The Journal of the Metcalfe Society is produced three times a year in April, August and December. Features in Issue #59 December 1999 It's All in the Genes. Part I - Theophilus the Scribe (see extract below) On the World Wide Web Subscriptions Policy The Northern Family History Fairs The normal deadlines for the Editor to receive material are 6 February, 6 June, 20 October, respectively. Any Metcalfe (the use of Metcalfe implies any variation, e.g. Metcalf, Medcalfe etc.) article, amusing snippets, pleas or offers of help should be sent to our Editor. It is a case of "the more the merrier" - the newsletter is our mouthpiece and is the easiest way of reaching all members. If you have anything to say, say it in the Mecca News. We welcome any articles or letters on the Metcalfe name in all its derivations, together with articles on family history research in general. Material should be sent to the editor, Peter Dobson (address in the members section of the web site).

From Issue #59 - December 1999
Theophilus the Scribe by George Buxton M003

The most important, charismatic, interesting and influential Metcalfe family during the British association with India were the descendants of Theophilus Metcalfe (hereafter called Theophilus the scribe), who developed and improved Shelton's system of shorthand. Although there were three Theophilus Metcalfes who were alive in the early part of the 17th century, Theophilus the scribe was probably the son of Matthew and Maria (Taylor) Metcalfe, (who married 2nd July 1593 at Richmond in North Yorkshire) baptised on the 3rd June 1610 at Richmond North Yorkshire...

First appeared in Mecca News No 8. December 1982
Mecca's Lament

The kitchen sink is full of dishes
I mostly ignore my family's wishes
Under the bed, mice are nesting,
And up in the corners spiders are resting.

Beneath the carpets I've swept the dust,
The cooking pans are starting to rust.
Windows all are dark and greasy,
To look outside is far from easy.
The pantry is empty, not a cake to be seen,
Potatoes moulding in an unwashed tureen.

My husband glares and tears his hair,

For on his shirt not a button is there.
My daughter says it's like Peyton Place,
With Mum uncovering the human race.

At night I lay me down to sleep,
I'm counting Metcalfes instead of sheep.
"Where did James marry his mate?
Why did Alice leave it so late?
Could Anthony be the son of John?
Why was Lister's boy called Washington?
Was Booth Hay named for a General?
Alas, he only made Lieutenant Colonel.
Did William Pitt win his Brief,
And did he defend old Fagin the thief ?"

Poor Isabella orphaned at eleven,
Sent into service, it can't have been Heaven.
Then she wed Grandpa and to my Father gave birth.
And that is the reason for all this mirth.

I spend all my time in the C.R.O.
And down the Archives I must go .
Census and P.R.s are all grist to the mill,
I've dozens of notebooks still to fill.
To St. Catherine's London I am booked
YES, IT'S FAMILY RESEARCH AND AM I HOOKED?!!

By Dorothy Pope (M055)

Excerpt from Issue #52, p27
Index of Seamen certified as Masters or Mates

Supplied by M430, C.Reith from PRO, Kew reference BT-127 (Sept 1996)
Each man was allocated one (sometimes two, as a new set of registers was kept) reference or certificate numbers. The reference numbers given can then be looked up on microfilm at PRO Kew for details of the ships the man sailed on with dates and ports and sometimes date and cause of death.

Excerpt from Issue #53, p23
1881 Census Return County Indices

We are pleased to announce that thanks to Member #46, D. Metcalfe and Member #29, N. Benson, we now have copies of ALL the Metcalfes and variants from all the Counties of England plus the Royal Navy and Jersey in the Channel Islands .... The ONLY county in England without any Metcalfes at all was Huntingdonshire. Cornwall came next with a lone Metcalfe.....

Also excerpted from Issue #53, p22
Federation of Family History Societies

On 5 April, 1997 the Chairman of the FFHS (our own D. Lambert) was presented with the Patent of the grant of Arms at the FFHS conference at Chichester. The Arms represent the original eleven founder societies and the family trees we all aim to produce. The crest is a crane - the bird of learning, whilst the figures represent an artisan and an agricultural labourer to represent the majority of our ancestors. All member societies, of which we are one, can display the arms in our journals and letterheads.

The Mecca News is sent to current members of The Metcalfe Society.

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