GLSTJABelcher

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ANDREW BELCHER 1706-1771

BIOGRAPHY

From Wikipedia entry:

Andrew Belcher (1706–1771) was an early colonial Bostonian who served on the Massachusetts Council from 1765 to 1767. Andrew married Elizabeth Teale and lived in Milton, Massachusetts. His father, Jonathan Belcher was a colonial governor of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey. He grew wealthy on provisioning contracts during King Philip's War and later by supplying warships and outfitting New England expeditions to Canada in King William's War and Queen Anne's War. Using this wealth, he rode through Boston's streets in London-built coaches, erected a mansion on State Street in Boston, and purchased slaves.

Belcher, a Freemason, also has the title of being the first person born in America to become a Freemason being raised in 1733 at the age of 27. Andrew's father, Jonathan Belcher, was also a Freemason being raised in 1704, just two years before Andrew was born.

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XX, No. 10, August 1861, Page 319:

The subject of this notice was the first Deputy Grand Master of Masons in America, having received his appointment in 1733 from Henry Price, the first Grand Master.

Andrew Belcher was the son of Governor Jonathan Belcher, who was born in 1681 ; graduated at Harvard College in 1699; and was Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire from 1729 to 1740, and of New Jersey from 1740 to the time of his death in 1757. The Governor was twice married. By his first wife, a daughter of William Patridge, he had Andrew and another son, Jonathan, who was Chief Justice of Nova Scotia. Their grandfather was Andrew, of Cambridge.

Andrew, the Deputy Grand Master, was probably born in Cambridge in 1706; graduated at Harvard College in 1724 and died at Milton, Mass., in 1771. He was a representative from Milton to the General Court four years, between 1759 and 1764. During the year 1764, he was elected a member of the Governor's Council, when he resigned his seat as representative.

After the deaths of the governor and son, their widows lived together for some
 four years in Milton, where the mother died, and soon after the daughter re
turned to England. J. T. H.


Distinguished Brothers