Jane Metcalfe
was the paternal grandmother of DAVID WALKER (1875-1957). She was married to SAMUEL WALKER (1809-1895) and had eight known children (see 'Samuel Walker's Offspring').
With JANE METCALFE in the family, the old saying once again comes true, "If you have a family link in Yorkshire, somewhere in your past there will be a Metcalfe.” Because people often shortened the surname to the slang nickname "Mecca", members of this family were also known as such in the Yorkshire Dales.
JANE METCALFE was the daughter of JOHN METCALFE (1777-1850) and JANE COULTAS (1781-1869). She was born 23. Feb 1807 and christened three days later in Great Habton in the parish of Kirby Misperton, which is 4 miles north-west of Malton. She died 1874 in Old Malton, Ryedale, North Yorkshire. Like her husband's family, her family was comtemporary witness of the Napoleonic Wars (1805-1815) and lived to see reigns of King George III (fl. 1760-1820), King George IV (fl. 1820-1830), King William IV (fl. 1830-1837) and partly of Queen Victoria (fl. 1837-1901), too.
Jane's parents married 27. July 1801 in Kirby Miperton. Both had twelve children born in Great Habton, North Yorkshire, England:
(1) Anne Metcalfe (1801-1815)
(2) George Metcalfe (1803-1804)
(3) Hannah Metcalfe (1805-1886) & William Mitchelson
(4) JANE METCALFE (1807-1874) & SAMUEL WALKER
(5) John Metcalfe (1808-1809)
(6) Thomas Metcalfe (1810-1811)
(7) William Metcalfe (1812-1871) & Mary Dixon
(8) Elizabeth Metcalfe (1815-1901) & John Dawson Hyde
(9) Charles Metcalfe (1817-1902) & Hannah Bowes
(10) Edward Metcalfe (1819-1820)
(11) James Metcalfe (1821-1877) & Jane Harland
(12) Parson Metcalfe (1824-1825)
(View from Middlesmoor, looking down Nidderdale by Margaret Metcalfe)
Unfortunately, little is known about the direct family of Jane Metcalfe, but at least it can be said that much that it belonged to that part of the Metcalfe family who were once farmers and probably also landowners in the Yorkshire Dales. Because at least since the beginning of the 18th century they lived on granges and worked later on farms.
Therefore it is not much surprising that also Jane's maternal grandfather, JOHN COULTAS (1736-1824), was also a yeoman* owning his own land.
NOTE: "Indenture held by the York Minster Archives (W7M/p 205, 02. Oct 1821) between (1) the Revd Henry Forster Mills, chancellor (2) John Coultas, yeoman, of Great Habton in the parish of Kirkby Misperton, co of York (3) William and John Robert Mills, gents, of the city of York of lease for three lives of part of the Parsonage of Acklam. Res. rent £4.14s.2d., and £6 to the Vicar of Acklam. Last renewal 19 May 1790."
The paternal family of Jane's mother, JANE COULTAS, can be traced back to JOHN COULTAS (-1691) and MARY DARSDALE, who married in West Heslerton, North Yorkshire on 30. Apr 1657 and had children:
(1) Robertus (Robert) Coultas christened 22. Feb. 1658
(2) Mary Coultas christened 29. Nov. 1659
(3) Johan (JOHN) COULTAS christened 23. Feb. 1662 married to MARY LYTHE (ancestors of JANE METCALFE).
(4) Georgius (George) Coultas christened 08. May 1664
(5) Elizabetha (Elizabeth) Coultas christened 11. Nov 1666 and buried 26 AUG 1739. She was married to John Owston (1665/66-1739) of Sherburn, Yorkshire - East Riding.
NOTE: JOHN COULTAS sen. hisself could have been a son of Francis Coltess of West Heslerton christened 26. Feb. 1607, but it cannot be verified as less as if the family was related to the Coultas family of Hackness, North Yorkshire mentioned below.
The surname, however, is of early medieval English origin, and is a topographical or occupational name for someone who lived or worked at a stables, a colt-house or colt-keeper, from the early modern English word 'coulthus', which is a compound of 'co(u)lt', an Olde English word for a young ass, or young horse, a colt, and 'hus', the Olde English word for house. The name itself is widespread in the Yorkshire region, and was first recorded there in the late 16th Century. The Church Registers of Yorkshire record the following early entries of the surname: the christening of Robert, son of Robertus Cowltus, on February 26th 1575 at Hackness; the marriage of Robert Coultas and Anna Snipe on July 22nd 1576, also at Hackness; while Isabel Coultas married Richard Markson on October 26th 1621 at Wintringham.
The paternal family branch of JANE METCALFE can be traced back to her 2nd great-grandparents, JOHN METCALFE (1684-) and Isobel Atkinson (1684-), who married 06. Jun 1704 in St Chad (photo by Philip Platt), Middlesmoor, North Yorkshire and had children born and christened there:
(1) John Metcalfe christened 14. Oct 1705, the great-grandfather of JANE METCALFE
(2) Peter Metcalfe christened 24. July 1707, died 1776 in Menwith Hill, Yorkshire - West Riding
NOTE: Middlesmoor is a principal settlement in the civil parish of Stonebeck Up, historically a township in the ancient parish of Kirkby Malzeard in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is situated about 9 miles from Pateley Bridge and Kettlewell, 10 miles SW. of Masham and 16 from Ripon. In the Middle Ages the parish formed part of the lands of Byland Abbey, which established granges at Middlesmoor, Limley, Newhouses, Woodale, Lodge, Angram, Haden Carr and Scar House.
However, it is interesting that these lands are only about 10 miles (beeline) away from Middleham Castle, which was originally owned by RIBALD DE MIDDLEHAM, (great) grandfather of WILLIAM MEDECALFE DE DENT. One can therefore perhaps assume that direct ancestors of JANE METCALFE lived "always" there.
JOHN METCALFE and ISOBEL ATKINSON were both born short of the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. King James II of England was overthrown by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). William's successful invasion of England with a Dutch fleet and army led to his ascending of the English throne as William III of England (fl. 1689-1702) jointly with his wife Mary II of England. She was the eldest daughter of King James II.
JOHN METCALFE's and ISOBEL ATKINSON'S grandparents were contemporary witnesses of the 'English Civil War' (1642-1651). Tension between King Charles I and the Parliament over the king's governing methods led to the king moving his court to York in 1642. York became de facto capital of England, then and set about consolidating support amongst his northern subjects. So it is not without a reason that many Yorkshire families were rather Royalists ("Cavaliers" from Late Latin "caballarius", “horseman”) than Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") them days. Even though it cannot be verified, it is not beyond all possibilities that also members of this part of the Metcalfe family supported the king, as well as the family of Thomas Metcalfe, Esq. of Nappa Hall (1614-1684) at that time, who resided just 12.5 miles (20 km) beeline away from Middlesmoor. His elder brother, Scrope Metcalfe, Esq. of Nappa Hall died 1645 at Thame near Oxford fighting alongside King Charles I. The English Civil War broke out originally when the king raised his standard at Nottingham. Parliament issued a list of proposals, known as the Nineteen Propositions, which sought to increase Parliament's power. The king rejected the propositions and the war which followed lasted finally until 1651, ending in a victory for Parliament. The monarchy was replaced with the Commonwealth and later the Protectorate, under Oliver Cromwell.
According to some sources JOHN METCALFE shall have been "of Newhouses" mentioned above (photo by Martin Dawes) born about 1684. If his year of birth had not been only an assumption these informations were taken most likely from the parish record of his marriage, then as, according to GENUKI, deposited records of Middlesmoor Chapelry do not start before 1700 in North Yorkshire County Record Office. Apart from these records there seems to exist additionally only an earlier Bishop's Transcript of the year 1663 in West Yorkshire Archive, Leeds so that the exact pedigree of JOHN METCALFE will have to remain uncertain.
the Metcalfes of the surrounding area of Nappa Hall were pretty certain related to the Metcalfes of Nappa in the one way or other as THOMAS METCALFE OF NAPPA (1424-1505) received 1485/86 a grant of the office of Surveyor of the Castle and Lordship of Middleham, and of all manors, lordships, etc. within the liberties of Richmond. His most extensive landed possessions consisted of long beneficial leases of various portions of the lordship of Middleham, which were afterwards "occupied by his son, SIR JAMES METCALFE and his immediate lineal descendants for many generations". Even if it cannot be verified that JOHN METCALFE was indeed an offspring of the Metcalfe family of Nappa, it is interesting that according to Kelly's Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire (1881) a 'George Metcalfe, esq.' was still one of the principal landowners of Middlesmoor end of the 19th century representing a quite prominent family in that area at least them days, but most likely for already by far longer.
NOTE: The picture shows the fortified manor in 1730.
But independant of JOHN METCALFE's exact family ties the surname 'Metcalfe' indicates that he respectively the grandmother of DAVID WALKER belonged to a very ancient family clan (ANCIENT ANCESTORS).
Progenitor of this family and presumable all 'Metcalfes' worldwide was a large Northumbrian landowner called WILLIAM MEDECALFE DE DENT, who Henry II referred to as such in the late 12th century. Although the exact MEDECALFE DESCENT is controversial discussed, there are strong hints though that the Metcalfes' common progenitor was a grandson of MALDRED DE MIDDLETON, Lord of Raby, who was hisself an offspring of UCTRED, EARL OF NORTHUMBRIA (d. 1016) and both royal houses, the ancient Scottish HOUSE OF ALPIN and the English HOUSE OF WESSEX.
* Yeoman was a social class in England from the Elizabethan era (1558–1603) to the 18th century of a free man, who owned his own land (farm). Their wealth and the size of their landholding varied. Many yeomen were prosperous, and wealthy enough to employ servants and farm labourers. Some were as wealthy as the minor county or regional landed gentry and some even leased land to gentleman landowners. Some could be classed as gentlemen but did not aspire to this status: it was cheaper to remain a yeoman. Often it was hard to distinguish minor landed gentry from the wealthier yeomen, and wealthier husbandmen from the poorer yeomen.