Charles Thomas Page Metcalf was born on 4 June 1809 the eldest of the eight children of Joseph Metcalf (1785-1839) and Sarah Elizabeth Metcalf née Cubitt (1787-1855). He was baptised on 30 June 1809 at St Marylebone, Westminster. On his sibling's baptismal registers his father is described either as a clerk or as a gentleman.
His seven siblings were: Clarissa Metcalf (1810-1859), Maria Metcalf (b.1813), Elizabeth Metcalf (b.1814), Jane Metcalf (b.1816), Ann Metcalf (b.1817), Henry Metcalf (b.1819) and William Metcalf (1820-1875).
On 23 May 1833 he married Sophia Juliana Toase (1814-1867) at St Mary's Church, Newington, Southwark and in the 1851 census he is shown as an East India Company civil servant residing at 4 Hotham Villas, Putney, with his wife, together with two female domestic servants. The 1861 census shows him as retired from the civil service and living at 3 Hotham Villas, Putney, with his wife, together with a cook and a housemaid.
His wife died, aged 52 years, and was buried on 1 February 1867 in the Churchyard of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Church Street, Cannington, Bridgwater, TA5 2HA. On 29 February 1868 he married Elizabeth Wilks (b.20 March 1826) at St Mary Magdalene Church, Reigate, Surrey, where the marriage register shows him as a widower and a gentleman residing in Cannington, Somerset, whilst she is described as a spinster living at North Vale Lodge, Reigate.
In the 1871 census he is shown as retired from India's civil service after 33 years, living at High Street, Cannington, Somerset, with his wife, a cook and a housemaid. Electoral registers in 1877 show him registered at 'Ashton', Haringey Park, but in the 1878 Post Office Directory he listed at 20 Haringey Park, Crouch End. (Note the variations in spelling in what is now known as Haringey Park). The 1881 census shows him as 'superannuated' living at 24 Harringay Park, Crouch End, Hornsey, with his wife, a cook and a female domestic servant. Electoral registers in 1882 show him at 'Somington House' 24 Haringey Park, Crouch End, but by 1885 they were listing the address as 24 Harringay Park, Crouch End.
Probate records confirm that he was 'formally of East India House in the City of London but late of 24 Harringay Park, Hornsey, Middlesex' where he died, aged 76 years, on 11 January 1886. His will was proved by his widow on 23 February 1886 and his effects totalled £2,006-18s-11d.
We are grateful to our colleague Andrew Behan for providing all the above research. Note that Metcalf donated the fountain to Crouch End just 2 years after he had moved into the area. We think it probably that Metcalf's home from 1877 on was the one house, 24 Haringey Park, and that all the other similar addresses are errors or alternative versions of the same address. Maps of the time (at the wonderful Layers of London: a 1910 Inland Revenue map and a 1893-6 OS Map) show that the street has been renumbered; the current 24 Haringey Park did not exist in 1877 and that Metcalf's number 24 was on the site of what is now Ravensdale Mansions 33-48, immediately east of Sandringham Gardens.
In the absence of an image of Metcalf himself we are using this map - it shows that he lived in a substantial property, commensurate with being the donor of a fountain to the people of the area.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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