Hello and Welcome to the Belbin-Matthews web site.  It is my wish that you find this site informative and enlightening. As Web Site administrator, I have tried to be as accurate as I can about names and dates of the persons entered in this site.  Much of the data that I have gleaned the info about is very dated and you may find some errors or omissions, please contact me to have the corrections made.  My e-mail  address is silverstreams50@gmail.com or you can snail mail me at Brenda Belbin, 138 Dufferin  Street, Orillia, Ontario.  L3V 5T2 or if you'd like to speak to me my # is 705-325-5656.  Please  sign our Guest Book and let us know if this site has been helpful or interesting to you.  As in most  cases of history being handed down, we do run into errors and omissions and will try to correct  these as they are brought to my attention. Our Guest Book is a means that we use to improve this  website for everyone.  Please take the time and record your visit. I've just noticed that the Guest  Book does not provide any way for me to contact you, so please include your email address, so I can  respond to you.  Many thanks for taking the time to browse this site and provide updates and changes  that are required.

I am always looking for stories or anecdotes that provide insight to the persons listed, so please, if you have any, contact me.  Also, if you have any fond memories or photos  linked to persons listed here, I would be pleased to add them to the person's notes.

Many people have been exceptionally helpful in providing the information on specific families included in our Belben/Belbin Family History.  Lloyd Belben of New Chelsea, NL. provided the base of the family tree and inspired me to dig a little deeper into the family history and many web sites, including "www.belbin.net/newfoundland" and "BelbinMania", both by Terry Belbin of England, (I have found "BelbinMania" to be absolutely the best site on the web for a variety of "Belben/Belbin/Bellman/ etc. Info.) has been instrumental in filling in many of the blanks that occur when researching family history.  The early background history is very confusing in this family tree of Belbin's; Belben's;Bellman's, Belman's (visit "Belbinmania" on the web for even more variations of this name).  Please note *Terry now has a  Belbin/Belbin Facebook page.  
 The Grand Banks Records Data is another source rich in a variety of documentations pertaining to the Island of Newfoundland and their link is included on our home page.  I encourage you  to have a look at both sites, however, Belbinmania has the resources for the "Belbin/Belben" name.  
 Jim Halpin of United States has a site on the web that is rich in Belben/Belbin history of the  United States.  I am truly grateful to all the people who have made such efforts of cataloging all  the family names for both the Belbins/Belbens and Matthews families.

It is some people's theory that the Belbin/Belben/Bellman/Belman of Newfoundland have originated from a Nathan Belbin of England and for this reason, Nathan Belben of England is included in this version of the family.  However, thus far, NO DOCUMENTED proof has been confirmed as of yet.  Hopefully, in my lifetime or the next  administrator's lifetime, documentation proving the English ancestry, will come to light and we will have documentation to confirm or disprove this.

Please note, in many official documents Belbin/Belben/Bellman/Belman and many variations, have been intermixed from the original information that I have received.  In many cases, I have tried to include the different spellings of the surnames of this family, however, due to volume, some of the person's listed are listed under the original name that I was given and updates are still underway.  When too many variations/conflicts  of the spelling of this surname arise, the name will be recorded as Belbin.

Also, if you are looking at this site and find some of your relatives/ancestors  on it, please provide your family information, so that we can include your family also.  The more we know, the better the site.  So for all you relatives of the Belbin/Matthews lines, enjoy this site and become an active participant.

For the Matthews/Harris side of the family, credit and thanks must be given to  the late Agnes Harris Matthews and June Matthews Belbin.  Many years ago, I was able  to tape the family history by my Grandmother, Agnes and it is from there, much of the older family history is recorded.  My mother June Matthews Belbin has spent many hours working on her biography and we, as Mother and Daughter have shared many hours of conversation about her memories and her accounts of the family.  Many thanks to my wonderful and talented Mother.

Mom's sisters Mona and Geraldine have wonderful memories and many anecdotes come from their past experiences.  Thank you, Dear Aunts.  Bob Ford of Mount Pearl, NL has researched and provided much of the Matthews history and deserves credit for his  input into this history web page.

I have found it very difficult to trace much of the Matthews Family, as Matthews is quite a common name and many are not related.  If anyone should possess the information related to the Matthews' listed and their ancestors and descendants,  please contact me.  
 Update:  Summer of 2011 I have been in Newfoundland and have spent time with some of the more  senior members of the Matthews family and am deeply indebted to their contribution in developing the  "Matthews" side of our Family Tree.

Sorry to note, that due to some unscrupulous internet activities, some data of living relatives has  been blocked to protect them.  If you are filling out your own family tree and would like access to  this info, please contact me and I will ask permission from the living individuals, if I am able to  contact them.

Some trivia:  In 2003, the Newfoundland government decided to change the abbreviated form of  NF to NL to reflect both Newfoundland and Labrador, the two land masses that make up the province  of Newfoundland.

Currently, many members of our family live far away and apart, however, we remain close in love and family bonds.

Please remember, that it is not only for our generation that the Family History  is to be enjoyed, but also, and more importantly, for the future generations to come.    It is our mark that we leave in this world that our descendants can get to know and remember us by.  "Spend time with your children and tell them about their past family; you will be surprised at just how much they remember of your conversations, when they become adults."