Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/384

 METCALF

METCALFE

Monmouth. He invented a method of producing letter stencils by means of dies; a form of fence made of slabs from saw-mills, which was widely- adopted, and a fan wheel for ventilation. He experimented with models for flying-machines, the principle involving the use of a fan wheel or propeller. Another device was a plough having a revolving cylinder with curved teeth, that could turn up the soil and at the same time pulverize it. He never patented an invention. He was one of the organizers and the first deacon of the Congregational church of Monmouth. He die! in Monmouth. Maine, July 23, 1883.

METCALF, Ralph, governor of New Hamp- shire, wjus born in Charlestown, N.H., Nov. 21, 1798; son of Johnand Robey (Converee) Metcalf; grandson of Samuel and Hannah (Richardson) Metcalf and of John and Kezia (Nichols) Con- verse, antl a descendant of the Rev. Michael Met- calf. Samuel Metcalf served in the Revolutionary war. Ralpii was brought up on his father's farm, attended the district schools of the neighborhood; was graduated at Dartmouth in 1823; was admit- tetl to the bar in 1826, and practised first in New lK>rt and later in Claremont, N.H. He was secre- tary of state, 1830-38; declined the office of attor- ney-general of New Hampshire, hold a clerkship in Washington, D.C., 1838-40, and while there re- fused the editorship of a leading Washington pai)er. He was register of probate for Sullivan county, N.H., in 1845. a representative in the New Hampshire legislature, 1852-53, and was elected governor of New Hampshire by the Na- tive American party and re-elected, serving, 1855- 67. He died in Claremont.N.H., Aug. 26, 1858.

METCALF, Theron, jurist, was born in Frank- lin, Mass., October, 1784; son of Hanan and Mary (Allen) Metcalf, and a descendant of the Rev. Michael Metcalf. He graduated at Brown, A.B., 1805, A.M., 1808; studied in the Litchfield Law sidiool and was admitted to the bar in 1807. He practised in Franklin, Mass., in 1808, and at Dedham, 1809-39. He was attorney for Norfolk county, 1817-29; a representative in the Massachusetts legislature in 1831 and 1833-34, and a state senator in 1835. He conducted a law school in Dedham in 1828, and edited the Ded- ham Gazette. He was reporter of the decisions of the Massachusetts supreme judicial court, 1839-48, and judge of the supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, 1848-65. He was married, Nov. 5, 1809, to Julia, daughter of Uriali Tracey, U.S. senator from Connecticut, and their son, Theodore Metcalf, born Jan. 21, 1812, wasa promi- nent druggist in Boston. He received the de- gree LL.D. from Brown in 1844 and from Harvard in 1848. He edited The Oenenil Laws of Mas- sachusetts till 1823 (2 vols., 1823); George Maule and William Sehuyn's •' Reports; " Russell on

" Crimes; " Starkie on *' Evidence," and Yelver- ton's *' Reports," and is the author of: ..4 Digest of the Cases Decided in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, 1816-23 (1825); Reports from 1840-47 (13 vols., 1840-51); Digest of Decisions of Courts of Common Law and Admiralty in the United States (Vol. L, 1840); Stqyplement to the Revised Statutes of Massachusetts till 1844, ^vith Luther S. Cushing (1844). He died in Boston. Mass., Nov. 13, 1875.

METCALF, Victor Howard, representative, was born in Utica, N.Y., Oct. 10, 1853; son of William and Sarah P. Metcalf. He was grad- uated at the CJtica Free academy in 1871; at Russell's Military academy, New Haven, Conn., in 1872; matriculated at Yale with the class of 1876, but transferred to the law department in

1875, and he also studied during vacations in the offices of Senator Francis Kernan and Horatio and John F. Seymour. He was graduated at Yale, LL.B., in 1876; was admitted to practice in

1876, and practised at Utica, N.Y., 1877-79. He removed to California in 1879, settled in Oak- land, and in 1881 formed a law partnership with George Dickinson Metcalf. He was married, April 11, 1882, to Emily Corinne, daughter of John H. and Emily Virginia Nicholson of Oak- land, Cal. He was a Republican representative from the third California district in the 5(ith, 57th and 58th congresses, 1899-1905.

METCALFE, Henry, soldier, was born in New York city, Oct. 29, 1847; son of Dr. John T. and Augusta (CoUes) Metcalfe. He was graduated at the U.S. Military academy, promoted 2d lieu- tenant and assigned to the ordnance de- partment, June 15, 1868. He served as assistant professor of Spanish language at the U.S. Military academy in 1869; and as aide-de-camp to Gen. H. W. Halleck, 1869-70. He was married, April 20, 1870, to Harriet P., daughter of John H. Nichols of Kenosha, Wis. He was assist- ant ordnance officer at

Springfield, Mass., 1870-75. He was inspector of contracts with the Turkish government for arms and ammunition, 1873-74; was promoted 1st lieutenant, June 23, 1874; prepared the ordnance department exhibit for the Centennial exposition of 1876 at Philadelphia, Pa., superintended the erection of the government building on the expo- sition grounds, took charge of the ordnance ex-

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