Metcalf, William 1703
William METCALF (1703 - 1757) and Sarah
my 7g-grandparents
William METCALF was born about 1703, probably on the southeastern side of the Christina Creek, New Castle County, Delaware Colony. He died before 5 Apr 1757, probably just north of the Welsh Tract, Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven County, Province of South Carolina.
William's wife was Sarah, widow of William BOSHER. They married on 3 Aug 1738 in Prince Frederick's Parish.
As discussed on the William MEDCALF 1743 page, William and Sarah are likely the parents of William MEDCALF of Anson County, NC. Many researchers have his father as the William MEDCALF who was born 17 Aug 1708 in Church Hill, MD. Recent research by Chris METCALF has convinced me that this William from DE and SC is the right one.
William's date of birth is inferred from tax records in PA, where he was first subject to tax in 1724. He would have been 21, so he was born about 1703. His parents lived on the SE side of Christina/Christiana Creek/River, so he was probably born there. His date of death is inferred from several legal documents referring to him as deceased, the earliest one dated 5 Apr 1757. His known children were born in the early 1740s, and I haven't seen any record of him after that. He lived on the Great Pee Dee River, just north of the Welsh Tract, and probably died there.
Called "Wm Med Calf" in 1724, and "Wm Metcalf" in 1725, he paid taxes in Marlboro Township, Chester (now Montgomery) County, PA. Also, "Wm. Madcaff" witnessed the will of Robert WAY, of Kennett Township, Chester County, on 25 Apr 1725. Marlboro is about 50 miles north of Christina Creek, so it appears that our William was born in DE, went to Marlboro as a young man, and was in SC by 1738.
On 21 May 1729 William MITCALFE, of Christina Creek, sold the last of the land he had inherited from his father, Thomas MITCALFE, to William PARSONS, of Miln Creek Hundred, New Castle, DE. [DB1]
William signed with an M.
The Register Book for the Parish Prince Frederick Winyaw, Ann: Dom: 1713; pg. 51
Registered Entry: Marryed by the Reverend Mr. John Fordyce in Prince Frederick Parish as followeth – Metcalf, William and Sarah Bosher, widº, August 3d 1738
South Carolina Marriages, 1688- 1799; pg. 170
Marriage: Dated August 3, 1738; William Metcalfe m. Sarah Bosher in Prince Frederick’s Parish, Craven County, South Carolina.
1725 map annotated in red by Chris METCALF
Between 1729 and 1738, William METCALF made his way southward, to Georgetown, on Winyaw (or Winyah) Bay, on the coast of the Colony of South Carolina. He probably traveled on the King's Highway, which was completed in 1735, connecting Boston, MA and Charlestown (Charleston), SC. The Fall Line Road was also a major thoroughfare, but the section that went through Cheraw was not completed until the 1750s.
"Britain and British shipping still enjoyed a monopoly of the trade and commerce of the province. Charlestown, Port Royal and Winyah, or Georgetown, had each its collector now; the former, for some years before." [HSC, p. 121, covering the year 1747]
William applied for a grant of 450 acres on 13 Apr 1739, and was granted 400 acres on 5 Jun 1742.
Petitions for Lands from the South Carolina Council Journals; Volume 1; pg. 131
Council Journal 1738 – 1739: Meeting of the 13th April 1739 - Read the Petition of William Metcalf praying a warrant four hundred and fifty acres of Land having Sworn to his Family Right. Ordered that the prayer of Petition be Granted.
South Carolina Royal Grants; Volume 1; Book 3; pg. 134
Royal Grant # 539: William Metcalf granted a tract of land containing 400 acres being in Craven County in the Province of South Carolina and butting and bounding on the North East side of Peedee River, North West on Timothy Brittons land South West on Peedee River, North East on Moses Brittons land, Southeast on William Rae, and part on Daniel Britton. Surveyed on June 30, 1739, Survey certified on December 31, 1739, Granted June 5, 1742, Recorded for record June 8, 1742.
Sketch of land granted to William METCALF on 5 Jun 1742. North is to the left and slightly up.
William METCALF land on the Great Pee Dee River, overlaid on a modern map, by Chris METCALF.
The village of Society Hill is in the lower part, for reference.
Also see the map of MEDCALF lands on the William MEDCALF 1743 page.
On 7 Jul 1741 William METCALF was involved in a lawsuit. The interesting thing about this is that he is referred to as William METCALF of Winyaw (Georgetown). He must have lived there until his land grant came through on 5 Jun 1742.
South Carolina Archives; Judgement Rolls, 1703 – 1790; Box 26A; Item 71A
Case: Dated July 7, 1741; Abraham Skinner, a Merchant of Charleston, South Carolina brought suit against William Metcalf or otherwise called William Metcalf of Winyaw for not paying him £181/6s/3d. William answered the plea… or went to court on August 15, 1741. The Court ruled in Abraham’s favor and cited William for £33/13s/6d.
Descendants
William and Sarah had 4 known children. They first 2 were probably born in Winyaw (Georgetown), about 1739-41, and the other 2 on the property described above, in Welsh Track, about 1743-5.
1 William METCALF b: Abt. 1703 in Christina Creek, New Castle, DE, d: Bef. 05 Apr 1757 in Welsh Tract, Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven, SC
+ Sarah b: Abt. 1718, m: 03 Aug 1738 in Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven, SC
......2 unknown METCALF b: 1739 in Welsh Tract, d: 1739 in Welsh Tract
......2 Anne METCALF b: 25 Jan 1741 in Welsh Tract
...... + Cornelius EVANS d: 1780 in Anson, NC
......2 William MEDCALF b: Abt. 1743 in Welsh Tract, d: Jul 1798 in Ansonville, Anson, NC
...... + Amelia b: Abt. 1745, m: 1763 in NC, d: Abt. 1805 in Fayette, Anson, NC
......2 Henry MEDCALFE b: Abt. 1745 in Welsh Tract, d: Abt. 1776 in Saluda River, SC
The first known child of William and Sarah was born 1739 in Welsh Tract, and died in infancy,1739 in Welsh Tract. Name and gender are unknown.
Anne METCALF was born 25 Jan 1741 in Welsh Tract. She married Cornelius EVANS, who died about 1780 in Anson, NC.
The Register Book for the Parish Prince Frederick Winyaw, Ann: Dom: 1713; pg. 13
Registered Entry: Baptized by the Reverend Mr. John Fordyce – Metcalfe, Ann, Daughter of William Metcalf and of Sarah his Wife Born January 25th 1741 Baptized August 10th 1742.
In Anson County, 1780, a payment was made from the estate of Cornelius EVANS to William MEDCALF. (Deed Book K, p. 268)
In the 1790 US Census, Anna EVANS is listed between William METCALF (her nephew) and John THOMAS (husband of her niece). Anna was living alone, head of her own household.
Anne also received land grants in Anson County, NC. A grant of 50 acres on Richardson Creek was entered 27 May 1789 and granted 16 Nov 1790. (Book 73 p. 296) Another grant of 100 acres on the NW side of Richardson Creek was entered 10 May 1793 and granted 8 Dec 1794. (Book 86, p. 162)
William MEDCALF was born about 1743 in Welsh Tract, and died in Jul 1798 in Ansonville, Anson, NC, age 55. He married about 1763 in NC, to Amelia, born about 1745, died about 1805 in Fayette, Anson, NC, age 60.
William and Amelia were my 6g-grandparents, See the William MEDCALF 1743 page.
Henry MEDCALFE was born about 1745 in Welsh Tract, and died about 1776 in Saluda River, SC, age 31. His wife's name is not known, but he may have had sons who fought in the American Revolution. The evidence is slim.
Sources
Most of the graphics and transcribed records above were sent to me by Chris METCALF, in private communication.
[CR] Christina River on Wikipedia
[DB1] Delaware, New Castle County; Deed Book I; Volume 1; p. 86. (requires Ancestry license)
[FCSC] The Formation of Counties in South Carolina
[HSC] The history of South Carolina. From its first European discovery to its erection into a republic (1866) by William Gilmore Simms
[MFT] William Metcalfe on the Metcalf Family Tree by Chris Metcalf (requires Ancestry license)
Last updated 20 Nov 2020 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com