Fortescue Constable Metcalfe (1877-1929)

From the 1904 New York State Red Book.

   Sporting a regal sounding name like "Fortescue Constable Metcalfe" may seem to indicate a member of British nobility, but this would prove to be an incorrect assumption. This intriguing name actually belonged to a Kings County, New York attorney and two-term member of the state assembly in the early 20th century, and during his time in state government, Mr. Metcalfe could certainly lay claim to being one of the oddest named men serving as a state legislator! Born in Brooklyn on September 8, 1877, Fortescue C. Metcalfe was one of four children born to Alfred Tristram (1852-1914) and Annie E. Metcalfe. Alfred T. Metcalfe is notable as having played major league baseball for the New York Mutuals during the mid 1870s, being a shortstop, third baseman and right fielder for the team from May-June 1875.

   Young Fortescue Metcalfe was afforded his education in the public schools of Brooklyn, attending both the Brooklyn Public School No. 16 and the Brooklyn Boys School. In the late 1890s, he was enrolled at the New York University, graduating from there in 1899 with a bachelor's degree in arts. Metcalfe later studied law at the NYU Law School, and after being admitted to practice in June 1901 established an office in Brooklyn.

  Shortly after beginning his practice Metcalfe became active in Democratic political circles in the borough of Brooklyn, and in 1902 became a candidate for the New York State Assembly from Brooklyn's 5th district. In November of that year, the 25-year-old Metcalfe won the election defeating Republican incumbent George Langhorst by a vote of 4, 617 to 4, 236. Taking his seat in January 1903, Metcalfe sat on the house committees on Codes and Claims during his first term and in February 1903 was even given a banquet in his honor, courtesy of the All Souls Universalist Church, of which he was a member. The Brooklyn Standard Union (which reported on the dinner) notes that the assembled party praised Metcalfe's character, "success in politics" and his longtime connection to the church, which extended back to childhood Sunday School classes. As All Souls church pastor L. Ward Brigham stated in the Union's write-up:

"A Church man is the best man to be a representative of the people. Mine is a personal word of introduction of one who grew among those present, known by all for his manliness. He is a strong man, a clear thinker. He is right principled and spirtually cultured. He is a success and All Souls is proud of Fortescue C. Metcalfe."

From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 28, 1903.

  Hoping to retain his assembly seat in the 1903 election year, Metcalfe took on a novel approach to get out the word on his political platform of "Honesty In Public Service", even going as far as to print up and send out numerous folders through his district detailing his record during his first term in the assembly. These folders touted Metcalfe's message of "home rule in government", "exemption of mortgages from taxation", "exemption of deposits in savings banks from taxation" and "reform of criminal procedure to avoid delay of justice". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle printed a substantial write-up on his reelection strategy in October 1903, and when interviewed by the paper Metcalfe remarked:

"I do not believe in a campaign of false pretenses. Every voter in my district has a right to know for what I stand, and in order that he may know I have briefly set forth my platform. I don't ask any man to vote for me without his knowing just where I stand. The statements in my platform are perfectly clear and if any man votes for me he will do so with the full knowledge that I shall adhere to that platform." 

  In the November 1903 election Metcalfe once again faced George Langhorst and emerged victorious, besting his Republican opponent by a vote of 4,512 to 4,236. During the 1904 legislative term Metcalfe again served on the committees on Codes and Claims and in July of that year gained additional press in New York papers by attempting to save the life of a drowning man off the Narraganset Pier, Rhode Island. As the Brooklyn Daily Eagle related in its July 13th edition, Metcalfe had attended a church-related convention at the pier on July 11th and afterward decided to take a raft out on the water. While he and another man enjoyed the afternoon rafting, they noticed another swimmer throw up his hands and sink underwater. Seeing that the swimmer (identified as 24 year old Albert L. Olms) was not receiving any assistance, Metcalfe jumped into the water and attempted to bring Olms back to the raft. Despite a valiant attempt, Metcalfe was "so much fatigued himself" that he was forced to let Olms go. 

From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 13th 1904.

  Despite this tragic turn of events, Metcalfe returned to his duties as an assemblyman and ran for a third term in November 1904. In that year's contest, he faced a young German immigrant named Otto Godfrey Foelker (1875-1943) who was a practicing attorney in Brooklyn. In the November election Foelker eked out a narrow win over Metcalfe, 4,878 to 4,787 and in January 1905 took his seat in the assembly.

  Although he lost by only 91 votes, Fortescue Metcalfe continued to be an active participant in political and civic affairs in Brooklyn, and after leaving the political field returned to practicing law, opening an office in Brooklyn with attorney John Z. Lott. In addition to this, Metcalfe married to Ms. Elsey May King on November 16, 1910, at the All Soul's Universalist Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s Metcalfe continued in the practice of law in Brooklyn and was also viewed as a prominent fixture in New York high society, holding memberships in a number of fraternal organizations, including the Hyatt Club of Free and Accepted Masons, The Universalists Club, the Knickerbocker Field Club and was a past president of the Men's Club of the All Souls Universalist Church in Flatbush.

From "Flatbush of Today", published in 1908.

   Aside from his involvement in political and civic doings in Brooklyn, Fortescue Metcalfe is recorded as having a "wide experience in amateur theatricals", performing as an actor in a number of local plays throughout his native borough. The Brooklyn Standard Union's November 27, 1921 edition gives a write-up of one of these plays, a comedy entitled "Nothing But the Truth" that was performed by members of the All Souls Universalist Church Sunday School, where Metcalfe served as Superintendent. Metcalfe himself is recorded as being the play's producer as well as performing as "Bishop Duran" in the production. Earlier in 1921 Metcalfe had helped to write and produce another play/music revue entitled "A Trip To Cuba", performed by the Knickerbocker Field Club on April 20th of that year. The play was "pronounced as the best ever given by the club" with "capacity attendance being assured" for the show's second performance.

   Metcalfe continued an active schedule until 1928, when (according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle) ill health "forced him to give up his practice". Shortly thereafter he removed to Upper Montclair, New Jersey and on August 22, 1929 died at the Homeopathic County Hospital in East Orange after undergoing an operation. He was a few days short of his 52nd birthday and following his death was interred at the Cypress Hill Cemetery in Brooklyn.

                                             Metcalfe's obituary from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 23, 1929.

Hoxie Waldo Smith (1893-1962), Hoxie Brown (1819-1906)

  Over the past two centuries, thousands of men and women have been elected to serve in the New York State Assembly. The vast annals of the New York State Capitol have seen the likes of such oddly named men as Demosthenes C. LeRoy, Victory Birdseye, Sextus Heman Hungerford, and Beveridge Colin Dunlop, and this author can state with the utmost certainty that the hallowed halls of the New York State Assembly have yielded some of the oddest named individuals you'll ever hear about

   Among these numerous instances of strangely named New York legislators is Hoxie Waldo Smith, a representative in the Assembly from Kings County during the early years of the 20th century. While his service in the legislature may have been brief (he served from 1918-1919), Smith was nevertheless a resident of distinction in his native New York, serving during WWI and had been engaged in the brokerage business in Manhattan.

   Hoxie Waldo Smith was born on July 12, 1893, in Brooklyn, New York, one of four sons born to Clifford Hoxie (1851-1915) and Elizabeth Ward Smith (1854-1924). Clifford Hoxie Smith had been a veteran printer in New York City, being connected with the Brooklyn Typographical Union for over forty years. Hoxie W. received his education at Public School 15 and the Commercial Evening High School in New York and was later enrolled in the Dwight Private school. 

A young Hoxie Smith and his father Clifford, photo courtesy of Tim Smith.

   After leaving school Smith began pursuing a career in law but after a few months of study "abandoned it to enter the brokerage business." Smith proved successful in this new venture, finding employment with the Goodbody and Co. brokerage firm in Manhattan during the mid-1910s. Smith also became active in New York Democratic political circles during this time and was remarked as having made "campaign speeches for many Democratic nominees" during the previous four years.

   Hoxie Smith was eventually nominated for a seat in the New York State Assembly, and in November 1917 narrowly defeated Republican candidate Malcolm Matheson to represent Brooklyn's Tenth district in the legislature. A campaign profile for Smith appeared in an edition of the Brooklyn Standard Union newspaper towards the end of the contest and is shown below.

  

   At the age of twenty-four, Hoxie W. Smith was the youngest assemblyman to be elected in 1917, and with his youth came a rather unexpected hangup! As mentioned in the Brooklyn Standard article below, Smith's youthful appearance caused some confusion in Albany when the 1918 legislative term began. Shortly after being elected, Smith was mistaken for a page boy by two Tammany Hall Democrats, one of whom palmed Smith a two-dollar bill. Smith (being the honest public servant that he was) shortly thereafter informed the men of his assemblyman status and returned the money.

  

  A similar incident occurred in January 1919 after Hoxie Smith had won re-election to the assembly. After arriving at the capital to be sworn in, Smith ventured to the office of Deputy New York  Secretary of State Charles Taft to take his oath. Secretary Taft (unaware of who Smith was) mistook the assemblyman for a page boy and told him to leave, stating that New York Secretary of State Francis Hugo had "no time to see a page boy" and that Smith should come back the following day.

   Understandably indignant, Smith replied "I am not a page. I am an assemblyman and want to be sworn in." Secretary Taft (unmoved by Smith's plea) evidently laughed at the annoyed assemblyman, who then left the office and later returned with witnesses who could verify who he was! Once the matter had been ironed out, Secretary Taft is remarked as "apologizing profusely" to Smith, who eventually took his oath of office. A write-up on this humorous incident appeared in the Oswego Palladium on January 8, 1919, and has been posted below.

   While Smith's legislative tenure got off to a rather interesting start in 1918, he immediately set about doing the best job possible for his constituency. He was named to the House Committee on Social Welfare and the Committee on Banking, and later introduced a bill during his second term that would require people or corporations that gave trading stamps or premium coupons to pay a $1,000 license fee for "each place or store in the county owned by such person or corporation where such stamps are used." 

   Hoxie Smith won a second term in the assembly in November 1918 and midway through his second term is recorded as introducing legislation that would provide "license and license fees for elevators and elevator operators." Mention is also given to Smith resigning during this term to enter military service in WWI, but no elaboration is given as to his rank, length of service, or area of deployment.

  Smith was unsuccessful in his bid for a third assembly term in November 1919, losing to Republican candidate Leo V. Doherty by a vote of 10, 287 to 7,329. Not one to let a loss get the best of him, Smith continued to actively follow state politics, even being talked of as a potential state senate candidate in the late 1920s. In August 1921 Smith married in Cedarhurst, New York to Elenore Agnes Madden (1896-1985). The couple are believed to have been childless.

  In late 1926 Smith returned to Albany as the newly installed statistician and market reporter for the New York State Department of Public Markets. His tenure in this post (listed as paying over $5,500 a year) lasted only a few months, with Smith resigning in mid-1927. His resignation proved to be a hot subject that year (as evidenced by the Brooklyn Standard article below) and the news of his resignation completely mystified the Democratic bigwigs in his native Brooklyn!

   After leaving the Department of Public Markets, Smith continued to be involved in New York Democratic politics, becoming the vice chairman of the campaign for Manhattan borough president Samuel Levy, then running for the office of President of the City Council in 1942. 

   Hoxie Smith's life after 1942 is quite sketchy, with very little information being located on him after this date. He died at age 69 on July 17, 1962, in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was shortly thereafter interred at the George Washington Memorial Cemetery in Paramus. Elenore Madden Smith survived her husband by over twenty years, dying at age 89 in 1985, and was later buried in the same cemetery as her husband.

   Another "Hoxie" who made his name known politically is Mr. Hoxie Brown, a resident of Colchester in the county of New London, Connecticut. Born in the town of South Kingston, Rhode Island on November 1, 1819, Brown removed to the village of Lebanon, Connecticut with his family when he was still a child. He attended schools in both South Kingston and Connecticut and married in 1847 to Ms. Esther Hoxie (born 1822), with whom he would have two sons, Henry H. (1849-1915) and Edwin L. (1858-1930). In his early residency in Connecticut, Brown is mentioned as having involvement with the state militia, although no elaboration is given as to the length of his service.

   Hoxie Brown spent the majority of his life as a successful farmer, eventually removing from Lebanon to the village of Colchester in the mid-1860s. He was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives in 1879 from New London County and is also remarked as receiving "many recognitions from his townsmen" both before and after his stint in state government.

   After his brief service in the legislature, Brown continued to operate his farm in Colchester,  later serving as a member of the Colchester Board of Health in 1886. Esther H. Brown died in 1901 at age 79 and Hoxie himself died on July 31, 1906, at age 86. Both were later buried in the Linwood Cemetery in Colchester. The rare portrait of him above was featured in the Illustrated Popular Biography of Connecticut, published in 1891. This informative work has also yielded portraits (and information) on Luzon Burritt Morris and Supply Twyng Holbrook, both profiled on the site in past articles.