Belcher was born on May 14, 1669, in Milton, Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College in 1690.[5][1][a] After his parents separated, Belcher was raised by his maternal grandparents.[6] His father died in 1678 and, in his will, directed that Belcher should become an apprentice to trade at the age of 14.[6] As he approached that birthday, his grandmother died and left him a "considerable fortune," including 300 acres of land in Milton.[6] She also left him 10 acres of land in Dorchester along with a mill and mill rights.[6][b] As a result, he was very nearly financially independent.[6]
Belcher settled in Dedham on November 29, 1693.[1] Soon after, he married Abigail Thompson,[7][c] and together they had six children.[7] His daughter married Joseph Richards,[8] while his son, Sir Joseph Belcher, was a Harvard graduate and a teacher in the Dedham Public Schools.[9] Belcher was friends with Judge Samuel Sewall and Cotton Mather.[6] Sewall attended his ordination.[10]
In 1721, he came down with a "dangerous paralysis" and went to Roxbury to the home of his son-in-law, Rev. Thomas Walter.[7] There he was cared for by his wife's brother, Dr. Philip Sampson.[7][11] The church occasionally took up collections to support him during this time.[11] He died in Roxbury on April 27, 1723, and five of the "principal men" of Dedham were appointed to hire a coach to transport his body back to Dedham.[7][1] The town appropriated 40 pounds to cover the expenses of his funeral[7][11] and £2.4s for the 'entertainment' of the men who attended his funeral and their horses.[11] He was buried in the Old Village Cemetery.[12] Cotton Mather read a eulogy of him in Boston.[11]
Ministry
He first preached in Dedham on April 17, 1692, and then again for the second time a month later on May 15.[5][6] He received 15 shillings per day as a guest speaker.[6] The records of the May 23, 1692 Town Meeting indicate that "the Church and Town have given a call" to have Belcher move to Dedham and serve as the minister.[5] Belcher returned to preach on June 12 and did so regularly beginning on October 30.[5] Church records indicate the call was given on December 4, 1692.[5]
Belcher was shy and self-effacing, and had a "calming influence, rational approach and generally non-inflammatory attitude."[13] It was likely his calm approach that saved Dedham from being caught up in the hysteria surrounding the witch trials in Salem and surrounding communities.[6]
He was minister at the First Church and Parish in Dedham from 1693[4][3][14] until 1723,[4] although illness prevented him from preaching after 1721.[3] His portrait, donated in 1839, hangs just left of First Church's pulpit.[15]
A few weeks after settling, on December 23, the Town Meeting voted to set his salary at 60 pounds a year.[5] In 1696, he tried to return to a system of voluntary contributions instead of the taxes imposed to pay the salary of his predecessor, but when that system failed, the tax was reimposed in 1704.[6][14][7][16] By the end of his tenure his salary was 100 pounds a year plus the firewood provided by members of the parish.[7] The town also contributed 60 pounds to build a parsonage on land now owned by the Allin Congregational Church.[7]
