James Barclay M.D. (aft. 1678 - 1755)

Born after 1678 in Pierston, Ayrshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 12 Jan 1755 before age 77 in London, England

Biography

James Barclay M.D. was born in Scotland.

Warning: it should be noted that most of the sources used to construct this profile are secondary ones since these are easiest to access online, and some contradict each other in places. It is possible as a result that the biography may contain some errors.

James was the second son of Sir Robert Barclay of Perceton or Pierston or Pierceton, and his wife Dame Bethia (nee Baird). His father was born in 1658, but we don't have a certain date for James' birth. His elder brother Robert was christened 11 January 1676/77 so probably James was born 1678 or later.^[1] A second son of his parents was christened in 1678, but his name is given as John, so it's not clear whether this was James and there was some confusion or mistranscription of his name, or whether he had another brother John who died in infancy. The family probably had a house in Edinburgh as well as their home at Perceton, since both boys were christened in the parish of Edinburgh. The christenings were Church of Scotland, although the family seems to have been Jacobite which had made me wonder if they were Catholic.

Playfair tells us James also had a younger brother David, who "died at Buenos Ayres", and three sisters, Elizabeth (who married another Barclay, of Bennetts, Ayrshire), Bertha (who died without marrying), and Margaret (who married Alexander Houston of Houston, Esquire).^[2] No mention is made of a John.

James would have grown up expecting not to inherit the estate, and therefore expecting to have to find a career for himself; the traditional career options for younger sons of the upper class were the Church, the Army or the Navy, and James became a naval surgeon in the Royal Navy.^[3]

The Union of Scotland & England happened during 1706-7; it was very unpopular in Scotland, although it was voted in legitimately by the Scottish Parliament (in as far as due legal processes were observed, but there is evidence that bribery of members of Parliament was involved.^[4] As far as we know, James didn't himself join the Jacobite Rebellion, and was content to serve in the Royal Navy, so at least he seems to have been able to accept the political status quo even though Playfair tells us that James "was well known to be a staunch Jacobite".^[2] Apparently the Navy, on their part, were able to accept James' service despite his quasi-treasonous political views.

We don't know exactly when James joined the Navy; if it was before 1707 then in principle he could have joined the Royal Scots Navy rather than the English Royal Navy; however the Scots Navy only had 3 ships by 1707, since when Scotland was conquered by the Commonwealth army during the Civil War, the Scots Navy ships and men had been absorbed into the Commonwealth Navy, which returned to being the English Royal Navy when the monarchy was restored.^[5] So there would have been very many more job opportunities in the English Navy than the Scots one, and if he joined after 1707 then there was no choice as the Scots Navy had been completely absorbed into the Royal Navy.

If James joined up during peacetime, it was the Navy Board who was responsible for assessing and appointing naval surgeons - until 1739 the Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen existed only during wartime, when it was one of their responsibilities.^[6] I'm not sure how profound his medical knowledge would have had to have been in order to enlist as a naval surgeon or assistant surgeon; possibly a good basic education from a tutor or school with perhaps a little practical experience assisting the local doctor would have been enough, or he may have had more formal training than that.

James married the eldest daughter (and co-heir) of William Bloyes around 1710.^[3] William was from Taunton Dean in Somerset, and was himself a Captain in the Royal Navy.^[3] Was he perhaps the captain of a ship James served on? It seems likely James would have been already serving in the Navy before his marriage, because a younger son with no source of income would not have been likely to be approved of as a suitor, so at any rate it's likely he met his bride through some naval social connection.

There was a nonconformist marriage of a James Berkley on 5 Jan 1700 in Fleet, London, but the bride's name isn't listed (on FamilySearch - no image available).^[7] It's not impossible this was our James. It would mean he probably married in his early 20s rather than his early 30s and hadn't had as long to establish himself in his career; but if he did marry his Captain's daughter, his future father-in-law would have seen plenty of him and could have decided he was a young man of fine character and a fit husband for his daughter despite being young. However, it's certainly also possible the marriage isn't the right one.

James and his wife had one son, who was born around 1710 in Craven St, Westminster and named William Bloyes Barclay after his mother's father.^[3] Playfair tells us he also had a daughter, who died young.^[2]

James' elder brother Robert joined the Jacobite Rising in 1715, and escaped to France when it failed.^[3] In 1717 he was still living abroad, and was "served heir"^[3]. Presumably this means he received official notice that he had inherited the title and estate, following a legal process to prove his entitlement, but I haven't succeeded in finding a good definition of it. All I could find was "By the former law of Scotland, before an heir could regularly acquire a right to the ancestor's estate, he had to be served heir"^[8] Another source describes him as being "retoured" as heir of his father on 22 Oct 1717,^[9] and this does seem to have meant the legal award of the title following a process of proof of entitlement.^[10][11]

Robert sold the family estate at Pierston on 22 August 1720 and died in 1728 in Aachen, Germany, which is also known as Aix-la-Chapelle.^[1] Paterson adds that Robert did this with the consent of his mother, who presumably had some financial interest in the form of an income from the estate, but must have had income from another source as well.^[9] Some details of the value of the estate are given in Paterson.

Why did he sell it? He certainly wouldn't have been able to run the estate from France; James was probably in the Navy and not in a position to run it either. He could have employed a steward to run it and send him the income, if he knew someone trustworthy and competent who was available, but he would have to have paid them, which would have reduced the income available to Robert himself. He was to some degree lucky he still had an estate to sell - if his tenants remained loyal to the existing King while he rebelled, they were legally entitled to claim the land they were tenants of as their own property.^[12] Most of the rebels who hadn't already been executed or specifically convicted of treason were pardoned in 1717^[13], which could be why he was "served heir" that year - it may have been on hold until the pardon went through (there were a small number of individuals excluded from the pardon, and also the whole of the Clan MacGregor).

It's not clear to me why Robert chose to remain in exile after the pardons of 1717, assuming he did choose and wasn't on the list of people not pardoned. I thought perhaps he chose to remain with his King in exile, and needed the money either for his own living expenses or to invest in something to give him a direct income where he was living, or perhaps to pay off a debt or donate to his King. However Wikipedia says that James Stuart had a lifetime annuity from the Pope, so shouldn't have needed donations unless he had run up debts to finance the Rising; and was unwelcome in France after its king died in 1715, so went to live first at Avignon (which belonged to the Pope) and later in Rome. Neither of these corresponds to the place we are told that Robert spent time at on the continent, Aix-la-Chapelle/Aachen; Avignon is completely the opposite side of France to it. Maybe Robert had married a French or German woman, started a business over there, or just liked it better than home. Paterson tells us that Robert left one child, Elizabeth, who married in Irvine in Ayrshire^[9]; this sounds more like he married in Scotland before leaving rather than marrying on the continent. Possibly the sale of the estate was partly intended to provide for Elizabeth's well-being.

William Bloyes died in 1720, at which point presumably his daughter inherited something. However it may not have been enough for her family to live off, and James seems to have continued working as a naval surgeon till at least the spring of 1746, from records at the National Archives (see Research Notes below).

"J. B., Nov. 17, 1722." is inscribed on a gold ring which was said to have been given by Prince James (presumably the Old Pretender who the Jacobite Rising of 1715 was intended to make King) to Sir James Barclay, the subject of our profile. It contains hair said to belong to Prince Charles Edward - Bonnie Prince Charlie.^[14] Charles Edward was only born in December 1720, so even if the inscription wasn't made at the time the ring was given, this implies very friendly contact between James Stuart and James Barclay, and strongly confirms the notion that James Barclay was a Jacobite.

Did James perhaps travel to the continent to see his brother Robert, and receive the ring while he was there? This strikes me as more likely than James Stuart sending him a ring out of the blue via some messenger. The Wikipedia article on James Stuart says that it became commonplace for Englishmen to visit his court while on the Grand Tour of Europe no matter whether they were Jacobites or the opposite. But James Barclay wasn't a young unmarried man, he was married with a career, and a wife and son to support. However given that his wife had inherited something on her father's death in 1720, perhaps he was able to take a career break and travel a bit on the continent at some point between 1720 and 1722. His wife may or may not have gone with him; the number of children he and his wife produced hardly suggests a close passionate relationship between them, and they had to be used to long periods apart when James was aboard a ship.

In 1727 the executors of John Barclay, a London surgeon, brought a case against James which is listed in the National Archives catalogue. Was John a relative perhaps, or a colleague? (see Notes). James did have a younger brother John, but he was said to have died young.^[15] James' grandfather Robert married twice, and had four sons by his second wife of whom little is known.^[16] Perhaps John might have been one of these, or the son of one.

In 1728 James succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his brother Robert.^[1] Without the estate to provide an income, the baronetcy may not have been of great financial value to James, but it may have had some social value and opened some doors to him.

James' mother died in 1731^[3].

James was made an M.D. of the University of Glasgow in 1734.^[17] However it seems this was an honourary degree, as one might expect from the late date - the University minute recording it mentions "his own knowledge in the Theory and long successfull practise of Medicine and Surgery".^[17]

Between 1740 and 1743, James seems to have spent time based at one or more naval hospitals (see Research Notes below), one of which was at Gosport. If I'm reading these right, he was dismissed and later re-employed during this period. In 1745, of course, the Jacobites tried again to restore the House of Stuart. Once again, James seems to have been content to carry on serving the other side, in spite of continuing to treasure his Stuart ring, although as far as I'm aware the Navy wasn't involved in any fighting against the Jacobites. From 1745-1746, James was definitely the Surgeon on a ship, the Royal Sovereign (see Notes).

On 18 March 1746/7, James' son William married Susanna Church, the daughter of a surgeon.^[3] James had followed his father into the Navy, where he became a Purser.^[1] William & Susanna gave James two grandsons before he died - William (1748) and James Mantle (1750)^[1] - and a granddaughter Susannah (born 13 Feb 1752).^[2] They also had two other children, Elizabeth (whose dates of birth/christening are unknown and died in infancy)^[2], and a son Robert, not born till after James' death.^[1]

James died 12 Jan 1755 in London.^[3]

Research Notes

Birth

James' Birth/christening not listed in FamilySearch, FreeREG or Scotland's People (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) as of Feb 2018 as James. His brother Robert's christening is listed in ScotlandsPeople as Church of Scotland (BARCLAY, ROBERT parents ROBERT BARCLAY/BETHIA BAIRD FR2346 (FR2346) Male 11/01/1677 685/1 80 94 parish Edinburgh).

John Barclay christened 6/3/1678, Edinburgh (BARCLAY, JOHN parents ROBERT BARCLAY/BETHIA BAIRD FR2434 (FR2434) Male 06/03/1678 685/1 80 180 parish Edinburgh). It would be interesting to view the original and check the name isn't actually James, but this is a pay operation. We are told that the family had four other children David, Elizabeth, Bertha and Margaret, and as none of their christenings are listed it seems likely the collection of records is incomplete, so it's entirely possible John was another son who died in infancy and the peerage/local history compilers weren't aware of.

Scottish Land Records

Paterson tells us that a Sir James Barclay is mentioned in a transaction with the purchaser of the estate after the death of Robert, but doesn't tell us what the transaction was, which might be interesting, and doesn't even know they were brothers. Another source also mentions the transaction, but is equally unforthcoming about its nature.^[18] Checking whether it or other land records relating to the estate survive and mention James could be an avenue for future research.

Different Cokayne Editions

One of the two sources the Peerage website gives, which is the sole source of some of its information such as the date of the estate sale, is a 1983 reprint of an undated edition of Cokayne, thought to be ca 1900. Interestingly, the scanned copy of the other Cokayne edition we have used here is also said in the index to be "ca 1900" but in fact there is a date of 1904 in the front. Presumably the reprint must be from a different edition of Cokayne, since no date is given for the estate sale in the 1904 book, although the page number for James Barclay is the same in both.

Robert's death

Playfair claims that Robert died in 1717 at Aix-la-Chapelle in France^[2], but it seems more likely that he misinterpreted some document from 1717 than that Robert was not alive to sell the estate in 1720, as the Cokayne reprint apparently states.^[1]

Death of William Bloyes

FreeREG lists the burial of a William Bloyce 15 Apr 1720 in Bridgewater, Somerset.^[19] This could possibly be James' father-in-law, but Bridgewater is 20 miles from Taunton Deane, which is where his father-in-law was said to be from. However it's not impossible he might have bought a house in somewhere other than his birthplace when he retired from the navy.

The Jacobite Ring

"571. Gold Ring, set with diamonds and garnets, enclosing the hair of Prince Charles Edward, with the monograms "C.P.W." On the inner part of the hoop is inscribed "J. B., Nov. 17, 1722." Given by Prince James to Sir James Barclay, Bart., and by him bequeathed to Sir David Murray of Stanhope."^[14]

National Archives Catalogue entries relating to this profile

C 11/492/44

Short title: Macky v Barclay.

Plaintiffs: Patrick Macky, gent of Hackney, Middlesex and John Dishington, surgeon of London (executors of John Barclay, surgeon deceased late of St Katherine by the Tower, Middlesex).

Defendants: Sir James Barclay bart.

Date of bill (or first document): 1727

I think this may have been a Court of Chancery case.^[20]

ADM 106/923/142

George Mignan, Fareham. Having served as surgeon's first mate on the Boyne and being orderd to attend the sick at the Hospital under Sir James barclay, requests he be continued there

Date: 20 June 1740

ADM 106/981/36

Folio 36: Copy Admiralty order for Richard Porter, Surgeon of the Gosport Hospital to be appointed Surgeon in place of Sir James Barclay, dismissed. Enclosed in f35.

Date: 1741 May 5

ADM 106/981/35

Folio 35: Office for Sick and Wounded Seamen. Enclose a copy Admiralty order for appointing a surgeon and agent at Gosport to replace Sir James Barclay.

Date: 1743 Jan 21

ADM 106/1009/164

Lieutenant John Hide, the Royal Sovereign, the Nore. Sir James Barclay, Surgeon, has requested a Surgeon's Mate to replace William Balfour, who has asthma.

Date: 1745 Jun 1

ADM 106/1013/110

Admiral Mayne, the Royal Sovereign, the Nore. Informs the Board that Sir James Barclay, Surgeon, has received a letter from Thomas Fotheringham, Surgeon's 1st Mate, of his intention to quit the service. Request that Patrick Black, Surgeon's 2nd Mate, is appointed Surgeon's 1st Mate in his place, and James Castle to be appointed Surgeon's 4th Mate and Robert Burnett Surgeon's 5th Mate.

Date: 1745 Aug 1

ADM 106/1038/360

Captain John Douglas, the Ferrett Sloop, Sheerness. Josias Cocke, Surgeon, states that he is in want of necessaries. 28 March 1746. Josias Cocke, the Royal Sovereign. Received by order of Lieutenant Archibald Murray of the Royal Sovereign, from Sir James Barclay, Surgeon of the ship, one quadruple box of Surgeon's necessaries, three saucepans and two sheets for use of the the Ferrett Sloop. Lieutenant Archibald Murray, the Royal Sovereign, the Nore. Captain John Douglas of the Ferrett Sloop has applied by letter for a supply of Surgeon's necessaries.

Date: 1746 Apr 24

University Degree

Graduate record from the University of Glasgow:^[17]

James Barclay

Degree Information: MD (1734)

Countries of Association: Scotland

Addison 1727-1897 reads: of Pierston , Ayrshire; Surgeon in the Royal Navy; Degree granted "as a Testimony of this University's regard both to the antient family he represents, and his own knowledge in the Theory and long successfull practise of Medicine and Surgery" [Univ. Minute , 22nd November , 1734]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} http://www.thepeerage.com/p13157.htm#i131568 Accessed 15 Feb 2018
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Playfair, William. British baronetage: illustrative of the origin and progress of the rank, honours, and personal merit, of the baronets of the United Kingdom, accompanied with an elegant set of chronological charts. London: T Reynolds & H Grace, 1811, p. 245 (labelled p. 292q in pencil, there must be a page numbering problem with the book) on Archive.org https://archive.org/details/britishbaronetag31play?q=%22sir+james+barclay%22
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Cokayne, George Edward. Complete baronetage. Vol. IV. Exeter: W. Pollard & Co., 1904, p 271. Accessed February 15, 2018 on http://archive.org/stream/cu31924092524408#page/n289/mode/2up.
4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Scots_Navy#Seventeenth_century
6. ↑ http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C150921
7. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7YL-XTY : 11 December 2014), James Berkley, 05 Jan 1700, Marriage; citing p. 30, Fleet, London, record group RG7, Public Record Office, London.
8. ↑ http://legaldictionary.lawin.org/pretermitted-heir/ Accessed 15 Feb 2018
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Paterson, James. History of the County of Ayr: With a Genealogical Account of the Families of Ayrshire. Volume 1. Ayrshire, Scotland: J. Dick, 1847, pp 448-9. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BvEHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA449&dq=%22sir+james+barclay%22&hl=cy&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGvIi9ganZAhVTWsAKHQzUCSEQ6AEIJDAA#v=onepage&q=%22sir%20james%20barclay%22&f=false
10. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retour
11. ↑ http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=392406.0
12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobite_rising_of_1715
13. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indemnity_Act_1717
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} New Gallery. Exhibition of the royal house of Stuart. London: The New Gallery, 1889, p. 110 Accessed on Archive.Org https://archive.org/details/exhibitionofroya00newg_1?q=%22sir+james+barclay%22 15 Feb 2018.
15. ↑ http://www.thepeerage.com/p13165.htm#i131650
16. ↑ http://www.thepeerage.com/p13156.htm#i131559
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2} http://universitystory.gla.ac.uk/browse-graduates/?submit=y&gt=1&name=james+barclay&gyear=1734&country=&gender=M&degree=MD Accessed 15 Feb 2018
18. ↑ https://archive.org/details/agenealogicalac00robegoog?q=%22sir+james+barclay%22
19. ↑ https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818d5b6e93790ec75af2204?search_id=5a86578033045be510b50fbb&ucf=false
20. ↑ http://www.moonfleetonline.co.uk/history/court-of-chancery/