James METCALF, father of Phebe (b. 1784, London)
Phebe METCALF, my 4x great grandmother, was born in London on 30 Aug 1784, and baptised at Holy Trinity in the Minories on 19 Sep 1784. She married Richard BILTON, a tobacco pipe maker, in Leeds, WRY in 1802, and died in 1855.
This post concerns her parents, James and Elizabeth METCALF. I’m fairly sure that they married at St Luke, Old Street, Finsbury in 1783. Elizabeth was the widow of John KEEN, a mariner on board the “Richmond” whose will was proved (PCC) in 1782. She had married him (as Elizabeth ASKEW) at St Luke, Old Street in 1773, and they had a daughter Elizabeth Mary in 1774. This daughter Elizabeth was of some help in tying my family together.
When Phebe Metcalf married in 1802, one of the witnesses was an Isaac AKEROYD (also spelt ACKROYD) - and Isaac Akeroyd married an Elizabeth Keen in Leeds in 1794. Not only that, Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Ackroyd, died in 1813, aged 38 - a very good match for Phebe’s half-sister. (Keen is not a common name in Yorkshire, so this seems to me more than just coincidence.)
At some stage I’d like to know more about Elizabeth Askew, but for now, I’m still puzzling over James Metcalf, since the only definite references I have to him are at his marriage and Phebe’s baptism. Was he born in Yorkshire and only temporarily living in London, or had his family been there longer? What was his occupation? When did the family go to Leeds, and why? And when did James die? So many questions, but are there any answers?
July 10th, 2008 at 4:31 am
I read similar article also named James METCALF, father of Phebe (b. 1784, London), and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me
July 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Thanks for your comment. Actually I’d be interested to know where that article can be found, as I haven’t come across anyone researching that family yet.