BELCHER
,
JOHN
(
fl.
1721-1763
),
Methodist exhorter
.
Son of
Edmund
Belcher
of
Eglwys Ilan, Glam.
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 d. out there
c.
1751
, but it is known that he was at
Trevecka
in
Aug. 1763
. He was a man of strong intellectual gifts and an exceedingly acceptable
preacher
.
Sources:
-
Diary of William Thomas,
Cardiff Manuscript
4, 877;
-
Methodistiaeth Cymru
(1851–6)
, i, 487, ii, 141, iii, 4, 21-2;
-
Y Tadau Methodistaidd
(1895)
, 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.
Author:
Reverend Gomer Morgan Roberts, M.A., (1904-93), Pont-rhyd-y-fen / St
Dogmael's / Llandybïe
