William Metcalfe

Early life

William Metcalfe was born in Orton, Westmoreland, on March 11, 1788, the son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Metcalfe. At the age of 19, he became a clerk in Keighley, Yorkshire. There he encountered a congregation of Swedenborgians led by Rev. Joseph Wright, with whom he became associated. Wright encouraged Metcalfe to study theology, and Metcalfe later attended an academy in Salford led by William Cowherd, founder of the Bible Christian Church. Cowherd ordained Metcalfe as a minister in 1811. In 1810, Metcalfe married Susanna Wright, daughter of Rev. Joseph Wright. She was also a vegetarian and abstainer.^[1]: 23 Their son, Joseph, was born in the same year.^[1]: 58

Philadelphia Bible Christian Church

In 1817, Metcalfe and the Reverend James Clark^[a] emigrated to the United States with around 40 members of the Bible Christian Church.^[b] The migration was undertaken under Cowherd's direction.^[4] They formed the Philadelphia Bible Christian Church, which has been described as the first vegetarian church in the United States.^[5] Some members of the group maintained their vegetarian practices and later contributed to the American vegetarian movement.^[4]

Metcalfe and his wife taught pacifism, temperance, abolitionism, and vegetarianism, all of which were principles associated with their faith. The congregation remained small. Metcalfe taught that Jesus was vegetarian, a view that drew criticism and was questioned in newspapers.^[6]

Metcalfe also worked to support the church financially. In addition to preaching, he taught in the church's school and wrote and published two newspapers that addressed slavery, temperance, and other reform topics.^[6] He also treated patients using homeopathy.^[7]

Vegetarianism

Vance Lehmkuhl describes Metcalfe as the first public advocate of vegetarianism to gain recognition across the Northeastern United States. Metcalfe later became associated with the vegetarian advocate William Alcott. He also invited speakers to Philadelphia, including Sylvester Graham.^[5]

In 1850, Metcalfe, Graham, Alcott, and Russell Trall established the American Vegetarian Society in New York City. The society was influenced by the British Vegetarian Society, which had been founded in 1847.^[8][9] Metcalfe served as foreign corresponding secretary of the British society.^[10]

Later life and death

Metcalfe's wife died in 1854. In 1859, after the death of American Vegetarian Society president William Alcott, Metcalfe was elected as his successor.^[11] Metcalfe died on October 16, 1862, aged 74, from a pulmonary hemorrhage.^[1]: 51 In 1872, his son published his father's discourses as Out of the Clouds into the Light.^[12]