OVERVIEW...
The Becher family history is a long and interesting one with the earliest documented ancestor being John Becher of Penshurst, Kent. More about him and his descendants, including those that settled and achieved eminence in London and elsewhere, can be found HERE.
One such descendant was Phane Becher, born about 1546 in London, who was granted 12,000 acres in Kinalmeaky by Queen Elizabeth I thus founding the branch of the family that settled in Ireland. More about this branch can be found HERE.
Another descendant, four generations after John Becher, was Richard Becher, born about 1721, who arrived in India in 1743 and founded the branch of the family that remained on the sub-continent for more than one hundred years. This website focuses on THIS Richard Becher and his descendants.
My connection is that this Richard Becher was my 4 x great grandfather on my mother's side.
Richard Becher and his second wife, Ann Haselby, had nine children though three died in infancy. These three are in grey. To see this Richard's biography, click here.
To jump forward to any particular surviving child just click on a name in bold type, the nine children were:
Richard Becher (1764-1846)
John Becher (1765-1830)
Robert Stephens Becher (1765-1818)
Charlotte Becher (1765-1837)
William Becher (1766-1766)
William Augustus Becher (1772-1778)
Charles Becher (1776-1842)
Sophia Becher (1779 -1783)
George Becher (1780-1837)
Many Becher descendants were nominated for a Cadetship for the Honourable East India Company. It is interesting to note that their application form stated the following requirements each cadet was expected to take with him to India:
Passage Money: Captain's table and charter-party passage money £110; Third Mate's Mess Charter-Party passage money £70.
A cadet's baggage was limited as follows: One chest of Necessaries about 3' 9" long, 1' 8" broad and 1' 8" deep; Two trunks of Necessities about 3' 0" long, 1' 7" broad and 1' 3" deep; and One trunk of books 2'6" long, 1' 5" deep and 1' 1" deep; a Hat box, Cot and Bedding.
The Becher family history is a long and interesting one with the earliest documented ancestor being John Becher of Penshurst, Kent. More about him and his descendants, including those that settled and achieved eminence in London and elsewhere, can be found HERE.
One such descendant was Phane Becher, born about 1546 in London, who was granted 12,000 acres in Kinalmeaky by Queen Elizabeth I thus founding the branch of the family that settled in Ireland. More about this branch can be found HERE.
Another descendant, four generations after John Becher, was Richard Becher, born about 1721, who arrived in India in 1743 and founded the branch of the family that remained on the sub-continent for more than one hundred years. This website focuses on THIS Richard Becher and his descendants.
My connection is that this Richard Becher was my 4 x great grandfather on my mother's side.
Richard Becher and his second wife, Ann Haselby, had nine children though three died in infancy. These three are in grey. To see this Richard's biography, click here.
To jump forward to any particular surviving child just click on a name in bold type, the nine children were:
Richard Becher (1764-1846)
John Becher (1765-1830)
Robert Stephens Becher (1765-1818)
Charlotte Becher (1765-1837)
William Becher (1766-1766)
William Augustus Becher (1772-1778)
Charles Becher (1776-1842)
Sophia Becher (1779 -1783)
George Becher (1780-1837)
Many Becher descendants were nominated for a Cadetship for the Honourable East India Company. It is interesting to note that their application form stated the following requirements each cadet was expected to take with him to India:
Passage Money: Captain's table and charter-party passage money £110; Third Mate's Mess Charter-Party passage money £70.
A cadet's baggage was limited as follows: One chest of Necessaries about 3' 9" long, 1' 8" broad and 1' 8" deep; Two trunks of Necessities about 3' 0" long, 1' 7" broad and 1' 3" deep; and One trunk of books 2'6" long, 1' 5" deep and 1' 1" deep; a Hat box, Cot and Bedding.
BECHER NAMES LIST- - - - - SURNAMES INDEX
AUTUMN 2023 NEWS: MANY NEW DETAILS AND PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ADDED
I began researching the Becher family about twenty years ago after I inherited a large old family tree and found that some names and many dates were missing. A year or two later I met Eileen, another Becher descendant, on an online research forum, and together we tried to further the research. It was a lot harder back then because few relevant sources had been digitised and we both spent months poring over records in their various archives and libraries. Later still, we met Jenny, a further descendant and a prodigious researcher. Over time, Eileen began to focus more on trying to find documentary proof that her line of Bechers, which includes Martin William Becher of Becher's Brook fame, is connected to the main Becher tree. Her research to date can be viewed here. Jenny, meanwhile, concentrated more on the Bechers of London and Kent, plus a line of their descendants known as the Irish Bechers, as well as her branch of the Bechers who settled in Australia. I would like to thank them both for all their help over the years.
I would also like to thank Julian for all his research help and contributions and a very special thank you to Rajeev, a retired Indian Army Colonel, formerly based in Cuttack, who very kindly arranged for someone to visit the Gora Kabar Cemetery there and take photos for me. And a big thank you to Jen, another descendant, who kindly sent me the Chilcotin photos. And not forgetting all the other people - fellow researchers, librarians, archivists and others - who contributed time or information over the last twenty years to what has become this website - thank you all so very much!
I have tried at every step to make this website as accurate and informative as possible however, as with anything else, errors might have crept in or there might be some glaring omission. If you spot any mistakes please, please do let me know and I will make an amendment. Alternatively, if you have more biographical history to add, or a photograph to contribute, either would be very welcome. You can contact me here.
I would also like to thank Julian for all his research help and contributions and a very special thank you to Rajeev, a retired Indian Army Colonel, formerly based in Cuttack, who very kindly arranged for someone to visit the Gora Kabar Cemetery there and take photos for me. And a big thank you to Jen, another descendant, who kindly sent me the Chilcotin photos. And not forgetting all the other people - fellow researchers, librarians, archivists and others - who contributed time or information over the last twenty years to what has become this website - thank you all so very much!
I have tried at every step to make this website as accurate and informative as possible however, as with anything else, errors might have crept in or there might be some glaring omission. If you spot any mistakes please, please do let me know and I will make an amendment. Alternatively, if you have more biographical history to add, or a photograph to contribute, either would be very welcome. You can contact me here.