Robert Barclay Esq. (1648 - 1690)

Born 23 Dec 1648 in Gordonstown, Morayshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Christian (Mollison) Barclay — married 16 Feb 1670 in Scotland

Descendants

Died 3 Oct 1690 at age 41 in Urie, Kincardineshire, Scotland

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Robert Barclay Esq. was a Friend (Quaker). Join: Quakers Project Discuss: quakers

Magna Carta Gateway Ancestor Descendant of Surety Barons Gilbert de Clare, Richard de Clare, and possibly others (see text). Join: Magna Carta Project Discuss: magna_carta

Biography

Robert Barclay Esq. is Notable.

Robert Barclay, Esq., son and heir of [Col.] David Barclay of Urie, Kincardineshire and Katherine Gordon, was born at Gordonstown, Moray, Scotland on 23 December 1648, the eldest of five children.^[1][2] He was baptized at Drainie, Morayshire on 3 January 1649.^[1] His father, a professional soldier, had served under Gustavus Adolphus as a major in the Thirty Years' War and served in the civil wars as a colonel of a horse regiment under General John Middleton.^[2] His mother was Katherine Gordon, the daughter of Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet of Gordonstown,^[1] and third cousin of Charles I.^[2]

Education and Religion

Robert's earliest education was from "the strictest Sort of Calvinists" and, by age ten, he was in Paris under the care of his uncle, Robert Barclay, rector of the Scots Theological College, where he converted to Catholicism. In 1663, Robert returned home to Scotland and renounced Catholicism at the urging of his parents.^[2]

Robert's father, David, was jailed from 1665-1669. In his first year in jail, he made the acquaintance of Quaker John Swinton and, by March 1666, David converted to Quakerism.^[2] Robert's visits to his father ended with his own conversion to Quakerism in the winter of 1666/7^[2][3][4] and, in May 1667, Robert took a trip to north Scotland with John Swinton and George Keith to seek converts to their religion.^[2]

After this trip, Robert's father sent him to their estate at Ury (aka Urie) and Robert held weekly Quaker meetings there. David had acquired the estate (which was in ruins) in 1648, losing it after the conquest, and had regained it by 1656. When David was released from prison in 1669, he built a new manor house and a Quaker meeting house on the property.^[2]

Marriage and Children

Robert married on 16 February 1669/70 to Christian Mollison,^[1][5] daughter of Gilbert Mollison, merchant of Aberdeen^[1] and Margaret Smith, an early Quaker convert.^[2] An attempt was made to summon Robert before the Privy Council for marrying unlawfully, but this came to nothing.^[6]

Robert and Christian had three sons and four daughters who survived Robert,^[2][7] including:

• Robert, born on 25 January 1672,^[8] died on 27 March 1747,^[9] married Elizabeth Brain^[2] and had eight children.^[10] Robert succeeded his father at Ury.^[2]
• David, who became a wealthy London merchant.^[11] born 17 September 1682, died 18 May 1769, married first to Anne Taylor, second to Priscilla Freame and had children.^[10]
• John, migrated to Dublin.^[10]
• Katherine, born 26 June 1678, died 9 November 1758, married James Forbes.^[10]
• Patience, born 25 November 1675/6, died 22 June 1757, married Timothy Forbes.^[10]
• Christian, born 15 May 1680, died 1751, married Alexander Jaffray.^[10]
• Jean/Jane, born 27 December 1683, married Alexander Forbes.^[10]

Children born to Robert and Christian who died young:

• David, born 8 September 1670 , died 1671^[10]
• Margaret, born 4 October 1673, died 1685^[10]
• Infant Barclay, 1676 stillborn^{[citation needed]}

1670s

In 1672 Robert walked along three of the chief streets in Aberdeen in sackcloth and ashes, calling people to repentance, while Friends walking with him carried his hat and cloak.^[6] On another occasion, he was waylaid by a highwayman. It is said that he looked calmly down the barrel of his attacker's pistol and asked him what made him become so "rude": the highwayman dropped his pistol, trembling, and gave up his attempt at robbery.^[12]

Although Robert led only a few hundred Quakers in Scotland, he had a great impact on the international Quaker movement and was influential in ending their persecution by 1679. In 1673, Robert published Catechism and Confession of Faith and in 1674 Theses Theologicae was published.^[2] His most important work, An Apology for True Christian Divinity,^[1] was published in Latin in 1676 and in English in 1678.^[2]

In April 1676 he delivered a memorandum on behalf of persecuted Quakers to Charles II.^[13]

Robert was briefly imprisoned in 1672[/3]^[1] and again from November 1676 to April 1677, along with forty other Quakers.^[2][14] During his second imprisonment, Robert wrote the treatise Universal Love, published in 1677, and a letter that would later be published in Truth Triumphant, a full collection of his works published after his death in 1692.^[2]

In July 1677 Robert was one of a group of leading Quakers who went to visit Friends in Holland and to undertake missionary activity in Holland and Germany. Others in the group included George Fox and William Penn.^[15][16] With William Penn he visited and befriended Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate, a granddaughter of James I.^[17]

On 4 November 1679, Robert Barclay and others were taken into custody while meeting for worship in Aberdeen, but released after a few hours.^[18]

Influence in the Colonies

After Robert was released from prison in 1677, he advocated strongly for the release of the remaining imprisoned Quakers and for the establishment of a new Quaker colony. Robert had three meetings with the Duke of York (later James II) which resulted in the release of the remaining Aberdeen Quaker prisoners in November 1679.^[2]

Robert published nothing after 1679 and started focusing more on family and his financial affairs. However, he remained heavily involved with the Quaker community and continued preaching, but his primary focus turned to promoting Quaker colonies in America. Robert felt that land prices were too high in Pennsylvania and he and his Scottish investors decided to invest in East and West New Jersey.^[2] In 1682, the proprietors of East New Jersey appointed Robert Barclay governor for life.^[1][2]

Robert never traveled to the colony,^[2] acting through a deputy,^[19] but he remained its advocate and promoter until his death. His brothers, John and David emigrated, but David died on the voyage.^[2]

Later Life and Death

Robert's father died in 1686 and Robert became Laird of Ury. Robert made a final trip to London in 1688 to present to the court his son, Robert. He retired afterward to Ury.^[2] While he was in London, false rumours were circulated that he was really a Jesuit.^[20] In James II's last days as king, Robert had a final interview with him, in which James emphasised his belief in "freedom of conscience" (that is, religious toleration).^[20]

Robert Barclay died at Urie, Kincardineshire on 3 October 1690^[1] as a result of a fever^[21] and was buried on the estate, beside his father.^[2] Robert's widow, Christian, died 14 December 1722.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011, vol. I, page 101, BARCLAY 18.i
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22} DesBrisay, Gordon. "Barclay, Robert, of Ury (1648–1690), religious writer and colonial governor" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 26 Feb 2020, at ODNB with subscription.
3. ↑ William C Braithwaite. The Second Period of Quakerism, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, 1955, subsequently distributed by William Sessions, p. 334
4. ↑ Joseph Besse. Sufferings of Early Quakers, 1753, Vol. II, p. 498
5. ↑ Scotland Non-Old Parish Registers Vital Records 1647-1875, FindMyPast
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} William C Braithwaite, The Second Period of Quakerism, p. 339
7. ↑ Note: no children are named by Richardson in Magna Carta Ancestry or Royal Ancestry.
8. ↑ Scotland Non-Old Parish Registers Vital Records 1647-1875, FindMyPast
9. ↑ The Scots Magazine, 1747, Scotland, Newspaper Death Reports & Obituaries, Find My Past and accompanying image. Note that the transcript wrongly gives the death date as 6 March 1747: the image gives the correct date.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8} Moffat, Reuben Burnham. The Barclays of New York: Who They Are and Who They Are Not. (R.G. Cooke, 1904). Online at Archive.org, pages 222-223.
11. ↑ Dickson, P.G.M. "Barclay, David (1682–1769), merchant" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Feb 2020, at ODNB with subscription.
12. ↑ William C Braithwaite, The Second Period of Quakerism, p. 446
13. ↑ Joseph Besse, Sufferings of Early Quakers, Vol. II, p. 510
14. ↑ Joseph Besse, Sufferings of Early Quakers, Vol. II, pp. 517 and 519
15. ↑ Penney, Norman (ed.). The Journal of George Fox, J M Dent & Sons, London and E P Dutton & Co., New York, 1924, pp. 336-341
16. ↑ H Larry Ingle. First among Friends. George Fox & the Creation of Quakerism, Oxford University Press, 1994, pp. 267-270
17. ↑ Isabel Ross. Margaret Fell, Mother of Quakerism, 3rd edition, William Sessions, 1996, pp. 305-307
18. ↑ Joseph Besse, Sufferings of Early Quakers, Vol. II, p. 533
19. ↑ William C Braithwaite, The Second Period of Quakerism, p. 403
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} William C Braithwaite, The Second Period of Quakerism, p. 149
21. ↑ William C Braithwaite, The Second period of Quakerism, p. 445

See also:

• Wikipedia: Robert_Barclay.
• Hunter, Joseph, ed. J.W Clay. Familiae Minorum Gentium, pt. 2, Harleian Soc. 38 (1895), p. 432, Barclay.

Acknowledgements

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was reviewed and approved for the Magna Carta Project by Thiessen-117 on 27 February 2020.

Robert Barclay Esq. is listed in Magna Carta Ancestry as a Gateway Ancestor (vol. I, page xxiii) and is in a Richardson-documented trail to Magna Carta Surety Barons Richard de Clare and Gilbert de Clare (vol. I, pages 94-101 BARCLAY). This trail was re-developed in 2021 by Michael Cayley and was badged by the Magna Carta Project on 22 June 2021. See the Magna Carta Trail below for the profiles in that trail.

See Base Camp for more information about Magna Carta trails. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".

Magna Carta Trails

Badged Richardson-documented trail to Gilbert and Richard de Clare (MCA I:94-101 BARCLAY):

Gateway Ancestors

Robert Barclay (badged/100% 5-star)

John Barclay (badged/100% 5-star)

1. Robert and John are the sons of Katherine Gordon (badged 2021)

2. Katherine is the daughter of Lucy Gordon (badged 2021)

3. Lucy is the daughter of John Gordon (badged 2021)

4. John is the son of Alexander Gordon (badged 2021)

5. Alexander is the son of John Gordon (badged 2021)

6. John is the son of Alexander Gordon (badged 2021)

7. Alexander is the son of George Gordon (or Seton) (badged 2021)

8. George is the son of Alexander de Seton (aka Gordon) (badged 2021)

9. Alexander is the son of Elizabeth de Gordon (badged 2021)

10. Elizabeth is the daughter of Elizabeth de Keith (badged 2021)

11. Elizabeth is the daughter of Jean Stewart (badged 2021)

12. Jean is the daughter of Robert Stewart (badged)

13. Robert is the son of Marjorie de Brus (badged)

14. Marjorie is the daughter of Robert de Brus (badged/100% 5-star)

15. Robert is the son of Robert de Brus (badged/100% 5-star)

16. Robert is the son of Isabel de Clare (badged/100% 5-star)

17. Isabel is the daughter of Magna Carta Surety Baron Gilbert de Clare

18. Gilbert is the son of Magna Carta Surety Baron Richard de Clare

The Barclay brothers appear to have alternative trails through their maternal grandfather Sir Robert Gordon, Bt, but these are not pursued in Richardson's books.