Elizabeth Belchier

Not the daughter of Gabriel Belchier, of Yate & Elizabeth Belchier

Disputed origins

Elizabeth Belchier is clearly not the daughter of Gabriel Belchier and Elizabeth Parsons of Yate, Gloucestershire. She was born far too early and in the wrong country. It is possible that she was a sister of Gabriel Belchier but this is mere speculation without further research.

Notes

the following quotation is from -

History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with descriptions of border life by C. L Johnstone [1]
Johnstons in America
from Gilbert Johnston Gentleman - "Writ by my hand for Susana 8th day of March 1790"

It would require the evidence of registered documents in public keeping — the only evidence which a Committee of Privileges in the House of Lords will accept — to refute the common belief that John Johnston, as he generally spelt his name, the brother of the first Marquis of Annandale, left no legitimate direct heirs. But an American family claim descent from this John, on the ground that a written uncertified statement made by Gilbert Johnston of Brompton, Cape Fear, North Carolina, in 1790, when he was sixty-five, calls himself grandson to John Johnston of Stapleton. Some of his descendants infer that this John Johnston was the brother of the first Marquis of Annandale.

The statement is : —

• " My grandfather John Johnston of Stapleton, officer in a Scottish regiment in French service, married Elizabeth, her father Gabriel Belcher, French Protestant. :Their children were -
• 1. John, he and only son died in North Britain. (Scotland)
• 2. Gabriel, Governor of North Carolina. [disputed]
• 3. Gilbert my father.
• 4. Samuel lived in Onslow, N. Carolina.
• 5. Elizabeth married Thos. Keenan at our home Armagh.
• My father married Caroline.
• Her grandfather George Johnstone, Armagh 1724. (Children, Gilbert, Henry, Caroline, Gabriel, Robert, William, Isabel, John.) married Margaret Warburton, North Carolina, 2 June, 1750. Children, Hugo, Gilbert, Jean, Isabel. Henry died Catawba County, son James, Col. in war.
• Caroline married William Williams, son William. John lived in Bertie, N. Ca. Gabriel married Janet McFarland, son Francis killed, Lieut. Mother and Aunt Francis died Brompton.
• My father to Ireland after 1715. Got my lands through George Gould. Barfield tories burned my house to cellar.
• Was at Culloden with father, he wounded, came to Cape Fear 1746. My father died 1775. Marion, two Horrys and Francis Huger met Folsome and Giles my house, all chose Marion, bar Folsome. Hugo took my men with Marion 1780. All horsemen. Francis Huger, and James often at my house. John Rutherford a tory.
• Writ by my hand for Susana 8th day of March 1790
• " Signed Gilbert Johnston Gentleman."

  ---

• Religion: French Huguenot [Protestant]
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 15 2023, 21:47:42 UTC

    ---

References

1. Register, Alvaretta Kenan, 1907- . The Kenan family and some allied families of the compiler and publisher. (1967) "Lineage from Magna Carta Sureties." Page 198. < Archive.Org. > 20. John Johnstone of Stapleton b. 1665, Newbie, Scotland Officer in Scottish Reg't., and in French service. Married while in exile. m. 1695, Elizabeth Belchier, dau. of Gabriel Belchier, a French Protestant.
2. http://members.tripod.com/~andrews_sc/history1790.html
3. http:..ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nc/wayne/heritage/johnston2.txt
4. Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Feb 6 2017, 7:04:25 UTC
5. Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Feb 7 2023, 13:19:18 UTC
6. Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 18 2023, 5:00:34 UTC
7. GEDCOM Note Ancestor 2M7(6M3)7M Person # 1825