The surname of BARCLAY is a locational name 'of Berkeley' a parish and market town in County Gloucester. There are also places so called in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Sussex, Early records of the name mention Robert de Berclay, who was documented in County Northumberland in the year 1195. Egidius de Berkeleye, was recorded in 1273 in the County of Oxford. Seman de Berclawe, County Cambridge, ibid. Henry Barclay and Thomazine Bloome were married at St. Peter, Cornhill, London in 1704. One of the early immigrants to America who bore this name was Thomas Barclay of London, a passenger on board the ship Neptune, which set sail for Maryland in the year 1775. Several individuals of the name are found in Scotland in the 12th century. Walter de Berkelai, held the high office of Chamberlain of Scotland in 1165, and was witness to several charters of William the Lion. Humfridus de Berkeley, witnessed a charter by Bishop Turpin of the church of Keteryn, circa. 1178. The Barclays possessed considerable estates in various parts of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire, and were hereditary sheriffs of the latter county. They are also found settled in Ayrshire in the 15th century. This English surname was taken to Ireland at the time of the Plantation, spelt in Ulster as Barkley. Barclays Bank was founded by John Barclay (1728-87) of Cambridge Heath in London. He was a grandson of Robert Barclay of Urie in Kincardine (b.1648) and ultimately a descendant of the Norman Walter de Berkeley of Gartley, who, according to family tradition, was the son of a certain Roger de Berkeley, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the holder of Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. The associated coat of arms is recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armoured warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe. |
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