Michael Metcalf was the son of the Rev. Leonard Metcalf and his wife, Amy, of Tatterford, Norfolk, England.1 Because no baptismal record has been found for Michael, his parentage and birth date have been contested over the years.
However, based on depositions he made in 1635 and 1637, he was born in Tatterford sometime between 1690 and 1692.
On 13 October 1616, Michael Metcalf married Sarah Elwyn at Heigham, St. Bartholomews, Norfolk, England. Sarah was the third of seven children of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Benslye of Heigham. She was baptized at St Bartholomew on 17 June 1598.3 The Elwyns and Benslyes were prominent families in the area.
Michael moved to the city of Norwich when he became a weaver’s apprentice.8 Here he became a successful dornix weaver.1 (Dornix, a form of Damask, is a heavy fabric made from wool and linen with a woven pattern. It is used for beds, curtains and similar purposes.)4 Michael Metcalf’s business eventually employed more than 100 people7. He was awarded Freedom of the City of Norwich, Norfolk, England on 21 September 16185 - an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting dignitary.6 Being a Freeman was a status that conferred political privileges.
"Michael Metcalf was Warden of St. Benedict's, Norwich, 1619-1634, a natural position for the son of a clergyman to occupy, and his fine signatures on the deposition and the Warden's Account Book, written with a sure hand ending in a graceful flourish, further indicate his early training and association in an educated family."1
Michael and Sarah had eleven children, the seven oldest born in Norwich and baptized at St. Benedict, the four younger at St. Edmonsbury:7
Michael Metcalf. Born on 13 November 1617 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, Baptized on 30 November 1617 in St. Benedict Parish, Norwich when two weeks old. Died on 19 January 1617/8 in Norwich, two months old. Buried on 20 January 1617/8 in St. Benedict Church, Norwich.
Mary Metcalf. Born on 14 February 1618/9 in Norwich. Baptized on 17 February 1618/9 in St. Benedict Parish when three days old. Died on 5 May 1676 in Dedham, 57 years old. Buried in Dedham.
Michael Metcalf (Julia's ancestor). Born on 29 August 1620 in Norwich. Baptized in St. Benedict Parish. Died on 25 March 1654 in Dedham, 33 years old.
John Metcalf. Born on 5 September 1622 in Norwich. Baptized in St. Benedict Parish. Died on 27 November 1675 in Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 53 years old.
Sarah Metcalf. Born on 10 September 1624 in Norwich. Baptized on 10 March 1624/5 in St. Benedict Parish when six months old. Died on 25 February 1671/2 in Dedham, 47 years old.
Elizabeth Metcalf. Born on 20 September 1626 in Norwich. Baptized on 4 October 1626 in St. Benedict Parish when two weeks old. Died on 11 May 1711 in Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 84 years old.
Martha Metcalf. Born in 1627/8 in St. Benedict Parish. Baptized on 27 March 1628 in St. Benedict Parish when a few months old. Died on 26 December 1717 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 89 years old.
Dea. Thomas Metcalf. Born on 27 December 1629 in Norwich. Baptized on 11 January 1629/30 in St. Edmund Parish, Norwich when two weeks old. Died on 16 November 1702 in Dedham, 72 years old.
Anne Metcalf. Born on 1 March 1631/2 in Norwich. Baptized on 4 March 1631/2 in St. Edmund Parish when three days old. Died in May 1632 in St. Edmund Parish, about two months old. Buried on 13 May 1632 in St. Edmund Parish.
Jane Metcalf. Born on 24 March 1632/3 in Norwich. Baptized on 29 March 1633 in St. Edmund Parish when five days old. Died on 24 October 1701 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 68 years old.
Rebecca Metcalf. Born on 5 April il 1635 in Norwich. Baptized on 12 April il 1635 in St. Edmund Parish when seven days old. Died on 8 December 1667 in Dedham, 32 years old.
Michael became a devout Puritan, and he came to the attention of Bishop Wren, the Bishop of Norwich, who was working to eliminate non-conformity in his jurisdiction. In his position as Warden of St. Benedict, Michael Metcalf would have been a visible target. He had appeared before ecclesiastical courts in 1633 and again in 1636 for refusing to bow at the name of Jesus or to adhere to the "stinking tenets of Arminius" adopted by the established church. He lost his property by a star chamber fine.8 When he was further threatened by the religous tyranny exercised by Bishop Wren, Michael went into hiding and prepared to immigrate to New England. He wrote a letter to the people of Norwich explaining his reasons for emmigrating (see the entire text of this letter in the full version of this biography.), after which he took ship alone at London 17 September 1636, bound for New England. However, the ship was driven back to Plymouth by storms8 and, without the imminent threat from Bishop Wren, he began working to secure a license permitting his family to come with him. Don Blauvelt says,
"April 8, 1637, Michael was examined for permission to emigrate to New England: The examinacion of Michill Metcalfe of Norwich, Dornix weauer, aged 45 yeares and Sarrah his wife, aged 39 yeares, with 8 Children, Michill: Thomas: Marey: Sarrah: Elizabeth: Martha: Joane: and Rebeca: and his Saruant Thomas Comberbach, aged 16 yeares, are desirous to passe to boston in New England to inhabit. Fourteen-year-old son John, apparently omitted by the scribe, also sailed with the family.2
By April 1637, he was successful in securig the needed license. The Metcalf family left Ipswich in Suffolk, their last port in England, aboard The Rose of Yarmouth* and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, on 18 June 1637.8 (The great chest -beautifully carved -which Michael Metcalf brought with him from England was treasured by successive generations of his descendants until December 1887, when it was deposited with the Dedham Historical Society by Elizabeth Metcalf Smith.9)
Michael’s own account of these events is contained in a letter written from New England:11
"To all the true professors of Christ's Gospel within the city of Norwich
"I was persecuted in the land of my fathers' sepulchers for not bowing at the name of Jesus and observing the ceremonies inforced 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 Englahd; taking ship for the voyage at London, 17th Sept., 1636, and being by tempests tossed up and down the seas till the Christmas following ; and then veering about to Plymouth in Old England. Leaving the ship I went down to Yarmouth, in Co. Norfolk, whence I finally shipped myself and family to come to New England; sailed April 15, 1637, and arrived three days before Midsummer with my wife, nine children, and a servant, [Thomas Comberbach, aged 16]."
and in a postscript:
"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."11
Bishop Wren, a vigorous opponent of Puritanism, was eventually tried by Parliament during the reign of Oliver Cromwell "for acts committed by him during his term of two years and four months as the Holy See of Norwich." Howell's State Trials, Volume IV, page 33, cites Article XVI of the impeachment:
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, knotting, and making of cloth, stuffs, and other manufactures of wool . . . 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.
The defense of Bishop Wren alleged that Michael and Nicholas Metcalf (probably Michael's brother) were "call'd in question for some Words against the King, and so slipt away" to New England.7
Shortly after arriving in Boston, the Metcalf family settled in Dedham, Massachusetts. Michael Metcalf was the 33rd person to sign the Dedham Covenant. He was admitted as a townsman there on 18 July 1637. The 12-acre house lot assigned to him was close to that of Jonathan Fairbanks.
Dedham Church Records say, "Michaell Mettcalfe ye elder was received into ye church wth good satisfaction ye 24 of ye 6t month." [24 August 1639]. Michael’s wife, Sarah Elwyn Metcalf, was admitted to the church on October 11 of the same year.
On 29 December, 1640, Michael was chosen to be a Dedham selectman for the next year. He headed the committee to build a new meeting house for the town. When brickmaking was introduced, one of the principal clay pits was on the land of Michael Metcalf at Dedham Island.
The Dedham Church Records say, "Sarah ye wife of our brother Micl Mettcalfe Senr died co’fortably Nov’r 30. 1644. Aged 51 years 5 mo. 13 days. She was born at Wagnham (sic) near Norwich June 17. 1593 – married October 13. 1616."
Eight months after her death, Michael married second Mrs. Mary (Sothy) Pidge, a widow of Roxbury, Massachusetts, on 13 August 1645 in Dedham. Michael still had seven unmarried children, and Mary had several unmarried children from her previous marriage. Their house was too small to accommodate their combined family, so Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks "adopted" Mary’s youngest daughter, Martha Pidge.13 Later, Michael made special provisions for Martha in his will. Michael Metcalf Jr. had married Mary Fairbanks, and Thomas Metcalf married Sarah Pidge, another of Mary Pidge’s daughters.
In 1656, the town engaged 64-year-old Michael Metcalf to be the Dedham schoolmaster for £20 for the year -two-thirds part in wheat at the town or country rate, and the other part in corn at the said rate, to be kept, the record says, "at the school-house,except the wether be extreme to hinder, and then he is to attend at his own dwelling-house. The town to have the harth laid in the school-house forthwith, and windows made fitt, and wood for the fire to be laid in. In the heat of the weather, if the said Michael desire to make use of the meeting-house, he may do so, provided the house be kept clean and the windows be made good if broken, the school to begin the 19th of the present month (1656) and the pay quarterly."8, 15
Michael Metcalf died on 24 December 1664 in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.14 He was about 72 years old.
* Some sources give the name of the ship the Metcalfs immigrated on as the "John and Dorothy," and their arrival as July 14, 1637. The source of this seems to be an early article in the Dedham Register. In his letter, Michael says that his family arrived in New England three days before midsummer, so we have concluded that this information in incorrect.
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register Vol. LXXX, 1926, pp 312-313
Find a grave Memorial# 64230860 - Michael Metcalf and Sarah Elwyn by Don Blauvalt
Dedham Historical Register, Vol. 5 p 95
Wikipedia – Dornix
Dedham Historical Register, Vol. 3 p 143
Wikipedia – Freedom of the City
Descendants of the Rev. Leonard Metcalf by Howard Metcalfe
"New England's Generation: The Great Migration and the Formation of Society and Culture in the Seventeenth Century" by Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991 pp 140 – 185
Metcalf and Allied Families
Suffolk County Probate Records, Vol. 1, 497-599; Vol. 4, 214-15.
NEHGS Register, Vol. VI, p 171
Early Records of the Town of Dedham Vol 2
Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America 1633 - 1897, by Lorenzo Sayles Fairbanks