William Melville Metcalfe was born Sep 21, 1806, in Nicholas County, Kentucky, to parents Thomas "Stonehammer" Metcalfe (1780-1855) and Nancy Lee Mason (1788-1852), both born in Virginia. William was the oldest child in a family of eight children. His brothers and sisters were: Rhoda Dent Metcalfe-McIlvane (1809-), Bela Metcalfe (1810-1840), Jana Lee Metcalfe-Campbell (1813-1838), Jacob Rainey Metcalfe (1815-), Ketturah Kitty Metcalfe (1817-), Leonidas Mason Metcalfe (1819-1868), and Mary Ann Metcalfe-Campbell (1821-).
On Jan 8, 1835, in Fleming County, Kentucky, William married Amanda McIntire, born in Kentucky (1811-1893). Amanda was the daughter of Major John S. McIntire, born in Virginia (1760-1826) and Elizabeth Howard, born in Kentucky (1783-1855).
William and Amanda settled into a life of farming in Nicholas County, Kentucky, and had eight children: John M. Metcalfe (ca 1836-), Thomas Metcalfe (1839-), Bela Metcalfe (1842-1925), Nancy Lee Metcalfe (ca 1844-), William Berry Metcalfe (1846-1936), Leonidas Metcalfe (1849-), Henry Metcalfe (ca 1851-1882), and Alvine Metcalfe (1854-), all born in Kentucky.
When William died on Sep 13, 1877, he was buried in Forest Retreat, the historic home built in 1820 by his father, the 10th Kentucky governor and United States Senator Thomas "Stonehammer" Metcalfe. His parents and several of his brothers and sisters are also buried there. It is currently a private residence. The grounds of Forest Retreat include the Metcalfe family burial plot. The 1954 Kentucky Derby winning horse, Determine, is also buried there.
