Michael Metcalfe

Other Events and Attributes:

• History: 1676; His first house was burnt by Indians in 1676.
• Married: 21 Dec 1676, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; Elizabeth Bowers, the daughter of John and Mary Bowers. She was born on 26 May 1654 in Medfield, Massachusetts. Her birth was recorded as 26 (3) 1654. She died in 1724 in Medfield, Massachusetts. Issue: 1. Michael Metcalfe (1680-____) 2. Sarah Metcalfe (1683-____) 3. Samuel Metcalfe (1684-____) 4. Elizabeth Metcalfe (1686-____) 5. Jonathan Metcalfe (1690-____)

Notes:

Married:
Michael Metcalfe and his brother, John, married sisters on the same day.

Died:
When Michael died his oldest child was only eleven years old. His uncle, Isaac Wheeler, was appointed their guardian.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1637; In 1637 he came to New England, age 15, on board the Rose with his parents.
• Religion: 1643, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; John was admitted to the Dedham Church in 1643.
• Freeman: 26 May 1647; On 26 May 1647 he was admitted as a freeman.
• Moved To: About 1652, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; John and Mary came to Medfield about 1652, with their three children.
• Land/House: 1658, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; John Metcalf received a grant of a piece of land in Medfield next to the burying-ground, he to make the division fence in 1658 "at the time the town fence in the burying-ground." Robert Mason had liberty given him to "take sedar to mak singell for his house."
• Other Will: 1664; In 1664 his father died and left him "One ffeather bed & Bolster, my second Book of Martyrs, Mr. Perkins second Book, Luther on the gala, one silver spoone, one pair of sheets, one long chest in the upper chamber, one Diaper Broadcloth."
• Offices Held: 1671, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; Starting in 1671 he served on the Medfield Board of Selectmen six years.
• Occupation: 1680, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; According to Wheeler (1924) "About 1680 the town of Medfield voted a bonus for the erection of a grist mill upon the Charles River and a dam and mill were built by several associates of whom John Metcalfe was the first. This mill was upon the Charles river at Rockville in the town of Millis and was the first mill upon that portion of the river. It was burned by an Indian prior to 1685, but rebuilt, and the Indian was prosecuted for his crime."
• Offices Held: 1682, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; He was a commissioner in 1682.
• Last Full Review: 7 Aug 2020

Notes:

Birth: The date could have been 15 September.

Death: Harris (1852), Goodwin (1856), and Metcalf (1898) give his death date as 27 November 1675.

Name:

John married Mary Chickering on 22 Mar 1647 in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Mary was born in 1630; died on 15 Mar 1697/98 in Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; was buried in Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Land/House: Nov 1646; She transferred all of her interest in a parcel of land in Suffolk, England to her cousin, John Chickering, the son of Henry Chickering in November 1646.
• Moved To: Abt 1652, Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; John and Mary came to Medfield, Massachusetts about 1652, with their three children.
• Last Full Review: 7 Aug 2020

Notes:

Parents: Many sources list her as the daughter of Francis and Anne (Fiske) Chickering. In this they take the lead of Savage (1860), but he was proved wrong by Clarence Almon Torrey in 1940.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Abt 1600; He was a Dornix weaver, that is the type of material used for curtains, carpets and hangings, so called from Doornich or Tournay, a city in Flanders where it was first made.
• Freeman: 21 Jun 1618, Norwich, Norfolk, England
• Religion: 1619 to 1634, Norwich, Norfolk, England; He was the warden of St. Benedict's Church, Norwich, England. He served until 1634.
• Living: 13 Jan 1636, Plymouth, Devonshire, England; Michael Metcalfe was in exile in Plymouth, Devonshire, England when he wrote a letter of support to the non conformists of his town.
• Immigration: 15 Apr 1637, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England; Michael wrote of his emigration thus: "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 Commissioners' Court. Suffering many time 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 Sept 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 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." This servant appears to have been Thomas Comberbach, aged 16 years. He also wrote, "my enemies conspired against me to take away my life, and, sometimes, to avoid their hands, my wife did hide me in the roof of the house, covering me over with straw."
• Residence: 14 Jul 1637, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
• Religion: 24 Aug 1639, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; Michael joined the Dedham Church.
• Offices Held: 1640 to 1641, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; He was a selectman.
• Freeman: 13 May 1640, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
• Occupation: 1656 to 1661, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; He was a school teacher.
• Land/House: 1661, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; Michael Metcalfe deeded land in Dedham by exchange with Robert Ware.
• Will: 19 Nov 1664, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; In his will he mentions his wife, Mary, and his children: Mary, Sarah, John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Martha, Jane, and Rebeka.
• Probate/Proved: 1 Feb 1664/65, Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; The inventory of his estate was valued at £364 18/ 5d.

Notes:

Name:


Residence:
Wheeler (1924) gives the date as the 18th of July.

Michael married Sara Elwyn on 13 Oct 1616 in Raynham, Norfolk, England. Sara (daughter of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Bensley) was christened on 13 Jun 1593 in Hingham, Norfolk, England; died on 30 Nov 1644 in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 15 Apr 1637, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England; Michael wrote of his emigration thus: "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 Commissioners' Court. Suffering many time 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 Sept 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 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." This servant appears to have been Thomas Comberbach, aged 16 years. He also wrote, "my enemies conspired against me to take away my life, and, sometimes, to avoid their hands, my wife did hide me in the roof of the house, covering me over with straw."

Notes:

Name:

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: 1574, Tatterford, Norfolk, England; He was the rector of the parish of Tatterford.
• History: 1614; He stated that he had been an incumbent at Tatterford for 40 years and that he was 73 years old, being born in Apperside, York County, England.

Leonard married Amy. Amy died in 1602 in Tatterford, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married Elizabeth Bensley on 24 Sep 1591 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. Elizabeth (daughter of Simon Bensley and Alice Parker) was christened on 12 Nov 1570 in Caistor, Norfolk, England; was buried in 12 Jan 1605 to 1606 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]