Heirs of Alexander Barclay: James Barclay, a brother…

James A. Barclay, an heir of his brother Alexander, has given me quite a bit of trouble.  I have tried to learn more about him but it has been difficult and he remains a mystery.

I estimate he was born about 1838 and he died in early 1906 in Bridgeport, Connecticut but the census that I have collected varies from 1838 to 1852 for his birth year.  He died during the probate of Alexander’s estate sometime during 1906.

Streets & Trips – Connecticut

This is from the listing of heirs in Alexander’s estate:

 “James A. Barclay, aged 68 years, residing at 1444 Stratford Ave., Bridgeport, Conn. who is a brother.”

There is a possibility that James is in the 1850 U.S. census for Connecticut but I do not know for sure if it is him.

Source: 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Litchfield, Hartford, Connecticut, 30 July 1850 – Ancestry.com

Line 29, Dwelling 131, Family 144 Joshua D. Berry age 40 male, Epis Clergyman 120.00 born NH, Jane Berry age 28, F born Ct., James Barclay age 12 male, born Ireland.

The fact that he is born in Ireland could be a mistake instead of Scotland.  The other possibility is the family went to Ireland and then to the US. The age is right for James Barclay, John’s son and George and Alex’s older brother. The location is a bit farther from the rest of the other scattered children of John Barclay and Margaret.

However, the next time I find James Barclay is in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Southington, Hartford, Connecticut. He is living with his sister Mary J. Ford. He is 21 in this census which means he was born in 1849?

Line 27, 493 – Living with Ely, Adolph, 583 Ford, Jerome B., 24, M, W, Laborer all born Connecticut, 11, Jan. Ford Mary 27 F, W, Keeping House, Ford Rosaliee, 3, F, W. Barclay, James, 21, M, W, Laborer. 

Source: Jerome Ford Family, 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Southington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, pg. 65, enumerated 29 June 1870, Deenis P. Farch. 

Note:  Litchfield is northwest of Bristol and Southington is south of Bristol.  Mary and Jerome settled in Bristol later on.

Backing up in the census to 1860 there is a James Barclay living with a family in East Windsor by the name of William Cains.  This James is 12 years old born in Connecticut but they have him listed as Irish.  He is in East Windsor which is closer to other Barclay siblings.

In 1880 there is a James Barclay age 28 which means he was born 1852 and that is very different from my date of 1838.  He is with a Mary J. and Albert 8/12 yrs. He is a working in a clock shop.  In 1900 I have a Jam Barcley (50 yrs) living with a Mary J. and an mother-in-law Elizabeth Phelps.  He states he was born in Connecticut but his parents were born in New York and he is now a baker?   The following information maybe incorrect based on the census above but I have that James married a Maryanne Stewart? Well you can see that I am having trouble pinning James down.

When I visited Connecticut in May of 2011 I went back to the Connecticut State Library and I studied the probate records for Bridgeport, Connecticut but I could not find a probate for James Barclay.  I studied Film #1428182 but found the V. 113, 115, 116 and 118 and 119 missing for the time period I needed for James.  I even went an ordered the probate index.  They had me move to the special collections area of the library to view it. I did not have any luck figuring it out. James name was just not appearing in the records, nor where any Barclay’s in the records for Bristol in 1905, 1906 and 1907.  I will probably have to go directly to the Bridgeport courthouse to seek out my answers at some point.

At the time of Alexander’s probate process James was divorced and there was a little concern about the distribution of the funds by another sister Martha W. Ford written for her by her daughter Carrie Ford.  If that is him in the 1900 census he is not divorced yet?

In a letter dated June 1, 1900, Martha writes to Dr. H.N. Rogers the Administrator of Alexander’s estate from San Francisco to Dakota County,  Minnesota:

“I did not know that brothers and sister of the half blood would inherit as against brothers and sisters of the whole blood.  I do not think that the widow of Jas. Barclay is entitled to enherit any portion of the estate because she was divorced long prior to the death of Alex Barclay…” she goes on to say that Mr. Rogers should do as he sees best.

James’s heirs did receive 1/10 share from Alexander’s estate. It appears that an N.B. [Girgen] was the administrator of James’ estate. I cannot read his signature to verify his name.  The file was so thick I had to put numbers on the some of the actions so this has #36 written on it.  Unfortunately, this is all the information I have about James A. Barclay.

So I have a little more digging to do with James. I have tried to find his obituary, the estate papers, his marriage and have not been successful at this time.  I also need to consider his divorce but everything is so vague about him it is difficult.

John Barclay’s Two Families

John Barclay, my great great grandfather, was introduced to me by my Aunt Miriam in her family history notes, so I knew about him.  I also had a copy of the book by the city of Pine River, celebrating their first 100 years, and he is mentioned in that book: 

  “…not far from Shakopee where George’s father chose to live “because it reminded him of his native Scotland.”  Apparently the father, John, remarried and had other children…”  

John Barclay had two families.  He was first married to Margaret.  When he married Margaret is not known and where she is buried is also unknown.  She probably died in Connecticut but so far a search of records reveal only one possibility of a Margaret Barclay dying in Enfield in 1848 of about the right age. 

continuing the quote above…” because at the time of Alexander’s death in 1906, there was quite a bit of difficulty in locating all the Barclay heirs from “both families.”” pg. 105 

In my Aunt Miriam’s notes she mentions Alexander’s probate: 

Alex's Probate

 

My great-uncle Alexander Barclay has been very good to me.  I secured his probate file at some expense from the Dakota County Courthouse in Minnesota and it opened up a very big genealogical door!  

From this first marriage came seven (7) siblings that were listed in Alexander’s estate file.  There wasn’t a will so some of the information is carefully taken from the probate file.  Other information such as census searches and indexes were also used.  I am slowly gathering the facts together on the siblings and will present more at a later time. 

1.  John Avery Barclay born abt 1836, died – unknown.  According to Alex’s estate file he disappeared and was presumed dead as stated in an affidavit of his sister Sarah Agnes. He appears in deeds, land records, and court documents in Silbey Co., Minnesota till about 1880.  He may have gone to California.  John Avery Barclay was probably born in Scotland per census information and other sources but that is not yet proven.  John married Minerva  Parks on 3 July 1865 in Henderson, Sibley Co., Minnesota.  Since John Avery Barclay was considered dead his two children where his heirs and they are mentioned in the estate file.  The couple actually had four children:  

1. John Avery Barclay II born 23 July 1867 in Sibley Co., Minnesota and died 8 March 1951 in Seattle, King Co., Washington.   

2. Sarah Ellen born 29 March 1869 in Sibley Co., Minnesota.   

3 and 4. There were two other children twins: Albert and Alice born 1870 Silbey Co.,  Minnesota but it is looking like they didn’t survive.  Some of this information was supplied by another cousin.  

2.  James A. Barclay born about 1838 in Connecticut, he died about 1906 in Bridgeport, Fairfield Co., Connecticut during the probate process of Alexander’s estate.  He married a Maryanne Stewart and had children.  

3.  Sarah Agnes Barclay born about 1840 in Connecticut.  She married Porter Blinn about 1860 in Connecticut.  He was born about 1842 in Connecticut.  They had 6 children and it looks like they stayed in Newington, Hartford Co. , Connecticut. 

Update:  May 26, 2010 – I was at the Family History Library researching when I discovered that the Sarah that I thought was Sarah Agnes Barclay in the census married to Porter Blinn was the Sarah I should be studying for the Barclay’s.  Turns out she is a Griswold and her father is Henry Griswold.  So back to the drawing board on #3.  This is why it is so important to check other sources like marriages and birth records and not totally trust the census. 

4.  Mary J. Barclay born about 1841 in Connecticut and died 28 March 1917 in Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut.  I have her estate file.  She married a Jerome B. Ford and had 3 daughters.  Jerome was born about 1846 in Connecticut. 

5. Alexander A. Barclay was born September 1842 in Hartford, Connecticut and died on 9 December 1905 at the Rochester Hospital for the Insane in Olmsted Co., Minnesota.  He apparently suffered in the end with dementia.  He was only in the hospital about 6 days before he died.  He was buried 17 December 1905 in the Corinithian Cemetery in Farmington, Dakota Co., Minnesota. 

6.  Martha M. Barclay born about 1843 in Connecticut and died around 1920 or later in California.  She married a Jeremiah Ford in about 1859 in Connecticut.  I do not know if Jeremiah and Jerome were brothers.  Martha and Jeremiah had two daughters.  

7.  George Angus Barclay was born 18 August 1844 probably in Connecticut and died on the 28th of October 1898 in Pine River, Cass Co., Minnesota.  George is the subject of our blog and more information will be forthcoming on his life. He married Amarilla Spracklin in 1878 and they had 2 children. 

The second marriage of John Barclay was to Helen in Scott Co., Minnesota.  I have not been able to find their marriage in Minnesota records but it happened prior to 1860 per the census and from this marriage their were four (4) children born. 

8.  Charles Barclay was born about January 1860 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota.  After the death of his mother in 1907 he seems to have moved from Shakopee and might have gone to Minneapolis and died about 1938.  Charles didn’t marry as far as I can determine from census and other documents. 

9.  William Barclay was born about 1863 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota and died 7 Dec 1937 in Gallatin Co., Montana.  He married a Clara E, probably in Minnesota.  She was born about 1859 in Wisconsin and died about 21 March 1919 in Madison Co., Montana.  They had one child name Foster born 1891 and probably died by 1907.  

10.  Mary E. Barclay was born about 1864 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota and died 19 February 1930 in Cascade Co., Montana.  She married Charles B. Clark probably in Minnesota for he was born there about 1856.  He died 28 February 1932 in Deer Lodge Co., Montana.  They had at least one child named Ruth Clark who was born about 1895.   It is interesting that there are two Mary’s named in John’s family a good 20+ years apart. 

11.  Anna Elizabeth Barclay was born 15 April 1870 in Shakopee, Scott Co., Minnesota and died 4 August 1955 in Menominee, Menominee Co., Michigan.  She married David Maurice Carter on 9 July 1885 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota.  David was born 9 January 1860, Marinette, Marinette Co., Wisconsin.  The information for this family was supplied by a cousin and has not been verified.  Anna had 4 children. 

The person that initiated the probate process for Alexander was his niece, my grandmother Grace A. Barclay McDonald.  She was pregnant at the time and lived in International Falls.  She was unable to attend the court sessions because she had the baby and was “indisposed.”  The baby was my Aunt Miriam. 

Book: Logsleds to Snowmobile’s, Pine River Centennial Celebration, 1873-1973, Written by the Citizens of Pine River and edited by Norman F. Clarke, Pine River Centennial Committee, 1979.  A copy is available at the Family History Library.