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

[The Wannabe Toff]

Charles was born in 1797, probably in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. His will in 1871 says he was "Charles Metcalfe Esquire of Inglethorpe Hall, Norfolk, with artefacts of £25,000". Via the inflation calculator that's £2.92 million today. He was a solicitor, but I've got a hunch that Inglethorpe Hall can't have come cheap if he bought it himself (30 acres!), so he was possibly from a genteel/noble family and Inglethorpe was an inherited property. He married his wife Mary in 1826, and her maiden name might well have been Metcalfe too, so there's a chance of distant cousinship. Their eldest son Arthur Metcalfe Sr was obviously rich enough to bed someone who may have been a Jewish servant girl (Sarah Moyses) and not show on his son's baptism. I'm interested in any possible portraits of Charles and Arthur, cementing a noble link, and seeing whether I can trace the ancestry of Sarah Moyses and confirm my suspicion that she was in fact Jewish - that's just an idea based on her surname and the fact that her son hid evidence of his mum's roots later on. £25,000 was a vast life income in the 1870s for a presumably modest solicitor, so that on top of Inglethorpe makes me think Charles Metcalfe was gentry. He's certainly mentioned in a heraldry list. Amusingly, Sarah Moyses' grandson (who was my 3x-great-grandfather) was a cab-driver, so a drop down the social ladder did happen.

[Olde Crone]

Some related work and answers already on another forum.I

OC

[Merry]

I've not looked to see what's on other forums, but wondered if this might help with the "are they related?" part...

Bury and Norwich Post 08 November 1826

Cambridge, Nov. 6.
MARRIED
On Thursday the 19th ult. Mr Charles Metcalfe jun. Solicitor, of Wisbech, to Mary, eldest daughter of Morehouse Metcalfe, Esq. of Terrace House, Gailsboro'.

I also looked at the birth registrations for their children born after 1837 and the mother's maiden name is Metcalfe.

[Merry]

And given he was Charles junr, this might be his parents marriage:

Stamford Mercury 28 November 1794

On Monday, Mr,. Charles Metcalf, attorney-at-law, of Wisbech, was married to Miss Scrimshire, daughter of William Skrimshire Esq. of the same place.

[Merry]

There's a two column obit here:

Herts & Cambs Reporter & Royston Crow 27 October 1893

regarding Frederic Morehouse Metcalfe, eldest son of Charles and Mary. States they (Charles and Mary) had 17 children and that they were cousins.

[Merry]

Their eldest son Arthur Metcalfe Sr was obviously rich enough to bed someone who may have been a Jewish servant girl (Sarah Moyses) and not show on his son's baptism.

I may be misunderstanding, but why would you need to be rich to make a servant pregnant?

[Merry]

Is this the child:

1861 census:

Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

Arthur Metcalf b 1851 Nephew b Walsoken, Norfolk

Others in the house are James Smith and his wife, Mary Ann.

Mary Ann Moyses married James Smith in Wisbech district in 1847.

[Merry]

Mary Ann Moyses was born about 1823 in Wisbech according to the 1861 census, so Sarah should be her sister.

[Merry]

In 1851 James and Mary Ann Smith have Francis Moyses aged 18 living with them, listed as brother. Mary Ann is aged 30 on this census.

Looking at Wisbech baptisms, there's

Francis Moyses bap 13 Apr 1833 parents John (cabinet maker) and Sarah

also:

Mary Ann Moyses bap 09 Jun 1820 same parents.

No sibling called Sarah though.

I can't see Sarah or Arthur on the 1851 census. Interesting he was registered in Wisbech district but his aunt and uncle think he was born in Norfolk! That's not helping with finding Sarah.

Do you know what happened to Sarah?

[Phoenix]

Interesting he was registered in Wisbech district but his aunt and uncle think he was born in Norfolk!

Isn't Wisbech Norfolk?:o


It must be bang against the border, as the parishes to the East are all Norfolk. It's a sort of Bermuda Triangle of East Anglia. Some of mine were tenant farmers, with a child in every county of the fens.

[Merry]

Oh, OK - I believe it's in Cambridgeshire, but as you say, perhaps a border parish?

EDIT I've just looked on FreeBMD and Walsoken (where his aunt and uncle said Arthur was born) is also in Wisbech district!

So that's one thing straightened out.

[Merry]

lol re Bermuda Triangle!!

[Merry]

Here's Sarah with her brother John and his family in 1851:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8860/CAMHO107_1766_1767-0792/4647019?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

In Walsoken.

There is a one month old baby called Alfred Moyses who is listed as son (of the householder, John), but there's no birth reg for an Alfred Moyses in 1851, so is this Arthur?

[Merry]

Sarah is aged 21 in 1851 and from Wisbech. Still no baptism for her, but there is one for her brother John in 1823 (FreeREG), same parents as for Francis and Mary Ann. (not looking very Jewish at the moment!)

Ancestry think Walsoken is in Cambridgeshire! I thought it was Norfolk...:confused:

[Merry]

lol No doubt all this is on other forums or you have it already anyway.

Sarah Moyses married Henry Harris in 1897 , in Lambeth at the age of 65, father John Moyses cabinet maker dec'd. And there was me looking for a marriage 1851-61! So she should be on numerous censuses as a spinster.....

[Merry]

Here she is in 1881 in Lambeth and in the household of her future husband.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7572/LNDRG11_608_610-0321/20753472?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Not having too much luck with the other censuses, but this does really confirm it's the right Sarah as she says she is born Wisbech, Cambs.

[Merry]

Here's Sarah and her parents (and possible grandmother?) and siblings in 1841:

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=gAP12357&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&dbid=8978&gsfn=elizabeth&gsfn_x=1&gsln_x=1&cp=0&gskw=wisbech&gskw_x=1&msbdy=1771&msbdy_x=1&qh=cJC13PAVpTLDjiJyC%2BmQ6Q%3D%3D&new=1&rank=1&uidh=672&redir=false&gss=angs-d&pcat=35&fh=8&h=3766357&recoff=&ml_rpos=9

[Merry]

Bach to Charles Metcalfe senr…

so there's a chance of distant cousinship.

Not so distant!!

Likely baptism:

Charles Metcalfe
11 Jan 1771
All Saints, Gainsborough, Lincoln, England
George,
Rebecca

Fits with his death:

Lincolnshire Chronicle 30 December 1853

At Wisbech, on the 24th inst., Charles Metcalfe, Esq., one of the magistrates for the Isle of Ely, in his 83d year.

and his brother (Mary's father):


Morehouse Metcalfe
19 Jun 1776
Spalding, Lincoln, England
George,
Rebecca

fits with his death:


Stamford Mercury 15 August 1828

On the 9th inst., at Malvern Wells, Worcestershire, whither he had gone for the recovery of his health, Morehouse Metcalfe, Esq. of Terrace House, near Gainsborough, in the 53d year of his age, to the great grief of his family and friends

So, it's extremely likely Charles jr and Mary were first cousins.

[Merry]

George Metcalfe, the father of Charles senr and Morehouse wrote a will which is available to view on FMP:

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbor%2fboe%2f057%2f0188&parentid=gbor%2fboe%2f702050503%2f1

It mentions his wife Rebecca and sons Morehouse and Charles amongst others. George is described as a grocer though he did leave a few thousand in 1813.

[Merry]

Back to Sarah Ann Moyses:

She must have died between Dec 1897 and 1901 as her husband (still at the same address as on the marriage cert) is a widower on the 1901 census:

Henry Harris Head Widower Male 68 1833 Furniture Dealer b Southwark, Surrey, England

Worryingly, the most obvious entry is this one:

Deaths Dec 1897

Harris Sarah Ann 65 Lambeth 1d 293

But that would mean she had died within a few days of her marriage (21 Dec) and there would need to be time to register the death in the same quarter. Still possible though. There are no other likely deaths in Lambeth before 1901, so if that's not her, then she died somewhere else which could make finding her tricky as Harris is such a common name.

[Merry]

Oh, that death is her. She was buried 3 Jan 1898

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1559/31547_213740-00267/10381089?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdbid%3d1559%26gsfn%3dsarah%2bann*% 26gsln%3dharris%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26cp%3d0 %26gskw%3dlambeth%26gskw_x%3d1%26msddy%3d1897%26ms ddy_x%3d1%26msddp%3d1%26qh%3dejfIhvFHo4KXC1pQd7XUz w%253d%253d%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26uidh% 3d672%26redir%3dfalse&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

and the address given is 42 Holland St Brixton, which is the same as the 1901 census for Henry and their marriage cert.

[Phoenix]

Back to Sarah Ann Moyses:

She must have died between Dec 1897 and 1901 as her husband (still at the same address as on the marriage cert) is a widower on the 1901 census:

Henry Harris Head Widower Male 68 1833 Furniture Dealer b Southwark, Surrey, England

Worryingly, the most obvious entry is this one:

Deaths Dec 1897

Harris Sarah Ann 65 Lambeth 1d 293

But that would mean she had died within a few days of her marriage (21 Dec) and there would need to be time to register the death in the same quarter. Still possible though. There are no other likely deaths in Lambeth before 1901, so if that's not her, then she died somewhere else which could make finding her tricky as Harris is such a common name.


Perhaps it was a deathbed marriage? Did her widower leave a will?

[kiterunner]

House of Names website says that the surname Moyses originates from Moy in Normandy but I don't know whether that's right:
https://www.houseofnames.com/moyses-family-crest

Other sites say "son of Moses".

[The Wannabe Toff]

I may be misunderstanding, but why would you need to be rich to make a servant pregnant?

My theory about Sarah and Arthur Sr is just a hunch Merry, but since you asked about my reasoning - its a genealogy wives tale and sometimes truth that the 'young masters' of the manor slept with the female servants. Although just a fabricated story in my head, the idea of the squire's son being intimate with a seemingly non-Christian servant (going by her surname) then shirking his duties and not appearing on the baptism years later just seems to make sense, even though I have no real evidence to back it up. I do know for sure that Arthur Snr did father her child though.

[Phoenix]

I have Moy back to the 1650s in my Norfolk tree. Moys is also an established name in Norfolk. While I have not come across the names being muddled, I could accept Moyses as a variant. Unless you go back to the earliest found usage in an area, it is difficult to guess the original meaning, or if it is genuinely local or foreign.

[Merry]

Although just a fabricated story in my head, the idea of the squire's son being intimate with a seemingly non-Christian servant (going by her surname) then shirking his duties and not appearing on the baptism years later just seems to make sense, even though I have no real evidence to back it up. I do know for sure that Arthur Snr did father her child though.

I think most fathers wouldn't appear on the baptism for an illegitimate child except where the vicar was particularly vigilant. A lot of men from all social classes shirked their duties if they possibly could, but I do accept that the reason (or a good reason why) Arthur sr didn't marry Sarah was because of their social differences.

I don't think we can view Sarah Ann as a non-Christian given that her siblings all seem to have been baptised in the Church of England, whatever her historical background. Have you had a DNA test done to see if you have Jewish DNA?

[Merry]

I couldn't find Sarah's baptism on FreeREG, but it's on FMP (transcription):

First name(s) Sarah Ann
Last name Moyses
Year Of Birth 1831
Birth date ? ? 1831
Baptism year 1831
Baptism date 14 Dec 1831
Abode of Elm Street
Place Wisbech, St Peter
Mother's Given Name Sarah
Father's First Name John
Father occupation cabinet maker

[Olde Crone]

Harris is a good Jewish name, cabinet maker is a good Jewish profession, female house servant not a good Jewish profession!

Many Jews happily observed the Christian rituals of baptism, marriage and even burial in order to appear not Jewish. At the same time they quietly carried on with their own religious observances. A foot in both camps never hurts.

OC

[Merry]

True, but I expect there are plenty of Mr Harrises that are not Jewish!