John Belcher was born the son of the architect John Belcher (1816?-1890) in Southwark, Surrey [now London], England on 10 July 1841. He trained with his father between 1857-1865, and for a period in the office of Richard Bell (1809?-1874). Belcher was in partnership with his father from 1865 to 1875, with James Walter James (1846-1935); with Arthur Beresford Pite (1861-1934) from 1882 to 1897; and with John James Joass (1868-1952) from 1905 [Joass had previously worked as Belcher's assistant 1897-1905].
Belcher was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1879, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1882. He was also President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (PRIBA) from 1904 to 1906) He was a founder member of the Art Workers Guild (AWG) in 1884 and was elected a Royal Academician (RA) in 1909. In 1907 he was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal.
Belcher lived for many years in London and died in Camberwell, London, on 8 November 1913. His son, Arthur Herbert Belcher (1858-1924) was also an architect.
A biographical file on John Belcher is available on request from the Enquiry Desk, Royal Institute of British Architects Library, London
Architectural works by Belcher included the Institute of Chartered Accountants building in Moorgate, London (with A.B. Pite, 1890); Colchester Town Hall, in Colchester, England (with A.B. Pite, 1902); the Birmingham Daily Post building in Fleet Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1902); Guildown Grange in Guildford, Surrey (with J.J. Joass, 1902); Tapeley Park in Devon (with J.J. Joass, 1902); Electra House for the Electra Telegraph Co., in Moorgate, London (with J.J. Joass, 1902-03); additions to Cornbury Park in Oxfordhire (with J.J. Joass, 1902-03); the Royal London Friendly Society building in Finsbury, London (with J.J. Joass, 1904-05); Winchester House in Broad Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1904-05); Ashton Memorial in Williamson Park, Loncaster (with J.J. Joass, 1906); premises for Mappin & Webb in Oxford Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1906-08); 26 and 28 Margaret Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1907-08); the Royal Insurance building in St James's Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1907-08); the Royal Society of Medicine building in Henrietta Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1910); headquarters of the Royal Zoological Society in Regent's Street, London (with J.J. Joass, 1910), Whiteley's building in Queen's Road, London (with J.J. Joass, 1910); Tatmore Place in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England (with J.J. Joass, 1910); Holy Trinity Church, Kingsway, London (1910-12); 31 Weymouth Street, Marylebone, London (1912); and The Mappin Terraces, London Zoo, Regent's Park, London (1913).
'Obituary'. RIBA Journal vol. 21, 1914 pp. 50, 55-57, 75-78
'Obituary'. The Builder vol. 105, 14 November 1913 p. 507
'Obituary'. The Builder vol. 105, 21 November 1913 p. 560
‘Obituary notice: John Belcher’. Royal Institute of British Architects. Proceedings 2nd series vol. 6, no. 19, 28 August 1890 p. 412
Avery, Derek. Victorian and Edwardian Architecture. London: Chaucer Press, 2003
Bradley-Hole , Kathryn. ‘Doing what comes naturally: Stowell Park, Northleach, Gloucestershire’. [On the terraces laid out at Stowell Park by John Belcher in the 1880s] Country Life vol. 204, no. 20, 19 May 2010 pp. 106-111.
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
Harper, Charles G. 'The Work of John Belcher, architect'. Architectural Review vol. 4, 1898 pp. 130-133, 201-206, 237-247, and a supplement of fold-out drawings
Harper, Charles G. ‘The work of John Belcher, architect.’ Architectural Review vol. 4, 1898, pp. 130-133, 201-206, 237-242.
James, J. W. 'The Late John Belcher: a biographical notice'. RIBA Journal vol. 22, 1914-15 pp. 75-78
Joass, J. J. 'The work of the late John Belcher, RA'. Royal Institute of British architects Journal Journal vol. 21, 1914 pp. 97-106
Macartney, Mervyn. 'A personal note on the late John Belcher'. Architectural Review vol. 34, December 1913 pp. 127-128
Service, Alastair. 'Belcher and Joass' in Edwardian Architecture and its Origins. Edited by Alastair Service. London: The Architectural Press Limited, 1975 pp. 310-327
Service, Alastair. The Architects of London and their buildings from 1066 to the present. London: The Architectural Press, 1979
Service, Alistair. ‘John Belcher (1841-1913) and John Joass (1868-1952).’ Architectural Review November 1970 pp.282-290
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Moorgate Place, E. C., John Belcher, architect. London : Batsford, 1893.
Wilson, Tony. ‘’John Belcher: building for the Millennium’. Victorian Society Journal 1997, pp. 19-24.
'A [short] personal note on the late John Belcher’. Architectural Review vol. 34, 1913 pp.127-128
‘Bath town planning scheme: spa, baths and hotel by Belcher & Joass’. The Builder 1915, pt. 2, p. 459-460.
‘Electra House, Finsbury’ [Designed by John Belcher] Architectural Review vol. 15, 1904, pp. 54-59.
‘Mappin Terraces at London Zoological Gardens’ [Architects: Belcher & Joass]. The Builder 22 May 1914 pp. 617-622
‘New premises for the Royal Society of Medicine, London’ [Architects: John Belcher and J. J. Joass]. Architectural Review vol. 31, June 1912 pp. 365-370