The book The History of Enfield, Connecticut, edited by Francis Olcott Allen, published in 1900 in 3 Volumes, has several references that are very interesting regarding John Barclay, Margaret Barclay and an Elizabeth.
Vol. 2, pg. 1751: August 26, 1848 Margaret Barclay died. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Barclay.
Vol. 2, pg. 1734 has the birth of Margaret Barclay daughter of John Barclay and Elizabeth as Aug. 26, 1848. So she died the same day she was born see the first page listed above.
Pg. 1840: John Barclay & Elizabeth Davidson both of Thompsonville were married on the 18th Nov. 1847.
Pg. 1852 gives the couple above ages as 30 and she was 26. He is an Engineer born in England and she was born in Scotland. They were married by Rev. Peter Gordon. First marriages for both.
The mother of George and Alex was listed by my Aunt Miriam as Margaret not Elizabeth. This couple is married after the births of Alex in 1842 and George in 1844. So I do not think this is the couple I seek. He is born in England and the John I seek was born in Scotland according to Miriam and other resources.
On pg. 1894: Sept. 9, 1848 Margaret Barclay aged 36 yrs. born in Scotland. Died in Childbirth.
This reference to Margaret Barclay is about the right age for having seven (7) children. She is born in Scotland and the date of death would be before the Civil War and before the 1850 census in which we find Alex and George living in other homes in Connecticut.
This is a very strong possibility of being the Margaret who could be my 2nd great-grandmother and John Barclay’s first wife.
Other listings for a James and John Barclay are scattered throughout the pages as follows:
Vol. 1, pg. 597-8 has a James Barclay not paying his taxes for 1841 and 1839.
The brother of George was named James. James Barclay was born about 1838. So this man who is referenced in the pages has to be a lot older.
pg. 600 in April of 1842 a John Barclay was admitted as an Elector of the State with many other men.
pg. 601 John Barclay is on a list showing he had not paid the 1842 taxes.
pg. 614 John Barclay is shown as not paying taxes in 1844.
Pg. 618 again 1842 taxes a John Barclay is on the list for the abatements.
In 1847 on pg. 637 a John Barclay is on the list again as not having paid his taxes.
Again on pg. 644 he is listed for the 1846 tax list. He is on the list again in 1849 on pg. 660.
Pg. 662 for the 1847 List he appears again.
On pg. 667 the name is spelled as John Barkley and he is on the 1848 list for abated taxes.
On pg. 670 he is on the list for 1848 again. The amounts are not great amounts.
The time frame is correct, the fact that he has not paid taxes indicates there were problems. The references all stop by 1849 and there is no more mention of a John Barclay or James. The 1850 Census does not show a John Barclay married to an Elizabeth living in the area of Enfield.
Was it one person they are referring to or several John Barclay’s?
Connecticut has an excellent vital records indexes such as the Barbour Collection and this was searched and it revealed no Barclay names. The vital records cards at the Connecticut State Library were also search by me in person in 2007. I have a list of names of Barclay for cemeteries and vital records but I cannot find John or Margaret although I did find one of the Barclay siblings.
Again a search of the 1840 and 1850 U.S. Federal Census has not revealed a John and Margaret Barclay that I can determine as the correct couple in Connecticut or for that matter the U.S.
John Barclay seems to have disappeared from Connecticut but he does appear in Minnesota in 1853 and I know that it is the John Barclay I seek.
The Barclays of Pine River 