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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Bt
| image = Delhi Book (detail Thomas Metcalfe).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Bt, on a picture from the [[#Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi|Delhi Book]]
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1795|01|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Portland Place]], London
| death_date = {{death date and age|1853|11|03|1795|01|02|df=y}} <ref name=gen>{{Cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~adgedge/Research/Metcalfe,%20John/english%20metcalfe/pafg07.htm#265|title=Biography and Genealogy}}</ref>
| death_place = [[Metcalfe House]], [[Delhi]], [[British India]]
| death_cause =
| resting_place = [[St. James' Church, Delhi#Graves|St. James' Church]] near [[Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)|Kashmiri Gate]], [[Delhi]]
|resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|28|39|56.2|N|77|13|53.5|E|display=inline}}
| residence =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| education =
| employer = [[British East India Company|East India Company]]
| occupation = [[Governor-General of India|Governor-General]]'s Agent at the Imperial court of the [[Mughal Emperor]]
| title = [[Baronet]]
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor = Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, 5th Baronet
| party =
| boards =
| religion =
| spouse = Grace Clark (1815-);
Fe'licite Anne Browne (1826 - her death, 1842)
| partner =
| children = [[Sir Theophilus John Metcalfe, 5th Baronet]] [[Emily Bayley|Emily Ann Theophila Metcalfe]] Charles Theophilus Metcalfe Georgiana Charlotte Theophila Metcalfe Eliza Theophila Debonnaire Metcalfe Sophia Selena Theophila Metcalfe
| parents =
| relatives =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 4th Baronet''', [[Order of the Bath|KCB]] (2 January 1795 – 3 November 1853) was an [[British East India Company|East India Company]] civil servant and agent of the [[Governor General of India]] at the imperial court of the [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/pidocs.asp?P=P19710
| title = Metcalfe, Sir Thomas Theophilus (1795-1853)
| work = National Register of Archives
| publisher = The National Archives
| access-date = 2007-05-31
}}</ref><ref>{{cite ODNB| id=40847| title=Metcalfe, Sir Thomas Theophilus, fourth baronet| first=Thomas R.| last=Metcalf}}</ref>

[[File:Metcalf's Folly 3.jpg|thumb|Metcalf's Folly near Qutab Minar]]
==Biography==
Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe was born on 2 January 1795 at 49 [[Portland Place]], London, and christened on 27 March 1795 in [[St Marylebone Parish Church]], [[Marylebone, London, England|Saint Marylebone, London, England]]. He arrived in [[Delhi]] in 1813 and lived there for forty years.<ref name="images_of_lost_empire">{{cite web
| url = http://www.redhotcurry.com/entertainment/museums/delhi_book.htm
| title = Images Of A Lost Empire
| publisher = Redhotcurry Limited
| date = 2003-08-18
| access-date = 2007-05-31
}}</ref> His elder brother, [[Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe|Charles Metcalfe]] (1785–1846), was Resident to the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Emperor's court, and briefly the provisional [[List of Governors-General of India#Governor-Generals of Bengal.2C 1833.E2.80.931858|Governor General of Bengal]] (1835–36). He married Fe'licite Anne Browne on 13 July 1826.

In 1830, Metcalfe began to build the "[[Metcalfe House]]" on the outskirts of Delhi, taking land belonging to [[Gurjar]] villagers. He filled it with his collections of art, books and relics of [[Napoleon]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.the-south-asian.com/Sep2003/metcalfe_album_of_imperial_delhi.htm
| title = Reminiscences of Imperial Dehlie
| publisher = the-south-asian.com
|date=September 2003
| access-date = 2007-05-31
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070108065800/http://www.the-south-asian.com/Sep2003/metcalfe_album_of_imperial_delhi.htm  |archive-date = 2007-01-08}}</ref> The Metcalfe House was called ''Matka Kothi'' by the bearers and ''khansamahs'' (chefs) serving Sir Thomas, as they found it difficult to pronounce the name Metcalfe.<ref name="the_hindu_this_time"/>

[[File:The tomb of Mohammad Quli Khan, brother of Adham Khan, Metcalfe album, 1843.jpg|left|thumb|''Dilkhusa'' (Delight of the Heart) the country house of Metcalfe, in [[Mehrauli]], Metcalfe album, 1843]]
[[File:Dilkusha with Qutb Minar in the background, Mehrauli.jpg|right|thumb|''Dilkusha'' with Qutb Minar in the background, Mehrauli]]
In 1835, Metcalfe became the agent at Delhi after the murder of William Fraser and ran the "Delhi Territory", the area around the old capital under British control since 1803.<ref name="the_hindu_this_time">{{cite web
| url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/12/29/stories/2003122900700200.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040131050937/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/12/29/stories/2003122900700200.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2004-01-31
| title = This time, that age
| date = 2003-12-29
| work = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 2007-05-31
}}</ref> He succeeded his brother as Baronet in 1844, and became an important figure in the cultural climate of [[Delhi]].<ref name="images_of_lost_empire"/>

While working in India as the Governor-General's Agent at the Imperial court of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Emperor, between 1842 and 1844, Metcalfe ordered a series of images of the monuments, ruins, palaces and shrines from Delhi artist named [[Mazhar Ali Khan (painter)|Mazhar Ali Khan]], and later an album termed as [[Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi]] (also ''Dehlie Book'' or ''Delhi Album'') was compiled by Metcalfe in 1844, containing 89 folios around 130 paintings by Indian artists,<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bl.uk/collections/delhibook.html
| title = 'The Delhi Book' of Thomas Metcalfe
| work = Prints, Drawings and Photographs Section
| publisher = The British Library
| access-date = 2007-05-31
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070322175902/http://www.bl.uk/collections/delhibook.html  |archive-date = 2007-03-22}}</ref> and including descriptive text and touching words and was sent to his daughter [[Emily Bayley|Emily]] as she headed from an English schooling to join him in Delhi. The album has now been acquired by the [[British Library]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/t/019addor0005475u00055vrb.html | title=Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi | publisher=[[British Library]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2003/aug/16/art.highereducation | title=About the Delhi Book | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | date=16 August 2003}}</ref>

During the rainy season he used to stay at 'Dilkusha' (Delight of the Heart), which was built on the first floor of the tomb of Mohammed Quli Khan, brother of [[Adham Khan]], general of [[Mughal Emperor]], [[Akbar]], situated south east of the [[Qutb complex]] in [[Mehrauli]], an area which was also the traditional retreat of the Mughals for the season.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/t/019addor0005475u00081vrb.html The tomb of Muhammad Quli Khan, brother of Adham Khan, converted to a residence by Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe] [[British Library]].</ref> While his main house was a colonial bungalow, built in 1844, its library contained over 20,000 books including Napoleon memorabilia, however during the Uprising of 1857 the library was destroyed and looted.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/s/019pho000000052u00004000.html Sir Theophilus Metcalfe's House, Delhi.] [[British Library]].</ref> He was invested with the [[Order of the Bath]], and became a Knight Commander in the same order.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.metcalfhistory.com/family_history.htm
| title = Metcalf Family History and Genealogy
| author = Kenneth G Metcalf
| work = Metcalf History
| access-date = 2007-05-31
}}</ref>

Metcalfe was allegedly poisoned by one of [[Bahadur Shah II|Bahadur Shah]]'s queens in 1853.<ref name="images_of_lost_empire"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041106184026/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/04/05/stories/2004040500720200.htm A case of Delhi poisoning? ] [[Hindu]], April 5, 2004.</ref> He was buried in a grave to the east of the [[James Skinner (soldier)|Skinner]] Family's cemetery, at the [[St. James' Church, Delhi#Graves|St. James' Church]] near [[Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)|Kashmiri Gate]], [[Delhi]].<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/t/019addor0005475u00085vrb.html The tomb of Sir Thomas Metcalfe in Delhi] [[British Library]].</ref>
[[File:The tomb of Sir Thomas Metcalfe at St. James' Church near Kashmiri Gate, Delhi.jpg|thumb|The tomb of Sir Thomas Metcalfe at St. James' Church near Kashmiri Gate, Delhi]]
During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], the Metcalfe House was sacked by the Gurjar villagers from whom the land was taken to erect the building.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Sen
| first = Geeti
|author2=Ashis Banerjee
| title = The Human Landscape
| publisher = Orient Longman
| year = 2001
| isbn = 81-250-2045-4
| pages = 236
}}</ref>

===Family===
His father was [[Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 1st Baronet|Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baronet]] and his mother was Susannah Sophia Selina Debonnaire. His father first went to India in 1767 as a cadet in the King’s Army, eventually becoming a Director of the [[British East India Company]].<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/indiaofficeselectpd/FullDisplay.aspx?RecordId=015-000008945 Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baronet (1745-1813).] [[British Library]].</ref><ref>[http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/indiaofficeselectpd/FullDisplay.aspx?RecordId=015-000014831 Prints & Drawings full record display for shelfmark P2204] [[British Library]].</ref>

He married, firstly, Grace Clarke, daughter of Alexander Clarke, on 7 June 1815, by whom he had one daughter. He married, secondly, Felicite Anne Browne on 13 July 1826, by whom he had one son and two daughters. He was succeeded in his title by his eldest son, Sir Theophilus John Metcalfe, 5th Baronet, who was also in the Indian Civil Service.

===Death===
In 1853 Metcalfe suffered a digestive disorder which led to his slow death. His doctors believed that the ailment was caused by poison. Metcalfe's family, and Metcalfe himself, suspected that he was being administered poison on the instructions of [[Zinat Mahal]], the last [[Mughal Empire|Mughal emperor]] Bahadur Shah Zafar's favorite wife.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041106184026/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/04/05/stories/2004040500720200.htm|title=The Hindu : A case of Delhi poisoning?|date=6 November 2004|website=web.archive.org}}</ref>

==Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi==
{{main article|Delhi Book}}
Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi, also called the [[Delhi Book]], is an album consisting of 89 folios with approximately 130 paintings by Indian artists. The paintings depict [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and pre-Mughal monuments of [[Delhi]], the lives of native Indians as well as other contemporary material. Metcalfe added extensive descriptions to almost all paintings. He had assembled the album to be a gift for his daughters in England, and he sent it to them in 1844. The most important feature of the album is that it shows buildings as they were before the [[siege of Delhi]] during the [[Indian Mutiny]]. Many of these structures were razed, vandalized or suffered neglect in the years following the Mutiny.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="3">
File:Different views of the Metcalfe House, Delhi, 1843.jpg|Different views of the Metcalfe House, Delhi, 1843, which now houses the [[Laser Science and Technology Centre]] ([[DRDO]]).
File:St Jame's Church, Delhi, folio from book by Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.jpg|[[St. James' Church, Delhi]]
File:A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843.jpg|A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor [[Bahadur Shah Zafar II]] to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843.
File:Details of Skinner's Tomb, St. James' Church, Delhi.jpg|Details of the tomb of [[James Skinner (soldier)|Colonel James Skinner]] C.B. at [[St. James' Church, Delhi]], and Styles and titles in Persian of Metcalfe as Agent of [[Governor-General of India]](right page)
File:Description of assassination of William Fraser, Agent to the Governor-General of India, in a 1843 manuscript.jpg|Description of assassination of [[William Fraser (British India civil servant)|William Frazer]], Agent to the [[Governor-General of India]], on 22 March 1835, in Delhi.
File:Folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.jpg|Scenes from a Royal procession, and a party of [[Skinner's Horse]] regiment.
</gallery>

==Architectural legacy==
<gallery>
File:One of Metcalfe's "follies", a chhatri, with Jamali Kamali Mosque in the background.jpg|One of Metcalfe's "[[Folly|follies]]", a ''[[chhatri]]'', with Jamali Kamali Mosque in the background, [[Mehrauli]].
File:Another of Metcalf's follies, close to the Qutb Minar parking lot, Mehrauli.jpg|Another of Metcalf's follies, close to the Qutb Minar parking lot, Mehrauli.
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~adgedge/Research/Metcalfe,%20John/english%20metcalfe/pafg06.htm Genealogy of Metcalfes]
* [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/f/019addor0005475u00084vrb.html Detailed description of Metcalfe House Delhi, 1843] [[British Library]].

==Further reading==
* ''The Golden Calm: an English lady's life in Moghul Delhi : reminiscences by Emily, Lady Clive Bayley, and by her father Sir Thomas Metcalfe'', by [[Emily Bayley]], Thomas Metcalfe, edited by [[M. M. Kaye]]. Published by Webb & Bower.
* ''Thomas Metcalf. Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean Arena, 1860–1920'' Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-520-24946-2}}.
* [http://www.metcalfhistory.com/family_history.htm Metcalfe History] www.metcalfhistory.com

==External links==
{{Commons category|Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe}}
* [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2003/aug/16/art.highereducation About the Delhi Book] [[The Guardian]]
* [http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/prdraw/delhibook/index.html 'The Delhi Book' of Thomas Metcalfe] [[British Library]]

{{S-start}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{succession box | title=[[Metcalfe Baronets|Baronet]] '''(of Chilton) | years='''1846–1853 | before= [[Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe|Charles Theophilus Metcalfe]] | after=[[Sir Theophilus John Metcalfe, 5th Baronet|Theophilus John Metcalfe]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalfe, Thomas}}
[[Category:1795 births]]
[[Category:1853 deaths]]
[[Category:Administrators in British India]]
[[Category:History of Delhi]]
[[Category:People from Marylebone]]
[[Category:Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom]]

Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 4th Baronet - Revision history

imported>Certes: fix link (via WP:JWB)