Michael Metcalf

We have some information on Michael Metcalf. He was born in 1590 to the Reverend Leonard Metcalf and Amy in Norwich, England. He was a staunch Puritan, and as such, was harassed by the ecclesiastical authorities. He was warden of St. Benedicts in Norwich, and owned a cloth factory which employed 100 men. From this, he is known as "The Dornix Weaver", dornix (or damask) being the type of cloth that he produced.

Michael married Sarah Ellwyn on October 13, 1616 in Hingham. She was the daughter of a prominent family in the area.

Michael's harrassment for his religious beliefs forced him and others to eventually emigrate. A couple of quotes are appropriate -- first from court records from the eventual impeachment of Michael's chief accusor, Bishop Wren, who was tried during Oliver Cromwell's reign [1]:

That by suppressing means of knowledge and salvation, and introducing ignorance, superstition and profaneness, many [some 3,000] of his majesty’s subjects which used trades, spinning, weaving, and making of cloth, stuffs, and other manufactures of wool—and making of cloth . . . that is to say Daniel Sonning, Michael Metcalf, John Besant, Nicholas Metcalf, and many others, some of whom setting a hundred poor people to work, have removed themselves into Holland and other parts beyond the seas, and there set up and taught the natives the said manufactures, to the great hindrance of trade in this kingdom, and to the impoverished, and bringing to extreme want of very many who were by these parties set to work, to the great prejudice of his Majesty and his people.

Second, from Michael himself, describing his journey to America [2]:

To all the true professors of Christ’s Gospel within the city of Norwich:

. . .I was persecuted in the land of my father’s sepulchres, for not bowing at the name of Jesus, and observing other ceremonies in religion, forced upon me, at the instance of Bishop Wren, of Norwich, and his chancellor Dr. Corbet, whose violent measures troubled me in the Bishop’s Court, and returned me into the High Commissioner’s Court. Suffering many times for the cause of religion, I was forced, for the sake of the liberty of my conscience, to flee from my wife and children, to go into New-England; taking ship for the voyage at London, the 17th of Sepr 1636; being by tempests tossed up and down the seas till the Christmas following, then veering about to Plymouth in Old England, in which time I met with many sore afflictions.

Leaving the ship, I went down to Yarmouth, in Norfolk county, whence I shipped myself and family, to come to New-England; sailed 15th April, 1637, and arrived three days before midsummer, with my wife, nine children and a servant.

[In a postscript Michael wrote] . . . my enemies conspired against me to take my life, and, sometimes, to avoid their hands, my wife did hide me in the roof of the house, covering me over with straw.

In New England, Michael, Sarah, and the family settled in Dedham, which is outside of Boston. Michael was admitted as a Townsman on July 14, 1639 and made a freeman on May, 13, 1640.

Sarah died on November 30, 1644 at Dedham, having given birth to eleven children, nine of whom reached maturity. Michael remarried Mary Pidge, herself a widow from Roxbury. They had no children together, although she had some from her previous marriage.

In 1657, Michael was the schoolmaster of Dedham. He died on December 24, 1664. His will is dated September 15, 1664, and reads as follows [3]:

LAST WILL AND TESTMENT OF MICHAEL METCALF Michael Metcalfe, Senior, of Dedham, being aged, Doe make this my Last Will. Whereas, there is a Covenant Between my selfe and Mary my wife, made before our marriage, bearing Date the 13 of August 1645, wherein it may appear that she reserved to herselfe, and to her dispose, her Lands, and Estate, so that I received no Estate with her; Yet, neverthelesse, I give unto her ffor the terme of her widowhood, in household stuffe, and other goods, as shee thinkes meete to Chuse, for her use, not exceeding the value of sixteene pounds, and not being such as I shall particuarly Dispose of, in this my Last will, which household stuffe, so chosen by her, shall Bee to ffurnishe the Roome, which my Executor shall prepare for her, at his house, to Receive her into, after my Decease. All which household stuffe and goods, I give to my Executor, to have, after the Decease of my wife. Unto my wife, six punds, to be paid to her within one month after my Decease in Current pay. Unto Sonne John Metcalfe of Medfield, one ffeather and Bolster, my second book of Martyrs, Mr. Perkin’s second book, Luther on the gala, one silver spoon, one pair of sheets, on Long Chest, in the Upper Chamber, one Diaper Boardcloth. Unto my Executor & his Heires, all that my Land in Neponset plaine, and three Acres Laying in ye Lowplaine next to Peter Woodward’s, Also halfe my Divident in ye Cedar swampe, neer the Saw Mill, & 3 Commons & ye odde. Unto my Grandchild Michael Metcalfe, the Elder, all that my Land and Improvments within the Lotte I dwell in, my three acres in ye wigwaom plaine, my swompe next to my house, provided he give my Executor that Little parcel of his swampe west end of his house, otherwise my gift to be void. Also I give him my Natick Dividend of twenty-three acres, more or lesse; four Cow Commons; halfe my Cedar swampe, at the Saw Mill; my wood Land, at the West of Toune; all the particulars I have belonging to husbandry, in one kind or another; all the Remainer of my Household stuffe not Disposed of in this my Will. Also my first Book of Martyrs, Mr. Perkin’s first Booke, one silver spoon. To my Daughter Wilson, ffortye shillings. To my Daughter Elisabeth Bancrafte, ffive pounds. To my Daughter Martha Stowe, twenty shillings. To my Daughter, Jane Walker, forty shillings. To my Daughter Rebecca Mackintosh—ffive pounds. To my wife’s Daughter, Martha Bullard, twenty shillings. To my Daughter, Sarah Onion, three pounds. All which six Legacyes, Last namedl, shall be paid at, in, or Before, the second March next after my Decease, in Current Payment. To my Daughter Stowe’s eldest sonne, which she had by her first husband, Wm. Brignall, ffour pounds, to be paid him when he shall attayne to Lawful age. To my Grand-child, Jno. Mackintosh, and Robert Onion, all my wearing apparel to be equally divided by my Executor in order as their names been here set down; my Grandchild to choose first: To my Grandchild, above said, all the Lumber in my house. Moreover, if any of ye persons that are Legattes in my present will, shall by themselves, or by any others, make or cause to make any Disturbances, or Contortion, in word or Deed in Reference to any thing given in this my Will; then all that Legacye to that person, shall be utterly voide. Thomas Metcalfe of Dedham, my sonne, to be my executor, to whom I give all the Rest of my Lands and Goods, not formerly Disposed of.

Michael Metcalfe

Before the witnessing hereof, I give to my Grandchild, abovesaid, my single acre of Meddow; also my Largest gray Horsemans Coate, also two oxen, one Cow, to be delivered to him at Lawful age. All the Books, aforesaid, given to my soone John, after his death I give them his sonne Michael my Grandchilde.

Signed and sealed in the presence of us

Peter Woodard, his mark X, Jonathan ffairbanke

Edward Ranson, Recorder

Jonathan Fairebanke

All of these quotes were taken from the monograph "Some Decendants of Rev. Leonard Metcalf" by Howard Hurtig Metcalfe, The Anundsen Publishing Company: Decorah, Iowa, 2001. The specific references cited therein are:

[1]. Howells State Trials, Vol. IV, p 33.

[2]. Goodwin, Nathaniel, "Genealogical Notes, or COntributions to the Family History of some of the FIrst Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts" Genealogical Publishing Company: Baltimore, 1988. (Origional published in 1856)

[3]. Metcalf, Clayton G. "A Study of Metcalfs, Andrews, and Smith" Enterprise Alabama, from author, 1979.