A family archive, kept as an institution
The Belsher Archives holds the records of the descendants of Thomas Bartholomew Belcher (1722–1793) and of the House of Belsher.
History
The Archives was founded in 2026 by John Robert Belsher, the family historian, who reclaimed the Belsher name in 2021. It brings together decades of research by members of the family, records found in courthouses and state archives across six states, and the papers the family itself has kept.
Its model is the long-lived family archive, such as the Rothschild Archive in London: a named keeper, written rules, and a collection that does not depend on any one person.
What it holds
The collection holds 401 numbered records. 378 of them are open to the public today. They are court, land, probate, tax, census, military and vital records, with county histories, newspaper notices and a family Bible record.
| Open records by type | Records |
|---|---|
| Deed | 159 |
| Probate | 54 |
| Military service | 29 |
| Court case | 23 |
| Land entry | 22 |
| Prison record | 22 |
| Marriage | 9 |
| County history | 9 |
| Tax list | 8 |
| Photograph | 8 |
| Voucher | 7 |
| Estate | 6 |
| Will | 5 |
| Other | 4 |
| Newspaper | 3 |
| Death | 3 |
| Pension | 2 |
| Birth | 2 |
| Land patent | 1 |
| Bible record | 1 |
| Census | 1 |
The Archives collects records of the family's past, photographs, the family's own letters and recorded memories, the records of the House of Belsher, and the work of Belshers today.
How it is run
The Archives is run by a Keeper and a Deputy Keeper who holds a full copy and can take over at any time. Its written Rules set out what is collected, how new items are numbered and described, who may see what, and how the records are preserved and handed down.
Access
Every record opens to the public 72 years after it was made, the rule used for the United States census. Until then it is kept for the family. Some details are never made public at any age: identity and account numbers, and the private details of living people. How to use the Archives.
Care of the records
Every record is kept in at least three copies in at least two places. Scans are kept in standard formats, and each record has a typed transcript so its words survive even if an image is lost. Paper originals are stored flat in acid-free folders.
The name
The family name is spelled Belcher in most early records and Belsher by the family from the early 1800s on. Clerks wrote it both ways, often in the same document. Search for both.