‘Blind Jack’ of Knaresborough transformed our roads

He was one of Yorkshire’s most extraordinary characters whose achievements were outstanding, despite being blind.

John Metcalf was born on August 15, 1717, near Knaresborough Castle. He was affectionately known as ‘Blind Jack’ because at the age of six he caught smallpox which was raging through the West Riding. He survived, but was left blind.

Nevertheless, he was an independent, active child, who learnt to swim and fish in the River Nidd, ride horses and climb trees. Aged 12, he was guiding travellers around Knaresborough. But his mother was concerned about his future and encouraged him to play the fiddle, to allow him to earn an income. In 1732, he could be found entertaining the rich who gathered at the Assembly in Harrogate for the spa waters.

Jack fell in love with Dolly Benson, daughter of the landlord of the Royal Oak (which became known as the Granby Hotel), but her parents disapproved. He had a reputation with women, and because of his blindness, they believed he wouldn’t be able to provide for her. He went to London, and earned a living as a musician, playing jigs and reels, and became popular, especially with the ladies.

After a while the call of the North was too strong. He met George Liddell, MP for Berwick, who offered him a lift in his carriage, as he was about to go to Harrogate “for the season”. But Jack turned him down, claiming because of the state of the roads, he could walk quicker. Always one for a wager, he had a bet of 10 guineas, which Jack proudly won.

On his return he discovered that Dolly Benson was about to marry Anthony Dickenson, a cobbler, who her parents felt was a better prospect. Jack still loved her, and secretly met up with her and they decided to elope. Years later when asked why she married him, Dolly replied that she couldn’t live without him. They settled in Knaresborough where Jack made a good living as a guide, merchant, and hirer of a four-horse chaise. He transported fish from Whitby to Leeds, and when business was slack, he turned to fiddle playing. His commercial enterprises made him acutely aware of the terrible road conditions.

In 1745, the Jacobite Rebellion broke out. Bonnie Prince Charlie posed a threat to England and King George 11, who called for volunteers. Squire Thornton who lived near Knaresborough, needed recruits for the Yorkshire Blues, and invited Jack to help. Such was Jack’s popularity and influence, many came forward. Having accomplished his mission, he insisted that he went with them, and he did so, playing his fiddle at the head of the column. He was almost taken prisoner at the Battle of Falkirk when he became detached from the rest, but he was wiley and courageous, and managed to escape. He was at the infamous Battle of Culloden (1746) when “the Butcher”, the Duke of Cumberland, routed the Young Pretender’s heavily outnumbered army. He even played at the victory celebrations.

On his return to Knaresborough, Jack continued his business interests, and was always ready to make money. In 1754 he even engaged in smuggling up the East Coast. His experiences convinced him further that something needed to be done about the state of England’s roads. He was confident he could do a better job of repairing and rebuilding the hazardous carriageways. The existing system of repair involved local labourers working six days a year, for no pay, on parish roads. Understandably, they resented this, so the job was often done badly In Yeadon they were bribed with jugs of ale, but it made no difference. In winter the roads were an impassable sea of mud. The road from Leeds to Otley was repeatedly damaged when stone quarried on the Chevin was dragged across. To some, the answer was to build turnpike roads, the first of which had been the Great North Road in 1663. Jack decided to tender for the Ferensby to Minskip stretch of the Harrogate to Boroughbridge turnpike, and did such an excellent job that he was offered other contracts. His most famous was the Huddersfield to Manchester over the Pennines.

Blind Jack Metcalfe on the road (Image: Submitted)

His labourers were his ‘eyes’, he employed up to 400 men, who respected him, even though he was a hard taskmaster. He was on site by 6am and walked each stretch, tapping it with his hollowed stick until certain it was good enough. Where the road passed over boggy ground at Standedge, he built it on top of criss-crossed heather, a technique later used by Stephenson on the Manchester-Liverpool railway. In total, Jack built 180 miles of turnpikes and bridges, chiefly in Yorkshire but also in Lancashire, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Apart from a halt in 1778 when his wife died, he continued as a road builder until he was 75, and made a fortune. He was responsible for the Knaresborough to Wetherby road, and the Skipton, Colne, Burnley road. His roads had a convex, smooth surface so rain water could drain off quickly into ditches. His reputation was enhanced because he built roads other road engineers felt were impossible. His roads stood the test of time. Along with Telford and MacAdam, he earned the accolade as one of the fathers of modern road building.

He went to live with one of his daughters at Spofforth in 1791 and, although retired, was still involved in the hay and timber business. Aged 77, he walked to York to recount his life story to a publisher, who published it in 1795.

Jack's grave in Spofforth near Harrogate (Image: Submitted)

Blind Jack died in Spofforth on April 26, 1810, aged 92. His grave is in the churchyard there. He left four daughters, 20 grandchildren, and 90 great grandchildren.

This giant of a man, 6ft 2in, weighing 17 stone, was admired by many. A statue of Jack, the first scientific road builder was unveiled in Knaresborough in 2009. Across from it is the Blind Jack pub. In 2017 part of the A658 near Harrogate was named John Metcalf Way.