220 JOHN METCALF, ROAD MAKER. 



MS M suspicious character, and he was seized and put in 

 confinement for three days, after which he was tried by 

 court martial; but as nothing could be alleged against 

 him, he was acquitted, and shortly after made his escape 

 from the rebel camp. On reaching Edinburgh, very 

 much to his delight, he found Captain Thornton had 

 safely arrived there before him. 



On the 30th of January, 1746, the Duke of Cumber- 

 land reached Edinburgh, and put himself at the head of 

 the Royal army, which proceeded northward in pursuit 

 of the Highlanders. At Aberdeen, where the Duke 

 gave a ball, Metcalf was found the only musician in 

 camp who could play country dances, and he played to 

 the company, standing on a chair, for eight hours the 

 Duke several times, as he passed him, shouting out 

 " Thornton, play up ! " Next morning the Duke sent 

 him a present of two guineas ; but as his Captain would 

 allow him to receive no money while in his pay, Metcalf 

 spent the gift, with the Captain's permission, in giving 

 a treat to the Duke's two body servants. The battle of 

 Culloden, so disastrous to the poor Highlanders, shortly 

 after occurred ; on which Captain Thornton, Metcalf, 

 and the Yorkshire Volunteer Company, proceeded home- 

 wards. Metcalf 's young wife had been in great fears 

 for the safety of her blind, fearless, and almost reckless 

 partner ; but she received him with open arms, and his 

 spirit of adventure being now considerably allayed, he 

 determined to settle quietly down to the steady pursuits 

 of business. 



During his stay in Aberdeen, Metcalf had made 

 himself familiar with the articles of clothing manu- 

 factured at that place, and he came to the conclusion that 

 a profitable business might be carried on in buying them 

 on the spot and selling them by retail to customers in 

 Yorkshire. He accordingly proceeded to Aberdeen in 

 the following spring, and bought a considerable stock of 

 cotton and worsted stockings, which he found he could 



