace of graves). iii Martha J. Belcher b. ca 1831, Patrick Co VA, ref: PC Hist. Soc., m. 17-May-1855, in Patrick Co VA, William A. Reynolds, b. ca 1831, Patrick Co VA, (son of Jesse Reynolds and Matilda) ref: PC Hist. Soc. At 01:11 PM 1/7/99 EST, you wrote: >Sarah M. AKERS, d/o James and Agnes HOUCHINS AKERS, married (20 Dec 1870, >PCVA) Reed BELCHER, s/o Benjamin and Sarah JONES BELCHER. > >The will of Benjamin was contributed to the PCVA GenWeb archives but no >address for the contributor is listed. > >Perhaps somebody familiar with these families can answer a couple questions: > >a. Who was the husband of the Martha AKERS named in the will? Parents? Is she >a BELCHER? > >b. Who was the husband of the Elizabeth Wood named in the will? Parents? Is >she a BELCHER? > >Thank you, > >Earl B. Akers, Sr. >Puyallup WA > > --------------------- "You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your relatives." ;^> Shelby Hubbard Puckett spuckett@wfubmc.edu