Charles Metcalfe, Esquire of Inglethorpe Hall (b. 1797, d. 1871)

Discussion in 'General Family History Queries' started by Aspiring Posho, May 30, 2019.

  1. Aspiring Posho

    Aspiring Posho Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    52
    Likes Received:
    36
    Location:
    Northampton
    After breaking through a brick wall that had plaguing me for a few months, I finally made progress on the Metcalfe branch of my family, and now it appears I can feel the flame of gentry, perhaps baronetcies with my 6x-great-grandfather Charles Metcalfe, Esquire. Charles left £25,000 in his will in 1871 (nearly £3 MILLION today) - according to which he was 'of Inglethorpe Hall in Norfolk' - and I know he was a solicitor who married his wife Mary (possibly nee Metcalf and could have been a distant cousin?) in 1826. But I have no idea whether he was born into that money. I think I may have come across a source for the family having a coat of arms, but nothing in Burke's yet. Although that maybe be overshooting - I'm not 100% sure whether being Esquire would make him Sir Charles in any way. I think my pipe dream here is any validation of inheritance and descendancy from nobles - Inglethorpe Hall apparently covered 30 acres so it can't have come cheap if he didn't inherit, and his simply buying it would empty his bank a lot - plus possibly a portrait of him or anyone in the immediate family.
     
    Mettie2000 likes this.
  2. arthurk

    arthurk Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,213
    Likes Received:
    4,501
    Location:
    West Yorkshire, England
    There's someone who appears to match this Charles in the data held by the Metcalfe Society, and it looks as though two members of the society are connected to him.

    The information in the members' database includes a place and approximate date of birth, plus parents. It also mentions that he had 12 children, but doesn't name all of them.

    More on the society at
    Code:
    http://metcalfe.org.uk/
     
    dizzyme likes this.
  3. Dogsday

    Dogsday Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    166
    Likes Received:
    1,062
    Location:
    Lancashire
    well that's done you out of your inheritence, isn't it always the way :headbang:
     
    Sis and arthurk like this.
  4. Aspiring Posho

    Aspiring Posho Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    52
    Likes Received:
    36
    Location:
    Northampton
    Very amusing, Dogsday. :) When I wrote that part of my post I meant a past inheritance for Charles, not for me.
     
  5. Daft Bat

    Daft Bat Administrator. Chief cook & bottle washer! Staff Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    7,796
    Likes Received:
    31,120
    Location:
    Northamptonshire, England.
    You might also be interested in family and estate papers. According to the National Archives record here, they are at the Cambridgeshire Archives.

    Possible day trip? Take sandwiches. :)
     
  6. Archie's Mum

    Archie's Mum Always digging up clues

    Offline
    Messages:
    10,557
    Likes Received:
    36,436
    Location:
    Orange, NSW Australia. The Colour City.
    In The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, 'Metcalf Inglethorpe Hall co Norfolk: granted in 1810 to John Metcalf Esq of Glanford Brigg, physician, great uncle to Frederick Morehouse Metcalf FRGS of Inglethorpe Hall co Norfolk' Then goes on to describe the coat of arms.
    Reading this I feel that Metcalfs were in Inglethorpe by 1810
    Inglethorpe is also described as being in Suffolk...is this the same place as in 1761 Gardiners were in Inglethorpe Hall Suffolk
     
  7. Archie's Mum

    Archie's Mum Always digging up clues

    Offline
    Messages:
    10,557
    Likes Received:
    36,436
    Location:
    Orange, NSW Australia. The Colour City.
    The only Sir Charles Metcalf I can find was Acting Governor General of India, 1835-1836, Governor of Jamaica 1839-1842, Governor General Of Canada, 1843-1845 and was born in Calcutta in 1785.
     
  8. Archie's Mum

    Archie's Mum Always digging up clues

    Offline
    Messages:
    10,557
    Likes Received:
    36,436
    Location:
    Orange, NSW Australia. The Colour City.
    There is Charles Metcalf born Wisbech Cambridgeshire who in 1871 was a magistrate and land owner in Cambridgeshire, wife Mary 66 born Gainsborough. 1861 he was a solicitor, 1851 solicitor, 54 living Wisbech St Peters, Cambridgeshire. All have wife Mary and 1851 has visitor Susannah Scrimshaw who I believe could be her sister. Another tree has Mary as Mary Scrimshaw.
     
  9. burt

    burt Where there's a will there's a way!

    Offline
    Messages:
    492
    Likes Received:
    1,398
    Location:
    Wales
    The money came down the family, at least as far back as Charles'
    grandfather, George, who was obviously a well to do grocer first of
    Gainsborough and then Spalding.
    George Metcalfe married at Gainsborough 1765 Feb 15, of the parish
    and a grocer to Rebecca Morehouse spin otp by license, witnesses
    Robert Twell and Eliz Morehouse. They had four sons and a daughter
    Rebecca. One son, probably George predeceased him, but produced a
    grandson Robert. Sons Charles [1771 Jan 11] and John [1769 May 28],
    were born at Gainsborough and Morehouse [1776 Jun 19] at Spalding.
    Father George died 1812 and there is a lengthy, revealing Will in the PCC.
    Son John I think is the one of Brigg granted the coat of Arms 1810.
    Son Charles married 1794 Nov 24 at Wisbech to Elizabeth Skrimshaw by
    license, - 1794 Nov 22 Charles Metcalfe Esq, and Elizabeth Skrimshaw,
    bondsman William Skrimshaw, surgeon and apothecary.
    They were the parents of Charles [1796 Dec 7 Wisbech] that married
    Mary Metcalfe in 1826 at Gainsborough.
    Charles died 1853 and left a lengthy informative Will in the PCC. He had
    a lot of property.
    Morehouse Metcalfe married at Willoughton 1799 Nov 6, a bach of
    Gainsborough to Mary Richardson a spin otp by license. Witnesses,
    Kitty Coats, Eliza Coats and Chas Metcalfe.
    Mary of the 1826 marriage was their daughter, so Charles and Mary were
    first cousins.
    Morehouse was buried 1828 Aug 16 aged 52 at Gainsborough and he left
    a Will in the PCC.
     
    dizzyme likes this.
  10. Elsiesgirl

    Elsiesgirl Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    213
    Likes Received:
    595
    Location:
    Derbyshire ex Notts but born Yorkshire
    Gosh what an interesting family! I think they called themselves Esquire when they were classed as a gentleman and didn't have to work but I may be wrong.
     
  11. Mettie2000

    Mettie2000 New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Northants/Lincs/Cambs Border

    Just found this site, and thread!
    Charles (and his wife Mary!) are my Second Cousin 5 x removed,(so yes they were related) and we have quite a bit of information relating to this line, which i will try and wade through again, as it is a while since I looked at the family tree.
     
    Sis, Doug, GrannyBarb and 2 others like this.
  12. Elsiesgirl

    Elsiesgirl Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    213
    Likes Received:
    595
    Location:
    Derbyshire ex Notts but born Yorkshire
    I've just looked and Inglethorpe Hall has been restored and can now be rented for holidays or weddings. It has 9 bedrooms and sleeps 20. It is on the fringes of the Royal Sandringham estate and overlooks The Wash. How lovely to have that property in the family tree
     
    Archie's Mum likes this.
  13. Mettie2000

    Mettie2000 New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Northants/Lincs/Cambs Border
    Unfortunately, that is the wrong Inglethorpe, The manor of Inglethorpe that was owned by the Metcalfe family is in Emneth, just over the Norfolk/Cambs border from Wisbech, towards Qutwell.
     
    Elsiesgirl likes this.
  14. Elsiesgirl

    Elsiesgirl Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    213
    Likes Received:
    595
    Location:
    Derbyshire ex Notts but born Yorkshire
    Thank you. Just looked at that one too, it still looks impressive. I'd love to have that on my family history.
     
    Daft Bat likes this.
  15. Jo Heron

    Jo Heron New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Wakefield, West Yorkshirre
    I also have Metcalfe ancestors, although not this branch, and found and Armine George Metcalfe who appears to be the nephew of Charles Mte of Ingelthorpe Hall. The Metcalfe Society does have more information on the family, although we are still collecting and compiling new information on the family in general.
     
    Mettie2000 and arthurk like this.
  16. Jo Heron

    Jo Heron New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Wakefield, West Yorkshirre
    Looking through the earlier posts, I think I do need to point out that many of the Metcalfe family's were not too imaginative with naming their offspring. William, Charles, George, Robert, Christopher, Thomas and a number of others, appear with frequent regularity, making it hard to trace a family line. I think the Charles in India may have been Charles Theophilus, but the family originate from the Dales area of North Yorkshire
     
    arthurk, Chimp, Sis and 2 others like this.
  17. Mettie2000

    Mettie2000 New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Northants/Lincs/Cambs Border
    The Charles in India, and this line are separate.

    Our research takes us back to Finningley, Notts in the mid 1500s, with a possible connection to Hampsthwaite, Yorks in 1540.
    The way to follow this part of the line seems to be to look for Clergy, Doctors or Solicitors in the Lincolnshire/Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambs area, although they do pop up in other areas from time to time (Devon seemed a favourite)
    Prior to George Metcalfe moving to Spalding in 1775, the family lived in Gainsborough, where he had moved from the nearby village of Everton in Notts, where the family farmed.
    The area around North Notts is quite a stronghold for the family, with them popping up in Retford, Worksop, Gringley-On-The-Hill, Everton, Misterton and Finningley, with jobs as far ranging as farmers, grocers, ironmongers, brickmakers, canal lock-keepers and agricultural labourers.
     
  18. Jo Heron

    Jo Heron New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Wakefield, West Yorkshirre
    That is interesting.

    The family originate from the Dales area of North Yorkshire but spread quite quickly across North Yorkshire/South Durham, and then further afield. Norfolk was a popular area especially as many of the early settlers to America left from there - largely due to religious problems as well as for economic reasons. Occupations are very varied, as well as those you mention, they include publicans, miners, weavers and others in the cloth trade and blacksmiths, as well as the more educated as the clergy or law. Those in law do seem to have done well for themselves, and some rose to high office. Even today there are not too many Metcalfe's in the south west of England or in Wales, especially the further south you go.

    At the last count, there were 38 variations of the name, possibly mainly due to mis-pronunciation, mis-hearing or illiteracy of the person writing it down. Accents and speed of speaking must have caused quite a problem for the clergy and officials.

    The Charles who went to India was created a Baron in 1844, Sir Charles Theophilus, he was a politician who was Deputy Governor of India, then Governor of Jamaica and, latterly, Canada. He was also a Director of the East India Company, and I hesitate to say it - a slave owner (hence some of his fortune).
     
  19. Mettie2000

    Mettie2000 New Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Northants/Lincs/Cambs Border

    Yes, I was at one time a member of The Metcalfe Society, and we met a distant cousin of mine at a Mecca Muster. When he passed away a few years ago, we were left his research. I do believe his research was also copied over to the Society.
    I am presently going through about 30 years worth of research, collating and updating the work from several members of my family, including myself, mostly sourced at local archive centres in Notts, Lincs, Cambs & Norfolk, mostly hand written in notebooks, or old archive photocopies. Trying to digitize the notebooks, and check online sources to add to my PC is taking more time and effort than I thought!

    We did do some research on Sir Charles and family, but ruled him out fairly early on, as there is quite a bit of info in the public domain on him and his family.
    Ironically, my Charles Metcalfe's offices were next door (and now owned by MCP Law, previously Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettifer, the company his father started) to the home of Thomas Clarkson, leading slavery Abolitionist on York Row, Wisbech.
     
  20. arthurk

    arthurk Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,213
    Likes Received:
    4,501
    Location:
    West Yorkshire, England

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice