Metcalf Family
Early generations
The most probable derivation of the name Metcalf is that
in Craven, twelve miles southeast of Dent, are 3 hills or a small mountain
with 3 peaks now called Pennegew Hills, but long ago known as the “Three
Calves.” According to the Harleian Manuscript their coat-of-arms were
granted in 1483; the crest in 1487. In A.D., 1278 (under
King Edward I) it is recorded that Adam de Madekalf, that is, Adam of the
middle calf, was killed by one Steynebrigge in single combat. The
prefix made is derived from the German “Mitte,” Saxon “Midd,” and English
“Middle.” This Adam of Metcalf in 1278 was the eighth in descent from
the original Dane Arkefrith, who came to England with King Canute in 1016,
who gave him lands in N.W. Yorkshire and made him Lord of Dent, Sudbury
and Askrigg, names still to be found on the maps of Yorkshire. It is
said that the present Danish succession can be traced in an unbroken line
from Arkefrith to the present time. The following is the descent of
our present Metcalfs in America:
METCALF LINE:
from England / to Massachusetts / to New Hampshire / to Minnesota
/ to Missouri
1. Arkefirth, an old Danish warrior who came
to England in 1016 with King Canute, who conquered the Anglo-Saxons and
in 1017 married the widow of the King of England and became the English
king. King Canute made Arkefirth Lord of Dent, Sudbury and Askrigg
2. Arkell, Lord of Dent
3. Cospatrick, Lord of Dent
4. Dolfin, Lord of Dent
5. William, Lord of Dent - "Earliest mention
of the name is William Medecalf de Dent (1120-1200), a large landholder
in Northumbria, near the border of Scotland, who had inherited his property
from a great-grandfather, Earl Gospatric FitzMaldred, who had struggled
with William the Conqueror to get and keep it. William and his family engaged
in a very profitable breeding of sheep, cattle and horses. In 1174, supporting
King Henry II of England, he led his troop of horsemen at Alnwick against
Scotland's King William the Lion and took him prisoner. (William the Lion
was later returned to Scotland and swore fealty to the English king--an
example of 12th century politics.)" [quote from review of Howard H.
Metcalfe's new book on the Metcalf
family.]
6. Richard, Lord of Dent
[for about 200 years after
William the Conqueror and the Norman invasion of 1066, French was fashionable
in England.]
7. Adam, Lord of Dent, 1252, A.D.
8. Adam de Madekalf in Yorkshire; killed 1278
by Steynebrigge in single combat (during reign of Edward I).
[By the 1300’s hereditary
surnames began to spread through the common people, as it had among the
nobility 100-200 years earlier. This practice was enforced by Edward
IV (1461-83)]
9. Adam Medcalfe of Thornton Rust; married
daughter of James of Baynbridge
10. Adam Medcalfe of Thornton Rust
11. Richard Metcalf of Baynbridge
12. Thomas Metcalf of Baynbridge
13. John Metcalf, married Alice of Ireby
14. James Metcalf of Nappa in Wensleydale (1389-1472),
married daughter of Gibson of Ireby Hall; was captain in the battle of
Agincourt in 1415, in which Henry V's archers decisively defeated the
French mounted knights.
15. Bryan Metcalfe of Beare Park; married Joanna of Boughton,
[Howard Metcalfe (mentioned above) says that Bryan had 3 sons: 2
of them were Richard (born in 1450) and Leonard (born 1460) -- but this
date for Leonard doesn't work with the 1541 I have below for Leonard]
16. Rev. Leonard
Metcalf of Tatterford in Norfolk (1541-1616)
17. Michael Metcalf, Sr. (1587 Eng—1664 Mass), married Sarah Elwyn,
emigrated to Massachusetts to escape
religious persecution in England
18. Michael
Metcalf, Jr. (1620 Eng—1654 Mass), married Mary Fairbanks, emigrated
with his father (Mary's brother Jonathan
Fairbanks was an ancestor of President George W. Bush)
19. Eleazer
Metcalf (1653 Mass—1704 Mass), marries Meletia Fisher
20. Michael
Metcalf (1687 Mass—1754 Mass), married Abiel or Abigail Colburn
21. Samuel
Metcalf Sr. (1739 Mass—1817 NH), married Lois
Kingsbury; Lt in Rev War.
22. Obed
Metcalf (1763 Mass—1836 NH), married Abigail Park; Obed was a captain
in the Revolutionary War.
23. Moses Metcalf (1793 NH—aft
1880 MN), married Nancy Williams; died in Minnesota.
24. Susan
Mariah Metcalf (1823 NH—1896 Mo), married Miles
Pease; moved to Minnesota1855, then to Missouri 1859.
25. Myron Metcalf Pease (1855 NH—1940 Mo), married Winnie
Johnson & Eva White
26. Myrtle Nora Pease (1881 Mo—1957 Calif); married John
Ira Lindesmith
[my great-grandparents]
If you
would like to check my database to see if the information on your family
is correct, go to my ancestor
file then search for the name of one of your ancestors. (Only those
born before 1930 or no longer living are listed by name. I have names of
the living, but they are not displayed in the online database.) Please
email me if there are any corrections
or additions!!