On 17 December 1744, Alexander Belsches of Invermay granted a Bond of Provision to his fives sons, James, William, Robert, Patrick and Hugh, by his late second wife, Margaret Clerk, daughter of Sir John Clerk of Pennicuik. Of those sons, Robert, died in 1745, however, there is no further mention in Scottish records of the remaining four. It is very likely that Hugh, Patrick and James, are identical to the three brothers bearing those names who settled in Virginia in the second half of the 18th century. Of them;
A/ Hugh Belsches married, 1 February 1766, Martha, daughter of Richard Avery, and died on 3 December 1803, aged sixty-six. He had four sons: John, born February 1773; Anthony, born 9 September 1767; Hugh Clerk, born 19 February 1787 and William, and one daughter, Margaret.
B/ Patrick Belsches, died leaving an only child, a daughter Margaret, who at her father’s death, was taken in by her uncle, James Belsches.
C/ James Belsches, settled at Surry and named the land he owned there “Invermay”. He had issue.
I would welcome contact from anyone who has further information.
Gordon MacGregor
10 January 2023.