Email From Gary Aden to Gary Aden
Email Dated 8/3/2001

      I have returned to the Mayflower Hotel realizing that my visit to
the Old World will soon be over. At the same time, I am aware that I am
embarking upon the most important segment of my genealogical research.
Establishing an old world residence, living history, and pedigree for my
progenitor, WILLIAM ALLEN(? 1755-1806), is likely going to rely upon a
fortunate outcome of following peripheral leads, the most promising of
which resides in the hope that the tracks he left in the old world
parallel those of the family he married into- BARKLEY/BARCLAY. I am
gambling that he chose to marry his own kind in ethnicity and
background. Not that the Barclay twig wouldn't be exciting in its own
right as one will see perusing the background material on the following
pages; indeed, the family is one of the most, if not the most
illustrious and well-known worldwide, in my pedigree. As I travel the
Barclay sites, I'm certain I will have no difficulty maintaining a
heightened state of vigilance. The problem is that I do not have an old
world pedigree on the progenitor, MAJOR JOHN BARKLEY(1719-1796), of that
line either. 

      Before I discuss just what questions I hope to resolve, I shall
visit BERKELEY CASTLE which sits by the town of Berkeley just off A38
between Bristol and Glocestershire. The Castle is owned by and serves as
the residence for the 25th generation of Berkeleys to live  there. At
one time the Berkeley family owned all the land from Berkeley Square in
London to the Castle. Little by little, various Berkeley generations
have sold most of this land and finally, in the 1940's, sold Berkeley
Square in order to modernize the Castle. Members of the Barclay Family
Association in the USA who have visited the site have expressed their
astonishment at how the ancient Castle has been transformed from a
savage Norman fortress into a truly stately home full of treasures and
surrounded by beautiful gardens. Lord Maurice deBerkley and the Earls of
Berkeley built Berkeley Castle as a fortress in 1153. King Edward II was
imprisoned there and murdered by his Queen in 1327 while at the same
time the castle wall was breached during the Civil War. William
Shakespeare would later tutor the Berkeley children at the Castle and is
thought to have wirtten "A Midsummer Night's Dream" while staying there. 

      Perhaps my tour guide at the Castle can enlighten me on whether it
is more likely that John Barkley was a descendant of Sir Francis Barkley
who was appointed Provost-Marshall of Connaught(Connacht) Province on
July 15, 1585 by Queen Elizabeth I(1558-1603) or whether he likely came
to settle in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland via emigration
from Scotland? If from Scotland, when, why, and where? Because of his
daughters' Elizabeth and Margaret changing their surnames to Barclay
along with historical settlement patterns in Northern Ireland, I am
inclined to believe the latter, i.e., he was Scotch-Irish. All I know
for sure is family reports that his notations in the family Bible said
that he emigrated to America from Ballymoney. The other factual data I
have is his settlement pattern in the Carolinas, religious persuasion of
his daughter Elizabeth(Presbyterian), and the Masonic designations on
his tombstone- all tending to suggest Scotch-Irish roots rather than
indigenous Irish beginnings. 

       Back at the hotel, I check the Barclay website to see if I've
left any loose ends in London before I go to Scotland(itinerary map on
following pages along with Barclay history and picture of Towie-Barclay
Castle, our next stop):

 http://www.clanbarclay.com/

      The Barclays are just a group of Barkleys that went North to
Scotland to escape a period of persecution that followed the Norman
Conquest and then settled there, around Towie and Fife. Accordingly in
those towns, I want to look out for Barkley related surnames, e.g., GREY
and MONTGOMERY, the possible maiden names of John Barkley's wife, just
to see whether that provides additional evidence for his Scottish
origin. Historically, John Barclay son of Roger de Berkeley, went to
Scotland with Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland. King Malcolm bestowed
on John the lands of Towie near Turriff. The Barclays soon established
themselves in strong positions, in lands, offices and alliances and took
a notable part in national affairs in the centuries that preceded and
followed the War of Independence and the Union of the Crowns. Sir Walter
de Berkeley was Chamberlain of Scotland in 1265, and the duties of his
high office would have kept him in close attendance  upon the person of
his Royalmaster, William the Lion. TOWIE BARCLAY CASTLE in the parish of
Auchterless, Aberdeenshire dates from the 14th century and was restored
by its new owner, Mr. Marc Ellington, in 1970. No tours are conducted.
No Barclays have lived there since 1755 when they ceded the Castle to
the government. John's three sons established branches of the Clan in
Urie, Knockleith, and Allardyce. There is even a Barclay group that
eventually was formed in England and went to Russia where the Clan
flourished. The Colors and Coats of Arms and present day Clan Chief can
be viewed on the following pages. I suspect that I will be more
successful in my quest for genealogical data in this area. I plan to try
to get myself invited to some Scot parties and solve these ALLEN  and
BARKLEY/BARCLAY mysteries. 

      The next stop is BALLYMONEY, COUNTY ANTRIM, NORTHERN IRELAND.
Let's hope I don't get involved in the so-called troubles. The nickname
is "The Capital of the Route" as land and sea passengers converge in
this area. Ferries to England and Scotland dock near here. Ships to
international destinations also are berthed in this area. Accordingly,
to avoid bureaucratic hassles in times past, travelers would pretend to
undertake ferry travel and instead board ships for America; or they
would board the ferry and catch international vessels in England or
Scotland. The popularity of starting over in America had its inception
around  Major John Barkley's(circa 1740) time. Oppressive rack rents and
Presbyterian persecution by the Catholic government motivated the
original Northern Ireland exodus, not to mention popular land promotions
and the promise of utopian opportunity around William Allen's(1770)
time. Immigrants were willing to chance significant morbidity and
mortality of dysregulated or non-regulated two or three month
transoceanic journeys aboard ships for the promised land. Most arrived
to find another three week overland trip to a destination where they
might be hassled by the British or attacked by Indians while trying to
eke out existence in the wilderness. My progenitors elected to leave
Ireland. Many of their successors had no choice as famine drove them
from the country. For this later group in the mid-1800's, it was a case
of "leave or die of starvation." From what I have read of the experience
of prior investigators, I am not optomistic about learning much in
Northern Ireland. This might be a venue where hiring a professional
genealogist is necessary. I have already written the Irish Genealogical
Society and Ulster American Folk Park seeking leads. Their advice to me
was to do my research in the USA. 

      NEXT STOP: Manhattan, New York City,USA and the SECTION ON THE NEW
WORLD SITES 

       Gary Carl Aden