David Falconar played a significant role in the East Jersey venture as a promoter and investor and was a leading member of the Quaker community in Scotland.
David Falconar (or Falconer) was born around 1632, the eldest son of Sir John Falconer, Master of the Cunziehouse (the Scottish Mint), and Sibil Ogilvy. Though he never emigrated himself, Falconar played a pivotal role in facilitating early Quaker settlement in East Jersey.
In 1646 when he was about 14, he was granted a right to succeed his father as Master of the Mint, and was trained in the role, and furthered his education in England, France, and Holland. However, he became estranged from his father and in 1672, having joined the Society of Friends (Quakers), he renounced his claim to his position at the Mint. The role passed to his younger half-brother, John, later Sir John Falconer of Balmakellie.
Falconar was one of the earliest Scots to join the Quakers and one of the earliest to be imprisoned for his faith, in Edinburgh in 1664. He became a significant figure within the movement, becoming a proselytiser while working as a factor for Colonel David Barclay of Ury and Anthony Haig of Bemersyde. With Colonel David’s son Robert, Falconar organised Quaker meetings around Aberdeen in 1667 and established himself in business there, becoming a burgess in 1671.
On 7 March 1672 he married Margaret Molleson, daughter of Gilbert Molleson, prominent merchant burgess and bailie of Aberdeen. This was two years after Robert Barclay had married Margaret’s sister Christian.
By 1674 Falconar was back in Edinburgh as a merchant. There he purchased land for a Quaker burial plot in The Pleasance and was appointed by fellow Quakers to oversee the construction of a meeting house.
By the early 1680s, Falconar was showing considerable interest in Quaker plans for a new colony in America, and volunteered to act as an emigration agent for the plantation of West Jersey in 1671, one of the three in Scotland along with Hew Wood, gardener at Hamilton Palace, and John Cowie, merchant in Aberdeen.
Being close to Robert Barclay he was much involved in the subsequent plans for the Scots emigration to East Jersey, and again acted as an emigration agent. He was in a position to encourage several relatives in this direction, such as the merchant Patrick Falconar and the Fullarton of Kinnaber brothers, Robert and Thomas.
He acquired land in East Jersey from Robert Barclay in 1682 and shipped goods aboard the first emigrant vessel, the Exchange of Stockton in August 1683. He later obtained more land from Sir John Gordon of Durno in 1685 and Robert Barclay junior in 1701.
This was a difficult time personally, for his half-brother, John of Balmakellie was embroiled in a scandal fighting accusations of malversation (corruption) at the Mint, along with two other Falconer cousins. Falconar had other close cousins in important positions, including Sir David Falconer of Newton who was made Lord President of the Court of Session and a Privy Councillor in 1682. Newton was at the heart of the authorities’ response to the Argyll rebellion and Covenanters in 1685 as a member of the Secret Committee.
In 1689, Falconar and his growing family moved from Edinburgh to Kirktonhill, Marykirk parish, Kincardineshire in 1691 he took on the role of factor to his brother-in-law Gilbert Molleson who was already established in London as a silk draper. This Molleson bought an East Jersey fraction in 1696 and was one of the Proprietors of East Jersey who agreed to give up their rights when New Jersey was created a royal province in 1702. His three surviving sons all went to America. His eldest son John built a substantial transatlantic business in London while Gilbert and Alexander settled permanently as merchants in Kent County, Maryland.
David Falconar died on 18 April 1713 at Kingswells, near Newhills in Aberdeenshire, and was buried at Ury two days later.