David Barclay | |
Birth Date: | 1610 |
Birth Place: | St Cyrus, Kincardineshire |
Death Date: | 12 October 1686 (aged 76) |
Death Place: | Ury House, Kincardineshire |
Allegiance: | Kingdom of France (1626–1630) Swedish Empire (1630–1636) Scottish Covenanters (1644–1648) Scottish Royalists (1648–1654) |
Serviceyears: | 1626–1654 |
Rank: | Colonel |
Battles: | Thirty Years' War Wars of the Three Kingdoms Glencairn's rising |
Relations: | Robert Barclay (son) Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (son-in-law) |
David Barclay of Ury (1610 – October 12, 1686) was a Scottish professional soldier, courtier and the first Laird of Ury. A soldier of fortune, Barclay fought for Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden during the Thirty Years' War, and with the Earl of Middleton during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
See also: Clan Barclay. Barclay was the son of David Barclay (1580–1660), 11th of Mathers, of Kincardineshire, Scotland and Elizabeth Livingstone, daughter of John Livingston of Dunipace.
In 1626, he ventured to France to become a soldier of fortune. In 1630, he rose to the rank of a major under Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, during the Thirty Years War.[1] He returned to Scotland in 1636 to serve in the covenanting army, becoming colonel of a cavalry regiment under General John Middleton.[2]
In 1648, he purchased the lands and barony of Ury in Kincardineshire (modern-day Aberdeenshire) from William Keith, 7th Earl of Marischal. As a known associate of the Earl Marischal he was subsequently confined in Edinburgh Castle where he met the John Swinton, who was confined in the same prison.
In 1660, the Restoration ended the Civil War. Barclay served at the court of Charles II and he became an influential figure at Whitehall and Edinburgh.
Barclay married Katherine Gordon (1621–1683), daughter of Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet.
Barclay and Katherine had the following issue: