This is a genealogical sketch of the lives of the Burgess and Jerusha (--?--) Metcalf family of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. They are my 5th great-grandparents. Burgess Metcalf was a Revolutionary War soldier.
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Burgess Metcalf was born 28 August 1741 in Medway, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony,[1-3] the 4th son and 7th child (of eight children) of Michael Metcalf (1706-1771) and Melatiah (Hamant) Metcalf (1704-1751), who married in 1728 in Medway. The Medway town records record the birth of Burgess Metcalf as:
"Burgess Metcalf son of Michael Metcalf & Melatiah his wife was born Aug. 28th 1741"The Michael Metcalf family moved to Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire in about 1750. Michael Metcalf and Melatiah Hamant had the following children:
- Oliver Metcalf, born 6 June 1729, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Sarah Hammond, 16 October 1759, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony; died 29 March 1797, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire
- Michael Metcalf, born 5 December 1730, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Sarah Allen, February 1753, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Hannah , about 1757, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died 16 August 1777, Bennington, Bennington, Vermont
- Melatiah Metcalf, born 1 August 1732, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Jonah French, 1750, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony, ; died 19 April 1766, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony.
- Amity Metcalf was born on 2 February 1734 in Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; no further record.
- Abijah Metcalf, born 2 July 1735, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Mercy Ellis, 1763, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony; died 3 September 1815, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire.
- Sarah Metcalf, born 22 January 1737, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Amos Davis Jr., 14 April 1757, Chesterfield, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony; died 11 February 1812, Addison, Vermont.
- Capt. Burgess Metcalf, born 28 August 1741, Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony; married Jerusha , before 1770, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony; died 26 September 1816, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire.
- Silas Metcalf was born on 8 October 1745 in Rutland, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony. No further record.
Jerusha --?-- was born in about 1750 perhaps in New Hampshire Colony to unknown parents. Her birth date and birth place are not known. Some researchers claim that her maiden name was Chandler, There are no records to support that claim, which may have been assumed to be from the given name of one of her sons. There may be siblings of Jerusha but they are not known. The family may have lived in Keene, New Hampshire Colony before 1770.
3) Married Life Together
Burgess Metcalf and Jerusha were married before 1770, probably in Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony,. They had ten children born between 1770 and 1798, and the last seven were probably born in Piermont. There is a Piermont town record for only the tenth child, Chandler Metcalf.
Burgess Metcalf and Jerusha --?-- had the following children:
- Ephraim Metcalf, born about 1770, Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire Colony; married Martha --?--, about 1791, probably Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, two children; died 8 April 1858, Newbury, Orange, Vermont.
- Samuel Metcalf was born about 1771 in Grafton County, New Hampshire Colony; no furthyer record.
- Burgess Metcalf, born 8 August 1772, Canaan, Grafton, New Hampshire Colony; married (1) Elizabeth Wait, 28 December 1802, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, eight children; married (2) Rachel Taplin, 16 March 1826, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, one child; died 19 December 1831, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire.
- Sally Metcalf, born about 1774, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire Colony; married Edward Chapman, 15 July 1794, Haverhill, Grafton, New Hampshire, one child.
- Cyrus Metcalf, born 1776, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshires; married Lydia A. Root, 1798, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, nine children; died 3 March 1843, Irasburg, Orleans, Vermont.
- Meletiah Metcalf, born 4 April 1779, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire; married Salmon Niles, 16 December 1797, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, thirteen children; died 13 July 1838, Haverhill, Grafton, New Hampshire.
- Mary "Polly" Metcalf, born about 1780, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire; married Amos Underhill, 25 March 1801, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, five children; died 15 October 1855, Aurora, Erie, New York.
- Joseph Metcalf was born in 1781 in Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire; died 10 March 1796, Permont, Grafton, New Hampshire.
- Jerusha Metcalf, born 1789, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire; married John Bickford, 4 June 1807, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire, twelve children; died 22 December 1864, Troy, Orleans, Vermont.
- Chandler Metcalf, born 7 April 1798, Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire; married Letitia Olmstead, 17 December 1826, Hanover, Grafton, New Hampshire, two children; died 8 June 1842, Haverhill, Grafton, New Hampshire.
"(VI) Burgess Metcalf, son of Michael Metcalf, was born at Medway, August 28, 1741. He was a soldier in the revolution, and ensign in the fifth company. (See p. 924, vol. xvi, State Papers of New Hampshire). In 1790 the federal census shows that he was living in Piermont, New Hampshire and had in his family four males over 16, three under that age, and seven females. The names of all of his children are not given. The history of Piedmont in the Grafton County history states that Burgess Metcalf came there early and died there in 1816; that he had a large family; that his son John, born in 1803, died in 1858. The Chandler family settled in Piermont also, and doubtless intermarried with the Metcalfs."Another sketch of Burgess Metcalf is in the Piermont section of the book: Hamilton Child, Part first: Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886.[5] It says:
"Burgess Metcalf located at Piermont, at an early day. He reared a large family of children, and lived here until his death, in 1816."Another sketch of the life and family of Burgess Metcalf is in the book: Louise S. Horton, Elizabeth H. Underhill, and Eleanor D. Deal, Piermont, New Hampshire, 1764-1947.[6] The "Metcalf" section says, in part:
"From Grafton County Land Records we learn that Richard Jenness, Proprietor, of Rye, N.H., deeded to Burgess Medcalf, for 70 pounds Lot 9 in Range 1 on 13 August 1773; thus early did the Metcalf family begin their occupancy of the town, where for all the succeeding years some of them have resided.Burgess Metcalf removed to Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire, in 1773[6]. The lot was on the present-day River Road.
"They early became identified with the work of the church. In 1779 both Burgess, and his son Burgess Jr. signed, with others, a paper 'to pay the sum of $80. for the support of Publishing the Gospel this present year, according to the Poll, and valuable estate appraised on me by the selectmen of this town of Piermont.' In 1803, when the present Congregational Church was organized, the name of Burgess Metcalf was one of its members, and his son John was later one of the deacons. Always the family has helped maintain the church."
Burgess Metcalf served in the Revolutionary War as an Ensign in the 5th Company of the 12th New Hampshire Regiment. He was commissioned on 5 September 1775.[7] He also served from 25 September to 26 October 1777, and was at the surrender of Burgoyne.
Burges Medcalf was enumerated in the New Hampshire 1776 State Census in Piermont, Grafton County.[8]
In the 1790 United States census, the Burges Metcalf household was enumerated at Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire.[9] The household included:
- 4 free white males over age 16
- 3 free white males under age 16
- 7 free white women
The Piermont, N.H. Town Records has many references to Burgess Metcalf and other Metcalfs in Piermont, including[10]:
4) Later Years
Burgess Metcalf died 26 September 1816, according to the Find A Grave memorial.[3] He is buried in River Road Cemetery in Bradford, New Hampshire with his wife, Jerusha.[3] The inscription on his gravestone says:
Jerusha (--?--) Metcalf died on 9 June 1817 at the age of 67 in Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire.[14] Jerusha was buried after 9 June 1817 at River Road Cemetery in Bradford, Merrimack, New Hampshire.[14] The inscription on her gravestone says:
There are no probate records for Burgess or Jerusha Metcalf in the Grafton county, New Hampshire probate court records.
5) Sources
1. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Medway, Births, Marriages and Deaths, Births, page 26 (image 44 of 1171), Burgess Metcalf birth entry, 28 August 1741.
2. Vital records of Medway, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New-England Historic Genealogical Society, 1905), Births, page 90, Burgess Metcalf entry, 28 August 1741.
3. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), River Road Cemetery, Bradford, N.H., Burgess Metcalf (1741-1816) memorial #57644861.
4. William Richard Cutter (compiler), New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume IV (New York City : Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), page 2196, "Metcalf" sketch.
5. Hamilton Child, Part first: Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886 (Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, June 1886, page 574, Burgess Metcalf sketch.
6. Louise S. Horton, Elizabeth H. Underhill, and Eleanor D. Deal, Piermont, New Hampshire, 1764-1947 (Bradford, Vt. : The Green Mountain Press, n.d.), pages 150-151, Burgess Metcalf sketch.
7. "New Hampshire Revolutionary War Records, 1675-1835," imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 December 2016), Rolls > Muster Rolls and Petitions, 1747-1779 > image 168 of 364, Burgess Medcalf entry; citing Archives and Records Management, Concord, New Hampshire.
8. "New Hampshire Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), 1776, Grafton County, Piermont, 1776, Burges Medcalf entry.
9. 1790 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 67, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M637, Roll 5.
10. Piermont (N.H.) Town Clerk, Town Records, 1765-1825, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org, accessed on FHL US/CAN microfilm 0,015,276), Volume 1, pages 220, 255, 269,289, 295, 334, 350, and Volume, pages 8 and 180, Burgess Metcalf entries.
11. Grafton County (N.H) Register of Deeds, "Land Records, 1773-1902; Indexes to Land Records, 1773-1900," imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org, accessed on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,015,822), Volume 55, Page 327, Burgess Medcalf Jr. to Burgess Medcalf Sr., dated 1798, recorded 1812.
12. 1800 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 706, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M32, Roll 20.
13. 1810 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 364, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M292, Roll 23.
14. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), River Road Cemetery, Bradford, N.H., Jerusha Chandler Medcalf (1750-1817) memorial #58660922.
In Volume 1:
- page 220: 10 Mar 1789: Burgess Medcalf chosen surveyor of highways
- page 255: 20 Oct 1794: Burges Medcalf named a petit juror.
- page 269: 10 Aug 1797: Burgis Medcalf named to committee to affix bounds of school lands
- page 269: 20 Sep 1797: Burgis Medcalf named Moderator and Grand Juror
- page 289: 1800: Burgess Medcalf was assessed $0.95 tax rate for middle school district.
- Burgis Medcalf Jr. was assessed $1.74.
- page 295: 1799 County Tax List: Burgis Medcalf was assessed $1.70 and Burgis Medcalf Jr. was assessed $3.10.
- page 334, 1801 tax list: Burges Medcalf had 1 cow, 2 3-year old calfs, 1 2-year-old calf, 6 acres of tillage, 12 acres of mowing, 10 acres of pasture, assessed 0 pounds, 14 shillings, 8 pence.
- Burges Medcalf Jr. had 1 poll, 1 4-year old horse, 1 cow, 2 3-year old calfs, 0 acres of tillage, 2 acres of mowing, 1 acre of pasture,and was assessed 0 pounds, 17 shillings, 5 pence.
- page 350: 1802 tax list: Burgess Medcalf had 2 polls, 1 horse,1 3-year old horse, 2 oxen, 1 cow, 3 3-year old cows, 3 2-year old cows, 11 acres of mowing, 9 acres of tillage, 12 acres of pasture, buildings worth $30.15, Whole amount of Inventory $10.09, Highway Tax $7.06, Town Tax $3.44, Highway Tax $0.41, Minister's Tax $2.53, and School Tax $3.91.
In Volume 2:Burgess Medcalf Jr. leased several lots of land in Piermont, New Hampshire to his father, Burgess Medcalf Sr. on 29 August 1798 for 500 dollars.[11] The parcels included two houselots (numbers 9 and 10), two meadow lots (nnumbers 57 and 58), but excluded 4 acres of houselot number 9. The document was registered on 30 April 1812 in the Grafton County Deed records. The lease transcription is:
- page 8: 10 Feb 1795 tax list: Burgas Medcalf 0 pounds 8 shillings, 10 pence.
- Burgas Medcalf Jr. 0 pounds, 3 shillings,7 pence.
- page 180: 1809 tax list: Burgess Medcalf assessed $5.05 town and $0.96 county.
"Lease: B. Medcalf Jr to B. MedcalfIn the 1800 United States census, the Burges Metcalf household was enumerated in Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire.[12] The household included:
"This indenture made this twenty ninth day of August one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight by & between Burgess Medcalf Jnr of Piermont County of Grafton & State of New Hampshire yeoman on the one part & Burgess Medcalf senior all of Piermont County and State aforesaid on the other part. Witnesseth that the said Burgess Medcalf Jr for and under all covenants onto hereafter in these presents expressed hath & doth hereby demise to grant and to farm Lot unto the said Burgess Medcalf senior the whole of the following tracts of land lying and being situate in Piermont aforesaid together with all buildings standing on said premises viz two houselots one numbered nine drawn to the original right of Howard Henderson the othered numbered ten drawn to the original right of the first settled Minister in said Piermont and also two meadow lots one numbered fifty seven drawn to the original right of Howard Henderson the other numbered fifty eight drawn to the original right of Zebulon Giddings excepting about four acres from the houselots numbered nine drawn to the original right of Howard Henderson together with all the priveleges whereunto belonging for the term of time or so long as he himself shall live & Jerusha his wife to his use or his wife use benefit and behoof during their natural lives to improve said lands as he or she shall chuse without any Let hindrance or Molestation-- In consideration therefor the said Burgess Medcalf Jr do aknowledge by these presents to have received the full and just sum of five hundred dollars for the above described premises and whenever in any way or manner he the said Burgess Medcalf Senior or his wife Jerusha Medcalf shall be removed from the premises by his or her consent or agreeable to what is above written he the said Burgess Medcalf Jr his heirs and assigns shall have full power and liberty to reenter and take possesion of the above described premises agreeable to what is above written in the premises. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this day & year before written-- Signed, sealed and delivered
In presence of
John Russell
Thomas Russell Jr
Burgess Medcalf Jr
Burgess Medcalf
Grafton County April 30th 1812"
- 1 free white male under age 10 (probably Chandler)
- 1 free white male between 10 and 16 years old (perhaps son Joseph)
- 1 free white male between 16 and 26 years old (perhaps son Cyrus)
- 1 free white male between 26 and 45 years old (probably son Burgess)
- 1 free white male over age 45 (certainly husband Burgess)
- 1 free white female between 10 and 16 years old (probably daughter Jerusha)
- 1 free white female between 16 and 26 years old (probably daughter Mary)
- 1 free white female over age 45 (certainly wife Jerusha)
- 2 free white males between 16 and 26 years old (perhaps sons Joseph and Chandler)
- 1 free white male over age 45 (certainly husband Burgess)
- 1 free white female over age 45 (certainly wife Jerusha)
4) Later Years
Burgess Metcalf died 26 September 1816, according to the Find A Grave memorial.[3] He is buried in River Road Cemetery in Bradford, New Hampshire with his wife, Jerusha.[3] The inscription on his gravestone says:
In Memory of
Ensign
Burgess Medcalf
who died Sept
20, 1816
aged 74
years
Jerusha (--?--) Metcalf died on 9 June 1817 at the age of 67 in Piermont, Grafton, New Hampshire.[14] Jerusha was buried after 9 June 1817 at River Road Cemetery in Bradford, Merrimack, New Hampshire.[14] The inscription on her gravestone says:
In memory of
Mrs.
Jerusha Medcalf
who died June
9 1817 aged
67
years
There are no probate records for Burgess or Jerusha Metcalf in the Grafton county, New Hampshire probate court records.
5) Sources
1. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Medway, Births, Marriages and Deaths, Births, page 26 (image 44 of 1171), Burgess Metcalf birth entry, 28 August 1741.
2. Vital records of Medway, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New-England Historic Genealogical Society, 1905), Births, page 90, Burgess Metcalf entry, 28 August 1741.
3. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), River Road Cemetery, Bradford, N.H., Burgess Metcalf (1741-1816) memorial #57644861.
4. William Richard Cutter (compiler), New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume IV (New York City : Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), page 2196, "Metcalf" sketch.
5. Hamilton Child, Part first: Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886 (Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, June 1886, page 574, Burgess Metcalf sketch.
6. Louise S. Horton, Elizabeth H. Underhill, and Eleanor D. Deal, Piermont, New Hampshire, 1764-1947 (Bradford, Vt. : The Green Mountain Press, n.d.), pages 150-151, Burgess Metcalf sketch.
7. "New Hampshire Revolutionary War Records, 1675-1835," imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 December 2016), Rolls > Muster Rolls and Petitions, 1747-1779 > image 168 of 364, Burgess Medcalf entry; citing Archives and Records Management, Concord, New Hampshire.
8. "New Hampshire Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), 1776, Grafton County, Piermont, 1776, Burges Medcalf entry.
9. 1790 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 67, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M637, Roll 5.
10. Piermont (N.H.) Town Clerk, Town Records, 1765-1825, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org, accessed on FHL US/CAN microfilm 0,015,276), Volume 1, pages 220, 255, 269,289, 295, 334, 350, and Volume, pages 8 and 180, Burgess Metcalf entries.
11. Grafton County (N.H) Register of Deeds, "Land Records, 1773-1902; Indexes to Land Records, 1773-1900," imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org, accessed on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,015,822), Volume 55, Page 327, Burgess Medcalf Jr. to Burgess Medcalf Sr., dated 1798, recorded 1812.
12. 1800 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 706, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M32, Roll 20.
13. 1810 United States Federal Census, Grafton County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Piermont, page 364, Burges Metcalf household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M292, Roll 23.
14. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com), River Road Cemetery, Bradford, N.H., Jerusha Chandler Medcalf (1750-1817) memorial #58660922.
Relationship
Burgess and Jerusha (--?--) Metcalf are my 5th great-grandparents, through their daughter Mary "Polly" Metcalf (1780-1855) who married Amos Underhill (1772-1865) in 1801 in Piermont, Graft5on County, New Hampshire and eventually settled in Erie County, New York.
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