Belcher, Jonathan.

Belcher, Jonathan. Colonial Governor of Massachu­setts and New Hampshire 1730-1741. He was born in Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 8, 1681 and died at Eliza­bethtown, N. J., Aug. 31, 1757. He graduated from Harvard College in 1699 and spent the following 6 years in Europe. He was made a Mason in Eng­land in 1704, for, on Sept. 25, 1741, he responded to a congratulatory note from First Lodge at Boston as follows: ”Worthy Brothers: I take very kindly this mark of your respect. It is now thirty-seven years since I was admitted into the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, to whom I have been a faithful Brother & well-wisher to the art of Freemasonry. I shall ever maintain a strict friendship for the whole Fraternity, & always be glad when it may fall in my power to do them any services.”

A dispute over his salary caused his removal from his position but, in 1747, he was made Governor of New Jersey. At his death, he left valuable benefactions to Princeton College. For a long time, it was supposed that Belcher was the first Freemason known to be in America, but it was later learned that John Skene (q.v.) had antedated him by over 20 years.