David A. Barclay
Surnames: BARCLAY, MILLS, DAVIS, MENEFEE, VARDEMAN, MORGAN, BEASLEY, SANDERS, DORCAS, FORBES, LONG, BROTHERS, GARRETT, STEWART, WOODLAND, McKINNEYDavid A. Barclay - called "Squire Barclay" - was b February 4, 1798 in North Carolina, d May 1, 1877 in Falls County, Texas and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery in present day Blue Ridge-was a son of Samuel Barclay, who married in 1784 in North Carolina to Mary Davis of North Carolina - a daughter of Henry and Margaret(Mills) Davis of St. Paul's Parish, Virginia who relocated in North Carolina. Samuel and Mary(Davis) Barclay moved to Giles County, Tennessee, where they were listed on the Federal Census of 1820.
David A. Barclay married ca 1824 in Giles County, Tennessee to C. Dorcas Vardeman Menefee, b February 2, 1801 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, d April 20, 1883 in Falls County, Texas, and buried by her husband - the youngest of ten children of William Menefee, b ca 1750 in Virginia, d March 7, 1808 in Giles County, Tennessee, and his wife whom he married December 19, 1774 in Fincastle County, Virginia, Elizabeth Vardeman, b ca 1756 in Virginia, d ca 1822 in Giles County, Tennessee - a daughter of John, b 1718 in Sweden, d 1827, age 109 in Missouri and Elizabeth (Morgan) Vardeman, b 1753 in Virginia, d 1822 inGiles County, Tennessee In 1830, the Barclays were residing in Limestone County, Alabama for a year - returning to Tennessee where they lived until they relocated in Robertson's Colony about 1836. On October 1, 1837, The Republic of Texas granted Davida 2nd Class Headright of 1280 acres of land for service as a Volunteer Texas Ranger and Minuteman. The family lived at Tinnenville near Franklin in Robertson County for about four years, where two daughters, Tabitha and Lucinda were born. In 1839, he received a 640-acre grant of bounty land and moved to the Blue Ridge area of present-day Stranger, Falls County by 1841. His brother-in-law, Jarrett Menefee, and children, including a son-in-law, Stephen Beasley, and family, Thomas Strother Menefee, William D., Elizabeth, and John Vardeman Menefee had received bounty grants totaling 640 acres joining Barclay's land. When both Jarrett and Stephen died in 1849, David purchased their estates on Big Creek at Stranger. He is said to have owned land on Steele's Creek(present-day Limestone County) and land that stretched from Stranger to Tar Box, south-west of Reagan, Texas.
Before Robertson County was divided, Barclay was elected Justice of the Peace, serving Precinct 7 of the Falls Beat, 1844 - 1846. The Marriage Records of Robertson County reveal that he performed several marriages during that time. From 1846 - 1850, the area was located in Limestone County, and it is not known what David did until 1850 when he signed a petition to locate a new county of Falls from the Navasota River to the Brazos River.
David was active in the organization of Falls County, was appointed U.S. Postmaster at Blue Ridge (Stranger) in 1854, serving until 1857 when the mail was routed to Alto Springs, an early-day stagecoach route. In 1851, he was elected a Commissioner, Precinct 2, Falls County, reviewing and serving on committees that built the roads from the new county to Robertson and Limestone, Counties. Both David and Dorcas were active in community affairs and in the establishment of two Baptist Churches in the area. The Union Church north of his was established by a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, Rev. Reuben Sanders, in 1848. In 1859, the Baptists established their own church in the neighboring community five miles southwest of Barclay's home, called the Blue Ridge Baptist Church of Christ Charter members included David, Dorcas, and their son, Charles Thomas Barclay, with David being one of the five signers of the original charter. In 1868, David deeded one acre of land for another Baptist Church near his home, called Blue Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, designated as land to be used for church and school purposes. He was named moderator. The church later became "Liberty Baptist Church," then "Stranger Baptist Church" and was used for both church and school until the turn of the century.
David and Dorcas had built their log cabin near large oak trees, and it was in this area that the village of Stranger developed - general stores, blacksmith shop, gin, schools and churches. Baptisms were held in the stock tank on his property.
David Barclay's brother-in-law, Jarrett Menefee, and nephew-in-law, Stephen Beasley, each had 320 acres of land joining Barclay's land, and when they both died before 1850, David purchased their land from the heirs - later selling over 500 acres to Dr. Robert C. Forbes, whose wife was a niece of Dorcas V. (Menefee) Barclay. David and Dorcas are known to have had land on Steele's Creek in Limestone County, and in the John West Survey, as Dorcas deeded the latter to her daughter, Elizabeth (Barclay) Long in 1880. The Barclay homestead was on the Alexander Whitaker Survey, which was deeded to their daughter, Elydia ("Lida" Barclay) McKinney.
It was said that when Jesse D. Brothers brought his wagon train with about sixty slaves from Bowie County in 1852 he camped under the oak trees. David provided the large group with beef and other supplies before they decided to settle at Stranger permanently. The Masonic Lodge #152 was chartered in Marlin in 1854, and David A. Barclay was a Charter Member having been a Mason in Tennessee. Three of his sons also became members - Charles T. Barclay being a transferee from the Masic Lodge at Springfield, and David Menefee and Samuel Derreth Barclay.
David A. and Dorcas Vardeman (Menefee)Barclay reared nine children:
Charles Thomas Barclay, b December 27, 1826 in Tennessee - married Elizabeth Smiley Forbes.
William Alexander Barclay, b August 16, 1828 in Tennessee - married Mary P. Long.
Davis Menefee Barclay, b July 27. 183(3 in Limestone County, Alabama, d March 17, 1874 - rnarried first to Margaret (Garrett?) and had one daughter. and married second to Mary Cecelia Stewart.
Samuel Derreth Barclay, b ca 1832 in Tennessee - married Lucia Stewart, sister of Mary Cecelia Stewart.
Martha Priscilla Barclay. b 1834 in Tennessee ... married James H. Long.
Tabitha B. Barclay, b 1836 at Tinnenville, Robert son County, Texas - married Henry Woodland
Lucinda b June 11, 1840 at Tinnenville, Robertson County, Texas - married first to Thomas Strother Menefee, and had three children; married second to Henry Woodland after the death of her sister. Tabitha. Elizabeth Barclay, b 1842 at Blue Ridge. Robert- son County, Texas (later Stranger, Falls County - married James H. Long - a first cousin to the James H.. Long who married her sister, Martha Priscilla Barclay.
Elydia ("Lida" Barclay, b 1847 at Blue Ridge., Limestone County, Texas later Stranger, Falls County) - married William M. McKinney.
David and Dorcas Barclay brought to Texas the kind of pioneer and Christian faith that were necessary to built the new Republic, and their descendants in Falls County and throughour the nation have a heritage that can not be surpassed.
Some biographies from "Families of Falls County", compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical Commission.
Permission granted to Theresa Carhart by the Falls County Historical Commission, for use on this page.
