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)
First appeared in the Mecca News Edition 8, December 1982
All new members receive details on what services are available from the society. One of the key reasons our members join is the help available to progress their research into their own Metcalfe family tree.
To help new members get started ...
* We hope to find you 'relations' you never knew you had
* Research on your behalf to see if any of the Metcalfe Society records holds additional information you may not have.
To help us to help you, we will supply you with a proforma (Birth Brief form) to enter the family details you already have. Our archive team will then research our vast array of databases for additional information and then send you updates to your Metcalfe Family Line and details of any members that you are connected to.
The Archivist will also prepare your Birth Brief for publication in the next newsletter. You can update your Birth Brief with any significant discoveries by submitting a copy directly to the Editor. Should you prefer to keep your family details confidential, a request to the Archivist will ensure that nothing is published without your permission.
With the improvement in access to data over the Internet, The Metcalfe Society is able to offer our members the ability to search directly onto our databases from the comfort of your own home, all in a secure environment. Our data is our greatest asset so it is vital that access is controlled to restrict large data downloads, but to also enable easy to access for our members via the Members Room. New members are given log-on details and clear, simple instructions to enable you to logon to the Members Room and take a look.
The Metcalfe Society prides itself on both the quantity and quality of the data that is held. Not only do we hold a vast quantity of data as per the information below, but most important of all is the quality of that data. It has all been checked and verified so that we can substantiate the source of that data - which is just as important as the data itself, especially when it comes to a situation that can often happen where a new member has sent their family details and a mistake has been made. It can so easily be done and we are there to help resolve that too!
Here’s a taster of the Metcalfes (& all spelling variants) databases we can offer our members :
For instance, did you know there was a Metcalfe in every county in England except Huntingdonshire in the 1881 Census Returns? Find out more by browsing our database