Henry James Metcalfe.
1835 - 1906.
A plain chronology of his life.
23 Feb 1835.
Born St John’s Wood, London, to Henry
Metcalf (a hatter) and his wife Margaret Agnes.
1 Mar 1835.
Christened at Christ Church, Spitalfields, London.
1845
-1851.
His father, Henry, died around
this time, aged only about 40. It is conjectured that his death took place
~1847, because in 1848, Margaret Agnes was in Manchester - her
home town - for the birth of her fifth child, Sarah. It must be assumed that
her other 4 children including HJM, went there too?
1851 -
Census (30th March).
HJM, age 15, is listed as a
blacksmith, living with his mother in Browns
Court, Walsall, Staffs., together with his two brothers and two sisters. His
mother Margaret is 36 years old; her occupation is given as ‘Needlework’; as it
is for her oldest child, also named Margaret, age 17. William Metcalfe is 13
years old, an errand boy. Benjamin is 6 years old and Sarah 3.
31st Jan 1853.
HJM, age 17 years 11 months,
joins the 3rd Regiment of Foot (‘The Buffs’) at Oxford. No.2983.
19th Jul 1854.
HJM and Betsy Hickson Jackson are married at Newry, Ireland, by
Dean Bagot. A Depot Battalion of The Buffs was
currently based there. Betsy was born illegitimately in Lincoln in 1836, the
daughter of Ann Hickson. She was Christened Betsey
Jackson Hickson. No father was entered in her
Christening record, as was usual in such cases. However, by the time of her
marriage, she was known as Betsy Hickson Jackson; so
probably her mother Ann and George Jackson, a shoemaker, had got married.
Still, her father was dead by this time, just as HJM’s
father also was.
18th Apr 1855.
HJM, hitherto a private soldier,
appointed a drummer in The Buffs.
25th May 1857.
HJM is discharged from The Buffs
on health grounds, suffering from ‘Palpitations of Heart’ - ‘preventing him
from playing any wind instrument’. (‘Drummers’ also played bugle and fife.) His
character and conduct “…have been very good, he is not in possession of a good
conduct badge not having sufficient service.” His total service was in fact 4
years 87 days. He did not serve abroad, and so
probably remained largely with the Depot Battalion in Ireland all
this time presumably apart from leaves?
~1857
Florence Elizabeth Metcalfe born; probably HJM
& Betsy’s first child. The
1871 census return, which proved elusive but was finally unearthed by my son,
gives her birth-place as Winchester,
Hampshire. HJM & Betsy presumably went there, probably to the Depot
Battalion, where his army discharge was finalised?
HJM,
after first returning to London,
possibly to try to ‘build a bridge’ back to the ‘London Metcalfs’,
returns to Walsall, Staffs., where his
mother and brothers still live.
Subsequently,
he founds the ‘Walsall Brass Band’.
1861
HJM
takes up residence in Wolverhampton.
~1862
HJM
& Betsy’s 2nd(?) child, Katherine Frances, born at
Hillsboro, Ireland. This suggests that his wife Betsy,
returned to her family, still in Ireland as an ‘army family’ for this confinement,
intentionally or otherwise.
~1864
3rd(?)
child, Margaret Agnes, born in Wolverhampton.
3rd Nov 1865
4th(?)
child, Henry James Hugh, born in Wolverhampton.
1868
Kelly’s
Directory for Staffordshire: “Metcalfe Henry James, composer and arranger of
music for brass bands &c. Grimstone St.”
5th(?)
child, Annie Alice, born in Wolverhampton.
1869
White’s Birmingham Directory:
“Metcalfe Henry James, Musician & Bandmaster, Grimston
(sic) St, Springfield.” There
is no entry under ‘Music Dealers and Teachers’.
1870
6th(?) child, Fredrick Charles J., born in Wolverhampton.
1871 - Census.
HJM is still living at 16 Grimstone Street, with
his wife Betsy, and his children Henry J. (age 5); Frederick C. (age 11
months); Florence E. (age 14); Catherine F. (age 10, usually spelt Katherine);
Margaret A. (age 7); and Annie A. (age 2).
White’s Birmingham Directory:
HJM is listed under ‘Music Dealers and
Teachers’ as follows: “Metcalfe Henry James (publisher) yard – Berry St.” Whether the whole family moved from Grimstone Street to Berry Street sometime subsequent to the Census is not known.
Perhaps HJM took some business premises in Berry Street, which was only a few minutes walk away from Grimstone Street anyway?
1872
7th(?)
child, Walter William, born in Wolverhampton.
Post Office Directory for
Staffordshire: “Metcalfe Henry James, professor of music, Great
Berry St.” (sic)
1876
8th(?)
child, Caroline Mary B., born in Wolverhampton.
1878
Kelly’s Directory for
Staffordshire: “Metcalfe, Henry James, publisher of the ‘Brass Band Journal’. Great
Hampton St.”
1879
9th(?)
child, John Wright (Jack), born in Wolverhampton.
1880
Kelly’s Directory for Staffordshire:
“Metcalfe, Henry James, publisher of the ‘Brass Band Journal’. 1
Great Hampton St.”
1881 -
Census
HJM is
living at 2, Church Street, with
the last 8 children listed above. He is described as a ‘Music Composer &
Band Master.’ Also living there are Georgina F Paris, age 19, a niece, born in
Ireland, working as a ‘Warehouse Woman’; Harriet Cassidy, age 28, a ‘general
servant’, and Charles Williams, born in Oxford, age 39, who is a ‘Litho
Printer’. He undoubtedly printed HJM’s music. My
Grandfather described to me how, as a child, he would visit his grandfather and be fascinated to see
the music being printed off a stone. It is likely, however, that Metcalfe’s
‘Brass Band Journal’, which involved type-setting, was not printed ‘in house’,
but by a separate local printer. (My grandfather was born in
1882; so his childhood memories of this sort would probably date from the
1890s.)
1881 3rd qtr.
Charles Holder (born W’ton1856)
marries Katherine Frances, 2nd(?) child of HJM &
Betsy.
1884: 2nd qtr.
Joseph Jelfs
Gold (born W’ton ~1864) marries Margaret Agnes, 3rd(?) child of HJM & Betsy. My grandfather - whose
recollections, when researched, have always proved to be startlingly accurate -
stated that ‘Joey’ Gold was a fine & renowned cornet player. Probably, he
was the solo cornet player in HJM’s band? In any
case, my grandfather would often relate that Gold attained the distinction of
playing a cornet solo (‘Star of Bethlehem’) in
Lichfield Cathedral, presumably at a Christmas Service; and thus may have
become the first person to play a secular instrument in that Cathedral for some
time?
1888
Kelly’s
Directory of Staffordshire: “Metcalfe’s
Brass Band Express (Metcalfe, Sons & Co, printers
publishers & proprietors, published fortnightly). Office,
St. John’s Square.”
1891 - Census
HJM, age
57, is living at 13, St. John’s Square, and is
described as ‘Music Teacher’. With him are living his wife, Betsy, age 56; son
Frederick C.J., age 21, a ‘Music Printer’; son Walter W., age 19, also a ‘Music
Printer’; daughter Caroline M., age 14, whose occupation is difficult to read
(as is often the case on these Census returns, but thank heavens these
priceless documents still exist!); but may be ‘Music Sorter - Book (or books).
In any event, HJM is entered as an employer, and Frederick, Walter and Caroline
are entered as ‘employed’, so clearly ‘The Metcalfe’ was very much a family
business, as was only to be expected in those days. Completing the household
was John W., HJM’s youngest child, 11 years old. He
being still at school, should have been entered as:
‘scholar’, but the space is blank.
1892
Kelly’s
Directory of Staffordshire: “Metcalfe’s
Brass Band Express (Metcalfe, Sons & Co, printers
publishers & proprietors, published fortnightly). Office,
St. John’s Square.”
1896
Kelly’s
Directory of Staffordshire: “Metcalfe’s
Brass Band Express (Metcalfe, Sons & Co, printers
publishers & proprietors, published fortnightly). Office,
St. John’s Square.”
1900
No entry in Kelly’s Directory except: “Mrs Walter
Wm Metcalfe, tailoress, 5 St. Marks Street.” This can only be the wife of Walter William
Metcalfe, 7th(?) child of HJM, born in 1872 and who
married Eliza Marian Kendal in 1897. Eliza was born in Wolverhampton in 1874.
1901 - Census.
HJM living at 60 Church Lane (near St. John’s Square), with his wife Betsy & son John
W, now aged 21. HJM is still listed as ‘Band music
composer & publisher’. Also living there is Arthur L. Daw,
a nephew, aged 17. (Actual name Dawes.)
11th Jul 1906
HJM,
age 71, residing in Summer Row (also near St. John’s Square), dies.
17 July 1906.
Funeral. HJM
is interred in grave 18481, square 170, in the Merridale Cemetery,
Jeffcock Rd., Wolverhampton. No marker for the grave (or indeed for the
majority of the others around that time) survives. The general areas in which
his grave might be located is shown here. My grandfather would tell me, with
modest pride, that two bands played at HJ
Metcalfe’s funeral. Alas, no report of the event was given in the ‘Express
& Star’, the local newspaper; but then, my search in the ‘Express &
Star’ for 10 days either side of the above date revealed but one report of a
funeral. I imagine that if somebody died at that time, everybody ‘in the town’
knew about it anyway, so the local paper did not write it up. The announcement
of his passing did appear in the ‘Deaths’ column though; and it was from this
that we first learnt that HJM had been in the army…
Page transcribed &
revised 17th June
2007.