Little Jack

There were four Metcalf sisters. Their names were Minnie, Nellie, Lily and Cassie, the daughters of Joseph and Ann Jane Metcalf (née Knox).

Joseph and Ann were married on 29 July 1893, and their daughter Minnie was born later that year. Nellie was born in 1896, Lily in 1899, and finally Cassie was born in 1904. 

The Metcalf Sisters

But I know there was a fifth Metcalf child, a boy, named Jack. 

My Grandma told me of him a few times, and it was always the same story. Not really a story, per se, more of a line, something little Jack said. And it always ended with my Grandma saying 'but, of course, he died young.'

The story was passed down to my Grandma from her mother, Minnie, who heard it firsthand. The line was spoken by Jack himself, who said, 'Put Cassie down, Ma. Nurse Jack.'

Jack was born on 13 May 1902 at West Moor, Northumberland. His father was a native of Stanley, Durham, but in his work as a sinker in the pits, he found himself working in many collieries in the local area. Ann, his mother, was from Bedlington.

Cassie was born two years later, on 9 February 1904. Jack was obviously jealous of his mother's affections and attention when the new baby arrived and decided he wanted to be nursed too.

On 6 July 1904, Jack sadly died of a combination of whooping cough and bronchopneumonia. He was only two-years-old.

Thankfully Jack is remembered in my family. Two of the Metcalf sisters named a son Jack in his honour, and it is clear that my own great-grandmother recalled him fondly and ensured he was remembered. 

Writer's Block: Which of my Ancestors could write?

I decided an interesting idea would be to see who in my more recent ancestry could read and write. 

On civil registration documents in the UK, the informant of the event was required to either make their mark (a cross, X), or sign their name. A lot of information in the chart I prepared is taken from birth, marriage and death certificates from my own family 

The 1911 census returns were the first to be filled in by each head of the household, and so this is often be the first time someone will see their ancestor's full signature. If the head of the household was not able to write, then someone in the family, a friend or a neighbour was allowed to fill in the form on their behalf. 

First things first, obviously I can read and write. My parents can, my grandparents could, and so could all of my great-grandparents. 

Ticks denote they could read/write.
Crosses denote they could not.

Thanks to Crista Cowan from Ancestry, AKA the Barefoot Genealogist for sharing the chart, and giving me the initial idea.

I have somewhat neglected looking for my ancestors in school records, so I'm not sure if they will exist in places. A fairly recent record set published on Find My Past were the National School Admission Registers & Logbooks from 1870 - 1914. I found a lot of relatives in those records, but not many direct ancestors.

One I did find was my great-grandmother, Minnie Metcalf (written above as MM 1893 in the fourth column), who attended the Crofton Temporary Infants School in Blyth, along with her younger sister Nellie.

My great-great-grandfather, Adam Storey (written above as AS 1853), could read and write. He probably attended the Church of England school at Newbiggin, as did his siblings. I know Adam was a highly intelligent and educated man, who aspired to become a solicitor. He was an apprentice to a solicitor in Morpeth for a short while after leaving school. Adam's wife Jane Mavin (written above as JM 1853) could also read and write. 

As an added extra, I also coloured the boxes to show where my ancestors were born. Red for England, Dark Blue for Scotland, Green for Ireland etc. The Orange is for my paternal grandmother, born in Australia, and the Light Blue is for my great-great-grandfather, William James Rudd, who was born in Virginia, USA. 


Looking at my paternal grandfather's side of the family, it is clear that the previous few generations were all born in Scotland. Charles Leslie and Agnes Carroll, my great-great-grandparents (written above as CL 1858 and AC 1865, respectively), were not able to write. They were both children of Irish immigrants, so it is not a big surprise to me at all. 

My other great-great-grandfather, William McLean (written above as WM 1874) could not write. He signed with an X on numerous civil registrations, and so was obviously unable to even sign his own name. Interestingly though, his wife Marion Richmond (MR 1878 above) could sign her own name. In the early years of her marriage, Marion could be found signing her name as "Marion McClen."


My two great-great-grandparents born in Ireland could not read or write either. Martin Quinnin and Barbara Coyle (MQ c.1838 and BC c.1841 respectively) were both born in Co. Sligo, and came to England during the potato famine. It is no surprise to me that they were illiterate, as they were the children of impoverished labourers. They both signed their marriage certificate with an X. 

Similarly, my maternal grandmother's grandmother's were illiterate also. Matthew Taylor and Isabella Errington (MT 1838 and IE 1841 above) were both born long before education was made compulsory in England, and so I never expected them to be able to read and write. 

As for two of my great-great-grandmothers, I just don't know if they were literate. I can guess that Ann Jane Knox (written above as AK 1874) could write, as I have found school records for some of her siblings. As for Jane Barrass (JB 1853), I just don't have any evidence. I believe one of her brothers wrote and signed his own will, so I could maybe guess that she could, but I'm just not certain.

The Battle of Jutland - The Bravest 16-year-old

The Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle of World War One, fought between 31 May and 1 June 1916. The battle is described as an ambush by the German High Seas Fleet on the British Royal Navy. During the incredibly bloody and catastrophic battle, Britain lost 14 ships and over 6000 men. The Germans lost 11 ships and over 2500 men. 

There have been commemorations yesterday and today to mark the centenary of the battle, and to remember those brave young men lost. 

For more information of the Battle of Jutland, and the Centenary Commemorations:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-battle-of-jutland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-36390168
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/31/what-was-the-battle-of-jutland-why-was-it-so-important-to-the-fi/

After the battle, one particular sailor was remembered above the others. He became a sort of poster boy for the Navy and stood for stoic British spirit and determination. His name was Jack Cornwell. 

Jack was born John Travers Cornwell on 8 January 1900. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in October 1915, aged only fifteen, and was posted to HMS Chester the following year. 

On the first day of the Battle of Jutland, HMS Chester was sent to investigate gunfire. The ship came under rather intense and terrible gunfire itself, from four German cruisers. Jack was on the gun mounting with other men, and was the sole survivor after all the gun's crew were killed or fatally wounded. 

When medics got to the ship, they found Jack seriously injured, with shards of steel and shell piercing his body. He was still awaiting his orders. Clearly dying, he was sent to Grimsby General Hospital, where he died on 2 June 1916, before his mother arrived to see him. Jack Cornwell was only 16-years-old. 

Jack Cornwell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration. 

To find out more about Boy Jack, please watch the video below, to discover his story as told by his family:

After his death, the "Jack Cornwell" Ward was set up at the Star and Garter Home, Richmond, to be reserved for disabled sailors. The ward needed money to work and operate, so the Navy League set up a system where every boy and girl attending school in Britain could pay 1d in support. In exchange, the child received a flag or stamp-sized badge of Jack. 

21 September 1916 was known as Jack Cornwell Day. September 1916 was also the launch month of the fundraising appeal. The total raised overall was £18,000 - an incredible amount, equal to around £1.5 million in today's money.

In the pages of my Great Auntie Nellie's birthday book, is a badge of Jack Cornwell, in aid of the ward named in his honour. It's unbelievable to think that my family were part of such a historic event.

From Auntie Nellie's birthday book.

On This Day - My ANZAC Great-Grandfather

On this day 100 years ago my great-grandfather, Robert Mavin Storey, joined the 8th Field Ambulance of the Australian Imperial Force. 

Private R. M. Storey

Robert was born in March 1887 at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, England, to Adam Storey and Jane Mavin. He was named after his maternal grandfather. 

When Robert was three years old, his parents enrolled him in Newbiggin Church School. He was described as "very little", and the school mistress didn't believe he would attend very well. 

When he was older, Robert was involved with the local football team, and was an apprentice for some five years to a local master bricklayer. In 1911, Robert's older brother Eddie emigrated to Canada, and ended up saying there for two years. Eddie and Robert had already decided they wanted to travel together, so in December 1913 they embarked to Australia.

Robert joined the Australian Imperial Force on 8 May 1916 at Teralba, NSW, where he was living at the time. He had been working on building sites there, and lived in Pitt Street. A week later on 15 May, Robert formally joined the 8th Field Ambulance unit. 

When on extended leave in England in September 1919, Robert married Minnie Metcalf at Morpeth. They set off for Australia the following March, with their first stop being Teralba. From Teralba they moved on to Weston. There they had four children, before embarking back to England in 1934.

Back in his birth town, Robert set up his own building business, and on one occasion stood in the local council elections. 

Robert missed Australia dearly, and so went back there alone in September 1952. He died there over a year later in December 1953, at a fairly young age. The only consolation for his premature death was that it happened in his beloved Australia.

Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book - D. Orkney

My Great Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book is an absolute treasure to have, and I feel so lucky to have it in my possession. The book itself is now 102-years-old, closer to 103 in fact. It was given to Auntie Nellie on her 17th birthday, 10 February 1913.

Auntie Nellie Metcalf

The book has the birthdays of numerous family members, as well as friends close to the Metcalf family. I have given myself the task of trying to trace the families of Auntie Nellie's friends. The next person I want to research is the puzzling D. Orkney.

D. Orkney's entry in the Birthday Book.

The entry for D. Orkney appears on 2 June, and is the only Orkney in the book. As the Metcalf family were living in the Morpeth district of Northumberland throughout this time, I concentrated my research there. A simple search for a D* Orkney in the Morpeth district brought up only one result; a man named Daniel Kinghorn Orkney, born in 1888. 

Daniel Kinghorn Orkney was born on 2 June 1888 at Choppington, close to Bedlington, Northumberland. His father was George Orkney, a coal miner, and his mother was named Elizabeth Russell. Daniel had two older siblings, Alexander and Mary Ann, as well as a younger sister named Hannah. 

As a child Daniel, or Dan as he was known, went to the local Infant School, before moving up into Barrington County Primary School. His father George was well-known locally, being the secretary of the Barrington soup kitchen committee, as well as serving the same role on the Choppington society benefit. 

When Dan came of age, he followed his father into the local coal mine. He enlisted in the British Army on 2 September 1915, joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. Dan's brother Alexander joined the Northumberland Fusiliers and was wounded. He was taken to a war hospital in Boulogne, where he later died. 

After the war, Dan married a woman named Elizabeth Simm at Choppington, but had no children. Like his father, Dan was on local committees and was vice-chairman of the Sleekburn British Legion. 

Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book - The Marley Family

My Great Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book is an absolute treasure to have, and I feel so lucky to have it in my possession. The book itself is now 102-years-old, closer to 103 in fact. It was given to Auntie Nellie on her 17th birthday, 10 February 1913.

Auntie Nellie Metcalf

The book has the birthdays of numerous family members, as well as friends close to the Metcalf family. I have given myself the task of trying to trace the families of Auntie Nellie's friends. The next family I am going to trace are the Marley-Vickers family.

There are two Marleys named in the book, the first being Mattie born on 30th April, and the second, Louie born on 12th October. There is only one Vickers, E. M. Vickers born on 9th May. 

At the time that Auntie Nellie received the birthday book, she and her family were living in Morpeth, possibly at the Masons Arms public house. Nellie's mother Ann was from Bedlington, and her father Joseph was from Stanley, Durham - meaning that the people named in the book could be from any of these places. 

When looking for possible E. M. Vickers in the Morpeth district (where Auntie Nellie's friends were most likely to be living), there is only one in this timeframe. 

E. M Vickers's birthday entry.

Elsie May Vickers was born on 9 May 1896, at Bishop Auckland, Durham. In 1911, Elsie May was living at 40 Shiney Row, Bedlington. She is living with her mother, Louisa Marley, or Louie as she is recorded in Auntie Nellie's birthday book, and also her stepfather, Joseph P. Marley.

Louie Marley's birthday entry.

Louie Marley was born Louisa Tonge in Westhoughton, Lancashire. She married Joseph William Vickers on 26 July 1893, and gave birth to their daughter three years later. Joseph W. Vickers later died in 1901. 

In the wake of her husband's death, Louie went north. There she met Joseph Prior Marley, and married him in 1903. Like Louie, Joseph was also a widower. His first wife Martha Phillips had died in childbirth giving birth to the couple's only child on 9 May 1896. Their daughter was named Martha Phillips Marley in her late mother's honour, but she came to be known as Mattie. 

Louie Marley later died in 1933, followed by Joseph Marley in 1950. Mattie married Charles R Shaw in 1920, going on to have a few children. Mattie's stepsister, Elsie May Vickers married William J Forsyth in 1922, but had no children.

I hope to perhaps contact descendants of the Marley family in the future.

Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book - The Burrows Family

My Great Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book is an absolute treasure to have, and I feel so lucky to have it in my possession. The book itself is now 102-years-old, closer to 103 in fact. It was given to Auntie Nellie on her 17th birthday, 10 February 1913.

Auntie Nellie Metcalf

The book has the birthdays of numerous family members, as well as friends close to the Metcalf family. I have given myself the task of trying to trace the families of Auntie Nellie's friends. I am starting with the Burrows-Turnbull family.

There are a few Burrows in the birthday book, and two Turnbulls. I went on to find that they are all from the same family.

The first family member in the book is Amy E. Turnbull born on 12 February, then Mrs Burrows born on 22 February. Florence Turnbull was said to be born on 7 June, and James Burrows on 20 June. The last was Emmie Burrows, born on 1 September. 

At the time that Auntie Nellie received the birthday book, she and her family were living in Morpeth, possibly at the Masons Arms public house. Nellie's mother Ann was from Bedlington, and her father Joseph was from Stanley, Durham - meaning that the people named in the book could be from any of these places. 

Amy E. Turnbull's birthday entry.

First of all, I searched for any Amy E. Turnbulls born in the Morpeth district, which also covered Bedlington. I immediately found an Amy E. Turnbull born in 1912, with the mother's maiden name being Burrows. Her parents were James Turnbull and Florence Burrows. So I had also traced the Florence Turnbull named in Auntie Nellie's book.

Florence Burrows Turnbull's birthday entry.

I realised that Emmie could be a nickname for either Emma or Emily, so tried both when searching for Emmie Burrows.

Emmie Burrows's birthday entry.

I found an Emily Burrows, born 1895, living at 7 Olympia Gardens, Morpeth, with her parents James and Elizabeth Ann, as well as her elder sister, Florence. I had now traced the whole family, and could also give a name to the mysterious and elusive Mrs Burrows! 

James Burrows's birthday entry.

Mrs Burrows's (Elizabeth Ann) birthday entry.

I now had the whole family, and found that the two daughters were born in Yorkshire. Mrs Burrows was also born in Yorkshire, but James was born in Cheshire. 

Amy E. Turnbull was not the only child of Florence Burrows and James Turnbull, in fact it appears she was the eldest of five. Florence later died in 1927, at the young age of forty.

Emmie Burrows went on to marry John R. Scott in 1918, but they had no children.

I hope to perhaps contact descendants of the Burrows family in the future.

On This Day - Adam's Birthday & Storey Wedding

On this day in 1919, my Great Grandparents Robert Mavin Storey and Minnie Metcalf were married at the Primitive Methodist Church on Howard Terrace, Morpeth. The witnesses were Ralph Shields and Nellie Metcalf, Minnie's sister. Ralph Shields was to become Robert's brother-in-law the following year.

The Storey - Metcalf marriage notice
which appeared in the Morpeth Herald
a week later.

Also on this day, Robert's father Adam Storey was born in 1853 at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. It is not known whether this was a factor in the choice of date for the wedding. 

On This Day - Silver Wedding

On this day in 1893 at the Lanchester Registry Office, Durham my 2x Great Grandparents, Joseph Metcalf and Ann Jane Knox were married. 

25 years later a notice was placed in the Morpeth Herald commemorating their silver wedding anniversary.

Bullets and Bairns

My Great Grandmother Minnie Metcalf Storey was born in 1893 at East Stanley, Co. Durham. Her father Joseph was a sinker in the pits, and his work took him to different collieries in both Co. Durham and Northumberland. The family eventually ended up in Morpeth, where Joseph was promoted to deputy, and later went on to run the Masons Arms public house. 

A young Minnie Metcalf

Growing up in the coal fields of Northumberland and Co. Durham, the Metcalf family spoke with the accent of the area - Geordie, with some hints of 'Pitmatic' in which sweets are known as 'bullets', and as in some parts of Scotland, children are referred to as 'bairns.' 

When Minnie married Robert Storey in 1919, she was thrown in the deep end as he longed to return to his beloved Australia which they did the following year. Minnie was not very keen on the weather in Australia, only ever being used to the wet and rain of her homeland. 

Although many coal miners from the North East emigrated to New South Wales, a lot didn't speak the dialect which Minnie was used to, which she found out when she had children of her own. 

The Storeys had moved to Weston, and on one occasion Minnie had went to the shop to buy some groceries, taking her children with her. As they were leaving, Minnie added that she would also like "some bullets for the bairns." The shopkeeper had no idea what she was talking about, and genuinely thought she was attempting to buy some bullets for her children.

Minnie and Robert returned to Northumberland in 1934, after receiving word that Minnie's mother was unwell.

Private Storey - ANZAC Day

In May 1916 my Great Grandfather, Robert Mavin Storey joined the 8th Field Ambulance, Australian Imperial Force. He enlisted at Teralba, NSW where he was working as a bricklayer at the time. The 8th Field Ambulance was only formed in January 1916 after the failed Gallipoli campaign. 

Private Storey.

On 29 March 1918, Robert was apparently "Acting in a manner prejudicial to good order & military discipline in that he created a disturbance." This just so happened to be Robert's thirty-first birthday. For this, he forfeited fourteen days pay. Throughout February and March of 1919 Robert was being transferred to and from different military hospitals, being treated with a "nasal obstruction." On 31 March 1919, he was discharged from hospital and granted furlough (or leave) and told to report back to Headquarters on 14 April. That date came and went and Robert was formerly declared A.W.L (Absent Without Leave), before he finally walked through the door on 23 April. He thus forfeited nine days pay.

Private Storey in
the 8th Field Ambulance, A.I.F.

On 11 September 1919, Robert married Minnie Metcalf at Morpeth, Northumberland. He married while on extended leave, which soon became an indefinite leave as he and his bride were awaiting a family ship to take them to Australia. In March 1920 Robert and Minnie boarded the Zealandic, where they would get off at Melbourne. Minnie was already pregnant with the couple's first child. 

From the Newcastle Sun on
3 June 1920.
Found on Trove.

Robert was formerly discharged from the A.I.F. on 22 July 1920. The couple lived in Weston, a small town in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales where Robert returned to being a bricklayer.

Nine years later, Robert was looking into getting a refund on his fines he had paid during his service, as friends of his had been able to do the same. A rebate would be gladly welcomed as at the time he was out of work, and was the married with four young children.

In later years Robert, Minnie and their four children emigrated to England after learning that Minnie's mother was unwell. In 1951 Robert inherited a small café shop from his father which he opened and started up for one of his daughters. The café was renamed 'The ANZAC Café'. Robert truly loved Australia, and he returned there in 1953. In December of the same year, Robert died suddenly at Kurri Kurri Hospital after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. Robert was cremated and his ashes were brought back to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland to be buried with his parents.

The Storey grave in March 2015.

Dear Nellie...

Another treasure belonging to Auntie Nellie I have, is a postcard sent to her near the end of World War One. 

The postcard was from a man named Ben, who was serving in France at the time. The postcard was dated 11 July 1918. He writes to tell Nellie that he is "still in the land of living" and he hoped the same of her. Apparently they were having some good weather over in France, but he wished it "would allways be the same." Ben did not like the idea of winter arriving again, and hoped the next would be the last.

On the front of the postcard are a group of twelve soldiers posing for the photograph. Some are wearing slouch hats, and others service caps. I imagine Ben is one of the soldiers in the photograph, but have no idea which one. 

Ben? 

Auntie Nellie's birthday book possibly holds a clue about Ben. The entry for 27 March has B. Hoffman 2683 10th Batt. A.I.F.

A search for a man in the Australian Imperial Force with the number 2683 brings up records of a soldier named Carl Frederick Benno Hoffman of the 10th Battalion. Now the records don't say if Private Hoffman went by the name Ben, but due to him signing his name with the initial 'B', I can assume he did.

Nellie.

Only a page after that entry in my Auntie Nellie's birthday book is that of my Great Grandfather, Pte R. M. Storey 17834 A.I.F. A guess is that my Great Grandfather became friends with Private Hoffman and brought him up to Northumberland to show him where he was from. It's interesting to think that this also could have been the first time my Great Grandparent's met, in the Masons Arms pub, Morpeth.

The postcard is not stamped so Ben may have posted this to Auntie Nellie with an envelope, or perhaps he gave it to my Great Grandfather to pass on. 

Auntie Nellie's Birthday Book

Fairly recently I came across a Birthday Book which belonged to my 2x Great Aunt, Nellie Metcalf. Nellie and her husband were not able to have children, so when she died her belongings were shared amongst her three sisters and their children. 

Auntie Nellie Metcalf

On the very first page was written - To Nellie, from Tom. On her seventeenth birthday. 
So I know Nellie received this book on 10 February 1913. The following pages had the details and the address of a T. W. Weatherly who was in the Royal Marines. 

In 1913 the Metcalf family were living in Morpeth, possibly in the Masons Arms public house. Nellie's mother Ann was from Bedlington, Northumberland, while her father Joseph was from Stanley, Co. Durham where his family were still living. 

The Birthday Book is beautifully illustrated, along with poems at the start of every month and a small extract of one or more poems on every individual day. In the book I found the birthdays of Nellie's parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, and noting down Nellie's relationship to everyone in the book became my goal.  

On the entry for April 23 I found Nellie's mother's birthday. In the book she was simply Mrs Metcalf - a sign of the formality of the times. Her father was under J. Metcalf. The only grandparent alive in 1913 was Nellie's paternal grandmother, Mary Ann Metcalf. On the entry for December 10, Grandmother Metcalf is written alongside it. 

Nellie's sisters Cassie and Lily's names were written down on their respective dates of birth but my Great Grandmother Minnie's entry was a little different. A small, aged feather was placed in between the pages along with Minnie Metcalf, written in Minnie's own handwriting. 

Like she did with her mother's entry, Nellie often recorded people in their titled form. So in the book you can find entries for Mrs Robinson, Nellie's maternal aunt and also Mrs Burrows, Mrs R. Logan, Mrs Harrison and Mrs Reed. Another of Nellie's aunts was written as Katherine Knox Keeley, so this could imply that she was closer to her than she was to 'Mrs Robinson', but I'm not really sure. It appears the names of the other ladies were the mothers of Nellie's friends.

I soon turned my attention to the man who gave Auntie Nellie the book. Tom W. Weatherly was born 30 July 1890, and his family lived in Choppington and later Bedlington. I was shocked to discover that poor Tom died on 24 June 1915 at Gallipoli, aged only 25. 

At the back of the birthday book are the names of two people along with their death dates. Mrs J. H. Harrison died on 26 October 1914, while Trooper A. White was killed in action on 20 February 1915. 

Auntie Nellie did not continue writing in the book, as the names of her husband and later nephews and nieces are not recorded. The last date I know she wrote in was February 1915, and I know Tom Weatherly was killed in June of the same year. A thought of mine is that Nellie possibly could not bring herself to use the book after Tom died. I'm not sure, but I wonder if Tom was a beau of Nellie's, but if that were the case I'd expect that she would have written his date of death down.

Lost In The Tyne - A Sad Tale

My 3x Great Grandmother was a lady named Mary Ann Steel who was from Ovingham in west Northumberland. When she was around twenty years old, she married Thomas Metcalf, whose family were originally from Cumberland. 

Mary Ann's elder brother, William was an innkeeper at the Blue Bell Inn, Mickley, Northumberland, which he ran with his wife and children. When William died the business was carried on by his two children, Joseph and Mary Jane. 

The following is an article from the Sunderland Daily Echo from 3 September 1910;

_____

The body of a woman was discovered by a boy floating in the Tyne a little below Ovingham. The body was recovered and taken to the Garden House. A piece of paper with the name Mary Jane Steel was discovered in the pocket of her dress, and the body was afterwards identified as that of Mary Jane Steel, an unmarried woman, who resided with her brother, Mr Joseph Steel, the landlord of the Blue Bell Inn, Mickley.

_____

Family Pub Crawl - Part 2

In around the mid-1910s, my 2x Great Grandfather, Joseph Metcalf, started running the Masons Arms, Manchester Street, Morpeth.

Joseph Metcalf was born in 1871 in the midst of the Durham coalfields at Stanley, Durham to Thomas Metcalf and Mary Ann Steel. In 1893 he married Ann Jane Knox, a girl originally from Bedlington, Northumberland who moved to Stanley to live with her Aunt and Uncle. In the same year their first daughter, Minnie, was born. Three more daughters followed; Nellie, Lily and Cassie.

As a young man, Joseph became a sinker in the mines, and as a result went to many mining towns and villages across Northumberland and Durham. He soon rose through the mining ranks and became a Deputy at Morpeth. It was here in Morpeth where he became a publican, after retiring from mining. When he became tenant at the Masons Arms, he made sure to tell the regulars to mind their language, as he had four impressionable young daughters! 

Manchester Street, Morpeth

Joseph's dear wife, Ann died in 1937, but by that time the Metcalfs had already left the Masons Arms and their daughters had married and moved away from home - some a little further than others as Minnie had emigrated to Australia in 1920. Finding himself lonely, Joseph often went to visit and stay with his daughter Nellie and son-in-law, Tom Todd at their home in Sidcup, Kent. Although he loved living in Kent, life was quite distressing for him. Living so close to London, Joseph, Nellie and Tom regularly found themselves having to stay in air raid shelters most nights during the second World War. After the War, life was easier for Joseph as he was able relax and enjoyed playing dominoes in his daughter's garden.

Joseph died on 7th August 1953 at his daughter's home in Sidcup, Kent.

The Masons Arms pub has since been renamed the Tap & Spile.

Tap & Spile, Manchester Street, Morpeth