Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 7th ed., 1887, Kenton Co. JAMES H. METCALF was born in Fayette County, Ky., September 1, 1815. His father, Thomas Metcalf, born in Maryland, grew up on the home farm, and in youth received a limited common school education. He followed farming all his life, beginning with nothing very early; he lost his father when only a small boy about four years of age, his mother dying only a few years afterward. He had four brothers and two sisters: Charles, who reared a family of children in Bardstown, Ky.,; Elisha, who reared a family in Louisville, Ky.,; William, who kept hotel in Lexington, Ky., and left a family, and John, who lived in Covington, Ky., a shoe maker by trade, leaving a family. One sister was named Patsey or Martha, who married a Mr. Barr, lived near Lexington on a farm, and had a family of children. The other sister's name was Nelly, who married a man by the name of Sparks. Thomas Metcalf married Margaret, a daughter of Archibald and Catherine (Gouch) Hutchinson, of Fauquier County, Va., and had twelve children born to him: Western M., Tilford, James H., Archibald, John, William, William, Thomas, Cordelia (Moorhead), Letitia (Moorhead), Parthenia (Vallandingham), Martha (Fisk) and Catherine (Shewmaker), of whom five are now dead. Thomas Metcalf moved from Fayette County to Scott, and shortly after to Pendleton, where he purchased land, and lived with his son-in-law, Mr. Vallandingham, until his death, which occurred in 1874 in his ninety-first year, his wife having preceded him in 1871 in her eighty-third year. Margaret Hutchinson's father, Archibald Hutchinson, was a slave holder, and for many years kept a hotel in Scott County, afterward removing to Pendleton County, where he gave several of his children homes. His youngest, Archibald Hutchinson, is living in Campbell County, Ky. Mrs. Hutchinson died in her ninety-ninth year. Charles Metcalf, grandfather of J. H. Metcalf, came also from Maryland to Fayette County, Ky., and was a farmer in moderate circumstances. He was the father of five children, mentioned above, and died in Fayette County. Gov. Thomas Metcalf was an cousin of Thomas Metcalf, above mentioned, and the Metcalf family, who are of English origin and came over with Lord Baltimore from the mother country, have always been among the highly respected prominent families of Kentucky. They are a very numerous family, seven brothers having come from Maryland to Kentucky and raised large families. They have generally been agriculturists, but few of them ever aspiring to or holding office. Western Metcalf served two terms in the Illinois Legislature, and during one of them was a contemporary of Lincoln; and his eldest son, James Metcalf, is now manager of the stock yard in St. Louis, the largest of its kind in the United States. James H. Metcalf grew up on his father's farm, and learned the business of farming which has since been his vocation. He received only a common-school education, which he has supplemented by a general course of reading; realizing the worth of an education, however, he has given each of his children a collegiate education. September 28, 1837, he was married to Miss Isabella Fish, a daughter of William M. and Mary K. (Keller) Fish, of New York; both of English extraction. The Fish family, who immigrated to Kenton County, Ky., is of the same family that Hon. Hamilton Fish sparng from. William M. Fish was a farmer and merchant in Kenton County, and died, a man of some wealth, about 1842, the father of four sons and six daughters. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf were born six children, three of whom died in infancy, and three who grew to maturity: Columbus, who acted as adjutant of the Eighteenth Kentucky Infantry, and at the battle of Richmond, Ky.; while acting in the capacity of sergeant-major, was mortally wounded and died October 21, 1862, in the hospital of Richmond, in his twenty-fifth year; he was a graduate of the Farmers College, Ohio; Margaret, who graduated at the Ohio Female College, and is the wife of Dr. J. M. Chambers, of Independence, Ky., and William H., a farmer and tobacco merchant, living opposite his father. Mr. Metcalf cultivates 220 acres of land, having given his children portions of his estate, his farm being worth $17,000, and in a high state of cultivation and improvement. Mrs. Metcalf, the mother of Mr. Metcalf, likewise his wife, was a member of the Christian Church; the latter departed this life June 5, 1886, in the seventy-first year of her age. Mr. Metcalf votes the Republican ticket, and has been a member of the Christian Church over forty years. Metcalf Barr Sparks Gouch Hutchinson Moorhead Vallandingham Fish Shewmaker Keeler Chambers Fisk = Fayette-KY Bardstown-Nelson-KY Jefferson-KY Scott-KY Pendleton-KY Campbell-KY Grant-KY Fauquier-VA MD IL MO OH NY http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/kenton/metcalf.jh.txt