John Barclay

Abt 1651 - Abt 1731  (80 years)

• Name	John Barclay
  Birth	Abt 1651	Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	9 Dec 1674	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1]
  	Merchant apprentice - date of indenture to David Falconer
  Occupation	6 Jul 1681	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [2]
  	Merchant Burgess and Guildbrother of Edinburgh - date admitted by act of Council
  Religion	1682
  	Quaker
  Role	1684	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA
  	Fractioner
  Role	Mar 1683/84	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [3]
  	Emigration agent
  Residence	Abt Mar 1683/84	Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland   [4]
  	Emigration agent for the Scots Proprietors
  Departure	Jul 1684
  Property	10 Jul 1684	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [5, 6]
  	Deed by his brother Robert conveying 500 acres. Later confirmation of patent on 29 Dec 1686
  	Note that the date of the patents in Early Land Records database entry (1680) is incorrect
  Arrival	Bef Nov 1684	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  Occupation	9 Apr 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [7]
  	Member of the Board of Proprietors. Post held until 27 Oct 1705
  Property	16 Jul 1686	Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [8]
  	Survey of 500 acres "along the Birlington path oin the way to Middletown"
  Property	29 Sep 1686	Elizabethtown, Essex, New Jersey, USA   [9]
  	Confirmation to John Barclay and John Campbell of a house lot and six tracts totalling 740 acres
  Property	20 Dec 1686	Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  	Confirmation of patent for 530 acres in right of his deceased brother David
  Property	7 Nov 1688	Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA   [11]
  	Mortgage, John Barclay of Plainfield, Middlesex Co., to George Mackenzie of New York City, merchant, for the tract, called Plainefield, 700 acres
  Occupation	6 Apr 1692	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [12]
  	Receiver-General of East Jersey - date appointed (also as Surveyor-General for one year)
  Property	26 Feb 1697/98	Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA   [13, 14]
  	'Satisfaction piece': George McKenzie, late of New York City, merchant, now of Bridgetown, Barbados, to John Barclay of Plainfield, for the mortgage of November 7, 1688, on 700 acres, called Plainfield, Middlesex County
  Religion	Bef 10 Dec 1698	South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Anglican, having been swayed from the Society of Friends by George Keith. Date when as a Proprietor he agreed to the construction of a church in Perth Amboy.
  Property	20 Dec 1699	Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [15]
  	Deed, John Barclay of Amboy and wife Catherine to John and William Laing of Middlesex County for 700 acres of land and 20 acres of marsh
  Legal	15 Apr 1702  [16]
  	One of the East Jersey Proprietors who signed the Surrender of Government of East and West Jersey to the Crown
  	Witnessed by Gilbert Falconer and Daniel Wild
  Title Suffix	Esquire
  Religion	3 Oct 1702	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [17]
  	Anglican. Met George Keith and later travelled with him to the James River before Keith left for London.
  Occupation	1718	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [18]
  	Town Clerk
  Religion	30 Jul 1718	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Anglican. A Junior Warden of St Peter's Church, to 1722
  Religion	22 Sep 1728	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [19]
  	Anglican. Date elected clerk of St Peter's Church. Re-elected on 31 Mar 1730 as clerk and vestryman
  Occupation	1731	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [20]
  	Post master
  Death	Abt 24 Apr 1731	South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [20, 21]
  Probate	3 Jan 1731/32	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [21]
  	Administrator: William Bradford, stationer and principal creditor, his son John having relinquished his right. Inventory £275 7s 3d including accounts due
  	Inventory included accounts due to the estate from Robert King, Esq, John Kinsey Jr, Fenwick Lyell, Daniel Grandine, Robert Lawrence, Philip Kearny, George Emot, Wm. Jamison, Coll. Parker, Benjamin Price, Lawrence Smith, Evan Drummond, Thomas Gordon, dec’d, George Willocks, dec’d; bond of William Young. Inventory made by John Mathie and Harman Stout
  Origin	Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland
  	Ury
  Person ID	I44756	East Jersey Genealogies
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	Colonel David Barclay,   b. 1610, Marykirk, Kincardineshire, Scotland d. 12 Oct 1686, Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland (Age 76 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Lady Katharine Gordon,   b. 11 Jan 1620/21, Drainie, Moray, Scotland d. Mar 1662/63, Drainie, Moray, Scotland (Age 42 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	26 Jan 1647/48  [22]
  	Contract dated 24 Dec 1647 at Bog o'Gight (Castle Gordon) and Gordonstoun
  Family ID	F31184	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Katharine Rescarrick,   b. Abt 1661   d. 6 Jan 1702/03, Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA (Age 42 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1700  [23]
  Children	1. Captain John Barclay,   b. 1702, Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA d. 16 Feb 1786, South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA (Age 84 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F31197	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - Abt 1651 - Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland Occupation - Merchant apprentice - date of indenture to David Falconer - 9 Dec 1674 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Occupation - Merchant Burgess and Guildbrother of Edinburgh - date admitted by act of Council - 6 Jul 1681 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Role - Emigration agent - Mar 1683/84 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Residence - Emigration agent for the Scots Proprietors - Abt Mar 1683/84 - Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland Property - Deed by his brother Robert conveying 500 acres. Later confirmation of patent on 29 Dec 1686 - 10 Jul 1684 - Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Arrival - Bef Nov 1684 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Member of the Board of Proprietors. Post held until 27 Oct 1705 - 9 Apr 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - Survey of 500 acres "along the Birlington path oin the way to Middletown" - 16 Jul 1686 - Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Property - Confirmation to John Barclay and John Campbell of a house lot and six tracts totalling 740 acres - 29 Sep 1686 - Elizabethtown, Essex, New Jersey, USA Property - Confirmation of patent for 530 acres in right of his deceased brother David - 20 Dec 1686 - Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - Mortgage, John Barclay of Plainfield, Middlesex Co., to George Mackenzie of New York City, merchant, for the tract, called Plainefield, 700 acres - 7 Nov 1688 - Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Receiver-General of East Jersey - date appointed (also as Surveyor-General for one year) - 6 Apr 1692 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - 'Satisfaction piece': George McKenzie, late of New York City, merchant, now of Bridgetown, Barbados, to John Barclay of Plainfield, for the mortgage of November 7, 1688, on 700 acres, called Plainfield, Middlesex County - 26 Feb 1697/98 - Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA Religion - Anglican, having been swayed from the Society of Friends by George Keith. Date when as a Proprietor he agreed to the construction of a church in Perth Amboy. - Bef 10 Dec 1698 - South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - Deed, John Barclay of Amboy and wife Catherine to John and William Laing of Middlesex County for 700 acres of land and 20 acres of marsh - 20 Dec 1699 - Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Religion - Anglican. Met George Keith and later travelled with him to the James River before Keith left for London. - 3 Oct 1702 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Town Clerk - 1718 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Religion - Anglican. A Junior Warden of St Peter's Church, to 1722 - 30 Jul 1718 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Religion - Anglican. Date elected clerk of St Peter's Church. Re-elected on 31 Mar 1730 as clerk and vestryman - 22 Sep 1728 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Post master - 1731 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Death - Abt 24 Apr 1731 - South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Probate - Administrator: William Bradford, stationer and principal creditor, his son John having relinquished his right. Inventory £275 7s 3d including accounts due - 3 Jan 1731/32 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Origin - Ury - - Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S3595] Boog Watson, Charles B., Register of Edinburgh Apprentices, 1666-1700, p7. [S3594] Boog Watson, Charles B., Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses and Guild-Brethren, 1406-1700, p47. [S3773] Scot, George, A Brief Advertisement Concerning East-New-Jersey, in America, p3. [S3659] Scots Proprietors, The, Advertisement to All Trades-Men, Husbandmen, Servants and Others Who Are Willing to Transport Themselves unto the Province of New-East-Jersy in America, a Great Part of Which Belongs to Scots-Men, Proprietors Thereof, p2. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, A(EJ): Folio 198-199 (SSTSE023). [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, B(EJ): Folio 43 (SSTSE023). [S3720] Miller, George J., The Minutes of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey from 1685 to 1705, p2. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, L(EJ): Folio 119-120 (PEASJ003). [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, A(EJ): Folio 421-423 (SSTSE023). [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, B(EJ): Folio 40-41 (SSTSE023). [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p163. [S3720] Miller, George J., The Minutes of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey from 1685 to 1705, p8. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p297. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, G(EJ): Folio 16 (SSTSE023). [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p306. [S3591] Whitehead, William A., Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, pp452-461. [S3756] Keith, George, A Journal of Travels from New-Hampshire to Caratuck, on the Continent of North-America. [S3689] Jones, William Northey, The History of St. Peter’s Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, p126. [S3689] Jones, William Northey, The History of St. Peter’s Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, p190. [S3616] Moffat, R. Burnham, The Barclays of New York, p53. [S3700] Honeyman, A. Van Doren, Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Volume 2, 1730-1750, p36. [S3724] Barclay, Hubert F., A History of the Barclay Family, with Full Pedigree from 1066 to 1933, p22. [S3616] Moffat, R. Burnham, The Barclays of New York, p57.