52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 14: MICHAEL METCALF OF DEDHAM, MA. PT3

My 9x great grandfather Michael Metcalf died in 1684. In his article in the NEHGS Register, Dr.Luther Metcalf Harris includes an abstract of our ancestor's will. One of the things I find interesting about it is how particular over which heir gets which of his books, and who he wants to have them after the deaths of those heirs.

Of course the best thing about wills and probate files is when they help establish relationships and the will does that in showing that Martha (Metcalf) Stow was Michael's daughter. Although I wonder why there is no mention of his grandson Nathaniel Stow who was born before Michael's death.

Lastly, I wish the estate inventory had been included in the article.

Here's the abstract of the will:

Michael Metcalf, died, Dec. 27, 1664. Will proved, and an Inventory of his Estate taken, Feb. 1, 1664-5. £364. 18. 05.
Inventory of the Estate of Michael Metcalfe, Jun. made, 31, 1. 1654. Power of Administration, granted, 26 April 1654, to Mary, his widow, "in behalf of her selfe and fiue children."

The following is an Abstract of the Will of Michael1 Metcalfe. 15.9. 1664.

Michael Metcalfe senior, of Dedham, being aged, Doe make this my Last will. Wheras, there is a Couenant Between my selfe and Mary my Wife, made before our marriage, bearing Date the 13th of August 1645, wherein it may appear that she reserued to her selfe, and to her dispose, her Lands, and Estate, so that I receiued no Estate with her; yet, neuerthelesse, I giue 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 ualue of sixteene pounds, and being not such as I shall particularly otherwise 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 Receiue her into, after my Decease. All which household stuffe and goods, I giue to my Executor, to haue, after the Decease of my wife. Unto my wife, six pounds, to be paid to her, within one moneth after my Decease, in Currant pay. Unto Sonne John Metcalfe, of Medfeild, one ffeather bed & Bolster, my second Book of Martyrs, Mr Perkins second Book, Luther on the gala; one siluer spoone, one pair of sheets, one Long Chest, in the upper Chamber, one Diaper Boardcloth. Unto my Executor & his Heires, all that my Land in Naponset plaine, and three Acres Laying in ye Low plaine, next Peter Woodwards. Also, halfe my Diuident in y« Cedar swampe, neer the Saw mill, & 3 Commons & ye odde. Unto my Grandchild, Michael Metcalfe, the Elder, all that my Land and Improuements within the Lott I Dwell in, my three acres in ye wigwaom plaine, my swompe next my house, prouided he giue my Executor that itle parcell of his swampe west end of his house, otherwise my gifte to be uoyd. Also I give him my Naticke Diuidend of twenty three acres, more or Lesse; four Cow Commons; halfe my Cedar swampe, at the Saw mill; my wood Land, at the West end of the Towne; all the particulars I haue 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 Perkins ffirst Booke, one siluer spoone. To my Daughter Wilson, ffortye shillings. To my Daughter Elizabeth Bancrafte, ffiue pounds. To my Daughter, Martha Stow, twenty shillings. To my Daughter, Joane Waker, forty shillings. To my Daughter Rebecca Mackentosh, ffiue pounds. To my wife's Daughter, Martha Bullerd, twenty shillings. To my Daughter, Sarah Onion, three pounds. All which six Legacyes, Last named, shall bee paid at, in, or Before, the second March next after my Decease, in Current payment.

To my Daughter Stowes Eldest sonne, which she had by her first husband, Wm Brignall, ffour pounds, to bee paid him, when he shall attayne to Lawful age. To my Grandchild, abovesaid, Jno. Mackintosh & Robert Onyon, all my wearing apparell, to bee equally diuided by my Execut', in order as their names bee heer set Downe; my Granchild to choose ffirst:—To my Granchild, abouesaid, all the Lumber in my House. Moreouer, if any of ye p sons that are Legatees in y' my present will, shall by themselues, or by any others, make, or Cause to bee made, any Disturbance, or Contortion, in word or Deed, in Reference to any thing given, in this my will; then, all that Legacye, to that p son, shall be utterly uoyde. Thomas Metcalfe, of Dedham, my sonne, to be my executor, to whom I giue all the Rest of my Lands and Goods, not formerly Disposed of. Michael Metcalfe.

Before the witnessing hereof, I giue to my Grandchild abouesaid, my single acre of Meddow, also my Largest gray Horsmans Coate, also two oxen, one Cow, to bee Deliuered to him at Lawfull age. All the Books, aforesaid, giuen to my sonne John, after his Death, I giue them to his sonne Michael, my Grand childe. Signed and sealed in the presence of us,
Peter X Woodioard,
(His Marke)                                              S Edward Rawson, Recorder.
Jonathan ffairbanke

-pp172-173 the new england historical & genealogical register for the year 1852 Volume 6  Thomas Prince, Printer And Publisher, Boston, 1852

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 14: MICHAEL METCALF OF DEDHAM, MA. PT2

My ancestor Michael Metcalf had been a weaver in England of a type of fabric called Dornick, a
heavy linen used as table cloths according to Google. After he and his family arrived in Dedham, Ma. he became one of the leading citizens in the town. Here's more from the article in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register:

Michael Metcalf was admitted a townsman at Dedham, July 14,1637; joined the church in 1639; and was Selectman in 1641. His name stands first, on the Committee, chosen to "contrive the fabricke of a meetinghouse." His wife, Sarah, died Nov. 30,1644; m. 2d widow Mary Ridge, of Roxbury, Aug 13, 1645.

In 1661, Robert Ware, exchanged land, near the brick kiln; bricks being manufactured here at an early period. "One of the principal clay pits, was on land of Michael Metcalf, on Dedham Island."
-p171    the new england historical & genealogical register for the year 1852 Volume 6  Thomas Prince, Printer And Publisher, Boston, 1852

The article also included a list of his children:
Children of MICHAEL,1 and SARAH'1 Metcalf, all born in England, were,
(2.) I. Michael, 2 b. Nov. 13, 1617, died young, in England.
(3.) II. Mary, 2 b. Feb. 14, 1618, m. Henry Wilson, Nov. 24th 1642.
(4.) III. Michael, 2 (13.) b. Aug. 29, 1620, m. Mary, dau. of John Fairbanks, senr. April 21, 1644, d. in Dedham, Dec. 24, 1654.
(5.) IV. John, 2 (18.) b. Sep. 5, 1622, m. Mary, dau. of Francis Chickering, March 22, 1647, d. Nov. 27, 1675.
(6.) V. Sarah, 2 b. Sep. 10. 1624, m. Robert Onion, of Dedham.
(7.) VI. Elizabeth, 2 b. Oct. 4, 1626, m. Thomas Bancroft, of Reading, Sep. 15, 1648.
(8.) VII. Martha, 2 b. March 27, 1628, m. 1st. Wm. Brignall, 2nd Christopher Smith, Aug. 2, 1654, 3rd ____ Stow.
(9.) VIII. Thomas, 2 (22.) b. Dec. 27, 1629, m. 1st Sarah Paige, Sep. 12, 1655 or 6, 2nd Anne Paine, Dec. 2, 1679. He was Deac. at Dedham; d. Nov. 16, 1702.
(10.) IX. Ann, 2 b. March, 1, 1631, died young, in England.
(11.) X Jane, 2  b. March 24, 1632, m. Samuel Walker, of Rehoboth.
(12.) XI. Rebeka,2 b. April 5, 1635, m. John Mackintosh, of Dedham, April 5, 1659.
-p172 ibid

I'm descended from two of the daughters of Michael and Sarah (Elwyn) Metcalf: Elizabeth, who married 9x great grandfather Thomas Bancroft, and Martha, who married Nathaniel Stow.
The NEHGS Register article also contained an abstract of Michael Metcalf's will, which I'll discuss in the next post.

To be continued.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 14: MICHAEL METCALF OF DEDHAM, MA. PT1

It's now time to turn attention to the families of the women who married into the Stow family,
beginning with my 8x great grandmother Martha Metcalf who was the wife of Nathaniel Stow.

Martha's father was Michael Metcalf and he left England because of religious persecution. Even
though he was a weaver by trade he was well educated, and is one of the few of my early colonial
ancestors who wrote about coming to New England, The following article in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register contains an abstract of a letter he wrote describing his troubles
in England and how he finally left there:  

                                                          METCALF FAMILY.
[Communicated by Dr. Luther Metcalf Harris, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Mass.]
Michael Metcalf, the emigrant ancestor of this family, was horn in Tatterford, county of Norfolk, Eng., 1586. He followed the occupation of a Dornix* weaver, in the city of Norwich, in the same county, where he was made freeman, June 21,1618. His wife, Sarah, was born in the adjoining town of Waynham, (?) June 17, 1593, where they were married Oct 13,1616. Their seven eldest children were born in St.Benedict's, Norwich, and four, afterward, at St. Edmondsbury. "I was persecuted," he writes, "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 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 Sep' 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." The name of this servant, appears to have been Thomas Comberbach, aged 16. (Manuscript of Hon. James Savage.)

The above extracts, we take from a copy of his letter, written in Plymouth, Eng., Jan. 13, 1636, on his voyage hither; directed, "To all the true professors of Christ's Gospel within the city of Norwich." In the postscript, he remarks, "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."

History informs us, that one of the charges, brought against Bishop Wren, by a Committee of Parliament, was, that during the term of 2 years and 4 months, while he held the See of Norwich, "3000 of his Majesty's subjects, many of whom used trades, spinning, weaving, knitting, making cloth, stuff, stockings, and other manufactures of wool; some of them setting a hundred poor people at work;" "transported themselves into Holland," and " other parts, beyond the seas," in consequence of his "superstition and tyranny." [See Appendix to Dr. Lamson's Hist. Discourses.]

-p171   the new england historical & genealogical register for the year 1852 Volume 6  Thomas Prince, Printer And Publisher, Boston, 1852

Michael prospered once he finally arrived at Dedham, Ma. I'll discuss that in the next post about him.

To be continued...