A friend of mine collects, amongst other things, antique horn beakers. These beakers used to be made from discarded cow horns or even antler horns. The horns were soaked - sometimes for several months! - to make them pliable so that they could be shaped accordingly. He has a couple in his possession that he would like to discover more about. Actually, the maker rather than the beakers themselves. They appear to have been made in about 1820-1840 by a chap named J METCALF. This is stamped into the base of the beakers and an address of GT MARY BONE ST. That's it. Could this be another way of saying Great Marylebone Street? I have been rummaging in directories but have drawn a blank. The base stamps are shown above and this is what one of them looks like: So.... who was this mysterious J. METCALF? Over to you, super sleuths.
No help re Mr Metcalf, but I think you're right about the address: Code: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=h5EKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PP81&lpg=PP81&dq="great+mary+bone+street"&source=bl&ots=IVVhWSNSZj&sig=ACfU3U2u3Hw44Es46NUNkUhBcSi990mTBA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBmqnK2a3xAhUSWsAKHTgQCuwQ6AEwC3oECBIQAg#v=onepage&q="great mary bone street"&f=false
I would think it was this chap, the advert is from 'The Sun' March 8th 1817, although the adverts continue for a while. There are other mentions of him on various occasions where it mentions his name as Jacob Metcalf. Unfortunately I can't find any references to him in the papers in connection with horn beakers, although I would imagine his combs and would have been made of horn. BY HIS MAJESTY’S ROYAL LETTERS PATENT METCALFE'S PENETRATING HAIR BRUSHES—The attention of the Public is particularly requested to the above article, being the most useful implement ever discovered for cleaning the head; its greatest superiority will be evident on the slightest inspection. A brush that will go through the hair has long been a desideratum with the Public, but hitherto unattainable. J Metcalfe has the pleasure to inform the Nobility, Gentry, and the Public, that he has invented a BRUSH that will penetrate through the thickest hair, and effectually cleanse it from scurf; will thereby strengthen and promote its growth, and give to it the most beautiful appearance. The Nobility and Gentry are invited to make trial (without purchase) of the above, at his Brush and Comb-manufactory, 38, Great Marylebone-street. These Patent Hair Brushes are to be had of all respectable shopkeepers. To prevent imposition, please to ask for J. Metcalfe's Patent Hair Brushes; and see that the Brush has the Patentee's stamp on it “Metcalfe, Patentee, Great Marylebone-street”, in the margin, with G. R. and the Royal Crown in the centre. A liberal allowance to wholesale houses on application to Metcalfe and Kent, 11, Great Marlborough-street; or T. and G. Kent, 28, Poultry.
1841 census - 38 Great Marylebone St. Jacob Metcalfe b1781 Middlesex - brush maker Elizabeth Metcalfe b1781 Middlesex HO107 piece 676 book 4 folio 15 page 25 1851 Clarendon Place HO107/1491/379/4 Jacob born 1781 St James Westminster, Elizabeth b1871 Somerset + 2 servants, no occupation entered 1861 Clarendon Place RG09/90/106/41 Now Widowed, Jacob is a fund holder born St James + servants
He died 26/8/1862 - Sept qtr Marlebone 1a 347 probate calendar states, effects under £25,000 re-sworn 1863 as under £35,000 it mentions a great nephew and a wine merchant 2 of the executors.
A bit more - 6/2/1803 Jacob Metcalfe married Elizabeth Taverner at St James Piccadilly Bap 26/11/1780 born 4/11 - St Sepulchre Holborn Jacob Metcalfe s/o Thomas and Mary
It looks like he was baptised on 26th November 1780 at St Sepulchre, in Holborn, having been born on 4th November to parents Thomas and Mary.
Jacob was a very philanthropic man if the contents of his will are anything to go by. Illustrated London News 4th October 1862 The will of Jacob Metcalfe, Esq., of Clarendon-place, Maida-hill, was proved in London under £25,000 personalty. Mr Metcalfe died in August last, a widower, having executed his will in 1849, appointing Thomas Green, of 168, Oxford-street, Thomas Atkinson, and Francis Otter Hodgkinson Esqrs., executors and trustees. The testator died possessed of both real and personal property, and has bequeathed the same chiefly among his nephews: there are some bequests to relatives, also to charities. To his great nephew Thomas Atkinson, he leaves an annuity of £300; liberal annuities are also granted to others, and there are legacies to his servants. The residue, real and personal, he has directed to be divided between the children of his brother George Metcalfe, and those of Frederick Elijah Thompson. The charitable institutions are as follow - The Lying-in Hospitals, Brownlow-street, New-road, Marylebone, and York-road, Lambeth; St. Marylebone Almshouses, St. Johns-wood; St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington; Middlesex Hospital, St. Georges Hospital; Free Hospital, Gray’s-inn-road; St. Bartholemew’s Hospital, London Hospital, Guy’s Hospital, and St. Thomas’s Hospital, legacy of £100 to each; also, legacies of to each of the five district charity schools of the parish of St. Marylebone. The sale of his properties was advertised in the papers. In all, there appear to have been 29 properties, one of which was 'The Sun' public house (now, I believe, known as 'The Perseverance') on the corner of Great Ormond Street and Lambs Conduit Street - a pub which I knew very well when I was working
Some extra useless info Brother George was born 27/5/1776, married Catherine Breedon 1802 St Pancras. From one of his daughter's baptisms he was also a brush maker, of Oxford Street. FMP has rate book entries for him address Oxford Street. 1851 as Metcaffe HO107/1497/182/16 St Pancras, occ income from rents 1861 census RG09/116/6/5 High St., St Pancras, his occ is Freehold and fund holder. I cannot find him in 1841 Died 11/3/1865 probate calendar names son Thomas and daughter Caroline as exectutors.
This is great, thank you! I can see that I shall have a fair bit to write up for my friend when I am back on the laptop in the morning.
Sorry, I didn't mean to find anything else but I got carried away Code: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:aK2-gU_ELhwJ:https://www.myfamilysilver.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/a-shop-in-oxford-street/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk#.YNONTehKg_4 This is the 'cached' version of the site which was taken on 24th May this year. I have no idea why the page is no longer on the site which is still on-line and called My Family Silver.
Glad that you did - a picture and it confirms what we have found, plus the horn mugs have silver plaques on them
Also listed in Pigots Directory of London & its suburbs 1839 (Fascimile Edition): Jacob Metcalfe, brushmaker, 38 Gt Marylebone St
