the Collector. This gentleman knew Metcalf, (being in the habit of
visiting Harrogate) and received him very kindly; but informed him,
with much concern, that it was not in his power to serve him, the
captors being the excise people, and not of his department.—He,
however, suggested, that some good might result from an application
to Alderman Peireth, with whom Metcalf was acquainted, and who
was particularly intimate with the Collector of the Excise. The
good Alderman gave him a letter to the Collector; representing,
as instructed by Metcalf, that the bearer had bought four hundred
gallons of spirits, at the Custom-House at Aberdeen; and that the
extra quantity was for the purpose of treating the sailors and other
friends, as well as for sea-stock for himself. At first the Collector
told him that nothing could be done for him, until he should write up
to the Board, and receive an answer; but Metcalf remonstrating on the
inconvenience of the delay, and the other re-considering the letter,
he agreed to come down to the quay at four o’clock in the afternoon,
which he accordingly did, and released every thing without expence.
A short time after the regiment called the Queen’s Bays were raised,
they were quartered at Knaresborough and the adjacent towns; but, after
a short stay, they were ordered to the North. The country people seemed
extremely unwilling to supply carriages for conveying the baggage; the
King’s allowance being but nine-pence a mile, per ton; that of the
County, one shilling in the West Riding, and fifteen-pence, in the
North Riding. Metcalf having two waggons, (one of them covered) had a
mind to try this new business; and, to make sure of the job, got the
soldiers to _press_ his two carriages, which were accordingly loaded,
himself attending them to Durham. Previous to loading, however, the
country people, who knew the advantage of carrying for the army, and
who had kept back, in hopes of an advance in the price, came forward
with their waggons, in opposition to Metcalf; but the soldiers would
employ no other.
Arriving at Durham, he met Bland’s Dragoons, on their march from the
North to York: they loaded his waggons again for Northallerton, and
would willingly have engaged them to York; but this he was obliged
to decline, having promised to bring twenty-three wool-packs to
Knaresborough. He was just six days in performing this journey; and
cleared, with eight horses and the one he rode, no less a sum than
twenty pounds; though many people were afraid to travel with soldiers.
Some time after the Queen’s regiment had got to Durham, it received the
usual annual recruit of four horses to a troop. The regiment having
been so lately raised, had no old horses: nevertheless, four were to
be sold from each. Metcalf had notice sent him of the sale, but did
not receive the letter until the day before it commenced.—He set off,
however, that afternoon, for Durham, and riding all night, got there by
day-break.
His first business was to become acquainted with the farriers; so
getting about half-a-dozen of them together, and plying them heartily
with gin, he began to question them as to the horses which were to be
sold.
Amongst the number to be disposed of, was a grey one, belonging to
one of the drums. The man who had the charge of him not having been
sufficiently careful in trimming him, had burnt him severely, which
caused a prodigious swelling. Had this careless conduct been known to
his superiors, he would have been punished for it: upon that account
the matter was hushed up. Metcalf, however, being apprized of the real
cause, in the course of his conversation with the farriers, determined
to purchase him, judging that they would be desirous to part with him
at any price; and in this conjecture he was not mistaken.
The sale began by bringing out seven bay horses; six of which a
gentleman bought for a carriage, and Metcalf purchased the seventh.
They then brought forward the grey horse with his swelled sheath, which
excited many jokes and much laughter among the spectators.—Our chapman
bought him also, at the very low price of 3_l._ 15_s._ 0_d._ which was
first affixed by the auctioneer, but which, however, the people said
was very much beyond his value.
Having used such applications as he thought efficacious for his
recovery, by the time he had got him home he had the satisfaction to
find him perfectly sound; and within a week afterwards refused fifteen
guineas for him.—He kept him many years as a draught-horse; and the
other horse also was sold to a profit, by which he thought himself very
well paid for his journey to Durham.
In the year 1751 Metcalf commenced a new employ:—He set up a
stage-waggon between York and Knaresborough, being the first on that
road, and conducted it constantly himself, twice a week in the summer
season, and once in winter; and this business, together with the
occasional conveyance of army baggage, employed his attention until the
period of his first contracting for the making of roads, which suiting
him better, he disposed of his draught, and interest in the road, to
one Guiseley.
An act of Parliament having been obtained to make a turnpike-road
from Harrogate to Boroughbridge, a person of the name of Ostler, of
Farnham, was appointed surveyor; and Metcalf falling into company with
him, agreed to make about three miles of it, viz. between Minskip and
Fearnsby.—The materials were to be procured from one gravel pit for
the whole length: he therefore provided deal boards, and erected a
temporary house at the pit, took a dozen horses to the place, fixed
racks and mangers; and hired a house for his men at Minskip, which
was distant about three-quarters of a mile. He often walked from
Knaresborough in the morning, with four or five stone of meat on his
shoulders, and joined his men by six o’clock: and by the means he used,
he completed the work much sooner than was expected, to the entire
satisfaction of the surveyor and trustees.
During his leisure hours he studied measurement in a way of his own;
and when certain of the girt and length of any piece of timber, he was
able to reduce its true contents to feet and inches; and would bring
the dimensions of any building into yards or feet.
Near the time of his finishing this road, the building of a bridge
was advertised to be contracted for, at Boroughbridge; and a number
of gentlemen met for that purpose at the Crown inn there. Metcalf,
amongst others, went also. The masons varied considerably in their
estimates. Ostler, the surveyor of the roads, was appointed to survey
the bridge; and Metcalf told him that he wished to undertake it, though
he had never done any thing of the kind before. On this, the surveyor
acquainted the gentlemen with what Metcalf had proposed; when he was
sent for, and asked what he knew about a bridge: he told them, that he
could readily describe it, if they would take the trouble of writing
down his plan, which was as follows: “The span of the arch, 18 feet,
being a semi-circle, makes 27: the arch-stones must be a foot deep,
which if multiplied by 27, will be 486; and the bases will be 72 feet
more.—This for the arch: it will require good backing; for which
purpose there are proper stones in the old Roman wall at Aldborough,
which may be brought, if you please to give directions to that effect.”
The gentlemen were surprised at his readiness, and agreed with him for
building the bridge. The persons who had given in their estimates,
were much offended; and as the stone was to be procured from Renton,
a sale-quarry belonging to one of the masons who were there, he was
unwilling to sell any to Metcalf; upon which he went to Farnham, and
found good stones, which the lime-burners had left, (being too strong
for their purpose,) got them dressed at the place for little money,
conveyed them to Boroughbridge, and having men to take them off the
carriages, set them, and completed the arch in one day; and finished
the whole in a very short period.
Soon after, there was a mile and an half of turnpike-road to be made
between Knaresborough-Bridge and Harrogate, which Metcalf also agreed
for. Going one day over a place covered with grass, he told his men
that he thought it different from the ground adjoining, and would have
them try for stone or gravel, which they immediately did, and found an
old causeway, supposed to have been made in the time of the Romans,
which afforded many materials proper for the purpose of making the
road. Between the Forest-Lane head and Knaresborough-Bridge, there was
a bog, in a low piece of ground, over which to have passed was the
nearest way; and the surveyor thought it impossible to make a road over
it: but Metcalf assured him that he could readily accomplish it.—The
other then told him, that if so, he should be paid for the same length
as if he had gone round. Jack set about it, cast the road up, and
covered it with whin, and ling; and made it as good, or better, than
any part he had undertaken. He received about four hundred pounds for
the road and a small bridge which he had built over a brook called
Stanbeck.
There was an old house at Harrogate, with some fields belonging to it,
and denominated a messuage, which was of more value, as having common
right upon the Forest. It belonged to an old woman, and at her decease
to her husband. Metcalf went to the latter, and bought his contingent
right in the house and land; and the old woman came to him soon after,
to sell her life-estate in it also. They agreed; and including both
the net sum amounted to eighty pounds. In about three weeks after this
purchase, he sold it for upwards of two hundred pounds.
A road being projected between Harrogate and Harewood-Bridge, six
miles in length, a meeting was held, (the late Lord Harewood, then Mr.
Lascelles, being one of the party) to contract with any person who
might be thought proper to make it. A great number of estimates were
delivered, but Metcalf obtained the contract. It was to be completed
before the winter set in; and being a stiff-clay soil, it was judged
expedient to cast the whole length before they began to stone it: on
these accounts he agreed with the gentlemen, that no carriages should
pass whilst the road was making; and, by way of prevention, had sluices
cut at each end of the lane, and wooden bridges, which he took up
occasionally, thrown across, for his own carriages to pass over with
the materials. He also hired two houses, at a distance from each other
on the road, to entertain strangers who travelled on horseback, and the
people employed in the undertaking, as there were not sufficient in the
country. The short period he had contracted to complete the work in,
obliging him to use the readiest methods, he had a wheel-plough drawn
by nine horses through the forest, as the best and most expeditious
way to get up the roots of whin and ling, in parts where they were
strong; and being obliged to superintend the progress of the work, he
obtained leave from the innkeepers at Harrogate to engage a substitute
in his absence. He completed his contract in the time allowed, to
the satisfaction of the gentlemen trustees, and of the surveyor; and
received for the work, twelve hundred pounds.
There then being about a mile and an half of road to be made through
part of Chapel-Town to Leeds, Lord Harewood and other gentlemen met at
the Bowling-Green in Chapel-Town, to receive estimates;—and Metcalf
got the contract. He also widened the arch of Sheepscar-Bridge; and
received for that and the road together near four hundred pounds.
Between Skipton and Colne in Lancashire there were four miles of road
to be made, and estimates were advertised for. A number of gentlemen
met, and Metcalf’s proposals had the preference. The materials were
at a greater distance, and more difficult to be procured, than he
expected; and a wet season coming on, made this a bad bargain; yet he
completed it according to contract.
He next engaged for two miles on the Burnleigh road, which he
completed; but was not more a gainer.
He then agreed for two miles of road which lay through Broughton to
Martin; and two miles more which lay through Addingham, and over part
of Romell’s Moor. The same trustees acted for those roads, as for that
of Colne. These he completed, and received one thousand three hundred
and fifty pounds from Mr. Ingham of Burnleigh and Mr. Alcock of Skipton.
After this, a meeting was held at Wakefield, to contract for making
part of the road between that town and Halifax.—Metcalf engaged for
four miles which lay between Mill-Bridge and Belly-Bridge; and finished
this also, though it was an extremely wet summer.—He then took three
miles more which lay between Belly-Bridge and Halifax, and completed
it.—And also agreed for five miles which lay between Wakefield and
Checkingley-Beck, near Dewsbury.
The trustees of the road, (Sir Rowland Winn, —— Smith and W. Roebuck,
Esqrs.) meeting at Wakefield, to let part of the road leading to
Pontefract, and likewise from Wakefield to Doncaster, Metcalf took
three miles and an half which lay between Hag-Bridge and Pontefract,
and one mile and an half on the Doncaster road, from Crofton through
Foulby; all which he completed. The road from Wakefield, to Pontefract,
Doncaster, and Halifax, being under the management of one company of
trustees, Mr. Allen Johnson was treasurer for one part, John Mills,
Esq; for another, both of Wakefield; and Mr. Valentine Stead, and
Mr. William Cook, for the other parts: By the payment of these four
gentlemen he received six thousand four hundred pounds.
A road was then advertised to be let from Wakefield to Austerland,
intended to lead through Horbury, Almondbury, Huddersfield, Marsden,
and Saddleworth. A meeting was held at Huddersfield, for the purpose.
Sir John Kaye, Colonel Radcliffe, ’Squire Farrer, and several other
gentlemen attended, and Metcalf agreed with them from Black-Moor Foot
to Marsden, and from thence to Standish-Foot; also from Lupset-Gate,
thro’ Horbury, about two miles and an half. At that time none of the
road was marked out, except between Marsden and Standish-Foot, leading
over a common called Pule and Standish: the surveyor took it over
deep marshes; but Metcalf not expecting it to have been carried that
way, thought it a great hardship, and complained to the gentlemen,
alledging it would be a much greater expence: they answered, that if he
could make a complete road, he should not be a loser; and they were of
opinion, that it would be necessary to dig the earth quite out of the
marshes, until they came to a solid bottom.—Metcalf, on calculating
that each marsh, upon an average, being three yards deep, and fourteen
broad, would make two hundred and ninety-four solid yards of earth
in every rood, which, to have carried away, would have been extremely
tedious and expensive—and not only so, but that the road lying East
and West, would fill with snow in winter, (as it usually falls in that
direction, when the wind is in the North)—argued the point privately
with the surveyor and several of the gentlemen: but they all seemed
immoveable in their former opinion. Metcalf then appeared at the public
meeting, and the subject was again brought forward; but knowing that
it would be to little purpose to hold a contest with them, he said,
“Gentlemen, as you seem to have a great deal of business before you
to-day, it appears quite unnecessary to trespass upon your time on
this head:—I propose to make the road over the marshes, after my own
plan; and if it does not answer, I will be at the expence of making
it over again, after your’s:” which was consented to. And as he had
engaged to make nine miles of the road in ten months, he began in six
different parts, with near four hundred men employed. One of the
places was Pule and Standish common, which he cast fourteen yards wide,
and raised in a circular form. Water in several places ran across the
road, which he carried off by drains; but found the greatest difficulty
in conveying stones to the places for the purpose, on account of the
softness of the ground. Numbers of clothiers usually going that way to
Huddersfield market, were by no means sparing in their censure, and
held much diversity of opinion relative to its completion. But Metcalf
got the piece levelled to the end, and then ordered his men to bind
heather, or ling, in round bundles, and directed them to lay it on the
intended road, by placing the bundles in squares of four, and laying
another upon each square, pressing them well down. He then brought
broad-wheeled carts, and began to load stone and gravel for covering.
When the first load was brought and laid on, and the horses had gone
off in safety, the company huzza’d from surprise. They completed the
whole of this length, which was about half a mile; and it was so
particularly fine, that any person might have gone over it in winter,
unshod, without being wet. This piece of road needed no repairs for
twelve years afterwards. Having finished the nine miles within the
limited time, he took three miles from Standish to Thurston Clough,
which he completed;—and afterwards six miles and an half from Sir John
Kaye’s seat to Huddersfield; and from thence to Longroyd and Bridge
toll-bar, about a mile and an half;—also four bridges, their spans
twenty-four feet each; together with six bridges, the spans of which
were nine feet each. When all this work was finished, (the gentlemen
having promised that he should be no loser) a meeting was called,
and Metcalf attended: he assured them that the work he had completed
extra to his first bargain, in the marshes and other places, deserved
five hundred pounds: after some debate, he was allowed three hundred
pounds; though it was well worth the first-named sum. He had made about
twenty-one miles in the whole, for which he received four thousand five
hundred pounds.
In the building of bridges, where the foundations were bad, he laid
on a sufficient thickness of ling where it could be got, otherwise
of wheat straw; he next laid planks five inches thick, with square
mortises cut through; and driving in a number of piles, he made the
foundation secure.—He then laid springs for the arch upon the planks,
which caused all to settle regularly when the weight came on. And
though he built many arches, of different sizes, by taking this method
none ever fell.
He undertook three turnpike-houses upon the Wakefield and Austerland
roads, and completed them all. Believing there was a stone-quarry on
the South-East side of Huddersfield, in ground belonging to Sir John
Ramsden, he bored secretly in the night-time before he undertook the
road, and was successful in finding it. After finishing the road,
having some vacant time, and having likewise discovered the quarry, Sir
John gave him liberty to lead away stone. He now took houses to build,
particularly one belonging to Mr. Marmaduke Hebdin, nine yards wide,
twenty-three yards long, and twenty-one feet from the foundation to the
square of the building;—it had twenty chimnies or pipes: And this he
also completed.
He undertook the road from Dock-Lane head, in Yorkshire, to
Ashton-under-Line, in Lancashire; also from the guide-post near the
latter place, to Stockport, in Cheshire; and also between Stockport and
Mottram-Longdale: the whole length being eighteen miles. He set men to
work in different parts, with horses and carts to each company; and
though he lost twenty horses in one winter, he was not discouraged;
observing that “horse-leather had been dear a long time, but he hoped
now to reduce the price.” Notwithstanding this misfortune, he completed
the whole, including a great number of drains and arches, which were
all done to the satisfaction of the trustees and surveyor; and received
for the work four thousand five hundred pounds.
He then took eight miles more which required several drains and
arches.—He raised one hollow nine yards, and built sufficiently on
each side to keep up the earth, with battlements on the top; for which
he received two thousand pounds.
One day being met by Sir Geo. Warren, who inquired if he was at
leisure, and being answered in the affirmative, he desired to see him
at his house at Poynton. Metcalf went, and agreed to make about five
miles of a private road through the Park.—He took twelve or fourteen
horses of his own, and brought large quantities of stone into Sir
George’s grounds, for the use of draining. For this he received several
hundred pounds, and great favours also from Sir George and his lady.
A road was to be made between Whaley and Buxton, in Derbyshire, to
avoid a hill: it went over a tedious piece of ground called Peeling
Moss; the whole road being four miles in length, with some part
strong rock, which was to be blasted with gunpowder.—In taking this
road, Metcalf met with strong opposition from a son of one of the
commissioners; but Peter Legh, Esq; of Lyme, and another gentleman,
supporting Metcalf, he gained the point, and completed the undertaking,
with several drains and fence walls; for which he received near eleven
hundred pounds.
He next took a mile and an half of High-Flats, between Huddersfield and
Sheffield; and finished it likewise, to the amount of three hundred
pounds.
Eight miles of road were next advertised to be made between
Huddersfield and Halifax. A meeting was held, and several persons
attended with estimates for making it. One part was very rocky, and
full of hollows, and the ground in a very bad situation, particularly
between Elland and Saltershebble, and through a place called Grimscar
Wood, which was very boggy and rough. Many were of opinion that it was
impossible to make a road over that ground. But by building up the
hollows, and lowering the hills, Metcalf accomplished it:—And it is
worthy of remark, that he never undertook any road which he did not
complete, altho’ he has taken many which persons who had their sight
durst not engage in. He finished the road, with a great number of fence
walls and drains, to the satisfaction of the surveyors and trustees,
and received for it two thousand seven hundred and eleven pounds.
A little after this, a road was advertised to be made between Congleton
and the Red-Bull Inn, in Cheshire, about six miles in length; but the
materials were about three miles distant in several places. A meeting
for letting this road was held at a place called Audersley, which
Metcalf attended; and being a stranger in that part, he fortunately met
with three gentlemen who knew him, viz. —— Clows of Macclesfield,
—— Downs of Sigleigh, and —— Wright of Mottram, Esqrs. two of them
Justices of the Peace.—They said to the trustees, “Gentlemen, you
have only to agree with this man, and you may be assured of having
your work well done.” The road, however, was not let that day, the
business being deferred until another meeting to be held at Congleton,
where Metcalf and others attended with estimates.—“Gentlemen,” said
Metcalf, “I am a stranger to you, and you may with reason question my
performing the bargain; but to prevent any doubt, I will first do one
hundred pounds worth of work, and afterwards be reasonably paid as it
goes forward; the hundred pounds may lay in the treasurer’s hands till
the whole is completed, and then to be paid.” On this proposal, and the
three gentlemen’s recommendation at the former meeting, they agreed
with him, although there was an estimate given in lower than his by two
hundred pounds. He completed the road, to the great satisfaction of the
surveyor and trustees, and received three thousand pounds.