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John A. Barclay Survey, Abstract 55

Granted to

John A. Barclay

Kind of grant

Headright, first classLand for settlers who were in Texas before independence, 2 March 1836.

Land Office file

Robertson 1st class, file 1002

Certificate

No. 3079/3180

Acres

94

Patented to

John A. Barclay

Patent

23 Sep 1871 · No. 666, Vol. 18

Tap a survey to open its page.

What the file shows

John A. Barclay (also Barkly or Barkley) held a first-class headright for one-third of a league, but he had died by 1844. A Fort Bend court named his mother, Mary Barkly of Fayette County, Alabama, as sole heir, and in 1846 she and the Harton family sold all his Texas land claims to Henry Jones for $600. Working from a duplicate certificate issued in 1853, Navarro surveyor J. M. Eliot laid out three tracts on the waters of Richland Creek, southwest of Corsicana, in 1857-59. The Land Office found conflicts, so two of the surveys were corrected in 1872, and a triplicate certificate replaced the lost duplicate. Patents for 94, 178 and 131 acres issued in Barclay's name in 1871, 1872 and 1873, and the unlocated balance went to De Cordova & Withers in 1874.

The certificate

headright 1st class, No. Duplicate 3079/3180 (10 Nov 1853); replaced by Triplicate 29/205 (29 Nov 1870); unlocated balance later issued as 14/211 (3 Mar 1874), one-third league, Duplicate: S. Crosby, Commissioner GLO; Triplicate: Jacob Kuechler, Commissioner GLO, Austin, 1853-11-10 (duplicate); 1870-11-29 (triplicate).

First-class headright of one-third of a league (the size given to a single man) to John A. Barclay, who died in the Republic of Texas by 1844. The triplicate was issued on 'satisfactory evidence of the loss' of the duplicate. The original certificate itself is not in this file ('See Rob. 1. 1189 for cert').

Changes of hand

• 10 Jan 1846Mary Barkly (mother and sole heir of John A. Barkly, decd.), by her attorneys Green T. Harton and Hardy W. Harton; also Green T., Hardy W. and Littleton L. Harton individually, all of Fayette County, Alabama → Henry Jones of Matagorda County, $600, Matagorda, Matagorda County. Conveys all John A. Barkly's land and land claims: his 1/3-league headright, bounty warrants for 640 and 320 acres, interests in certificates of James W. Foster, Benjamin F. Foster, Edward R. Johnson, Sutherland Mayfield, John Beauchamp and Leroy Smith (given to Euclid M. Cox and J. E. Scott to locate), a quarter league on the Colorado bought from Euclid M. Cox 26 Jan 1838, and any lands later discovered. Recorded Matagorda Book F pp. 453-456, 19 Jan 1846; certified copy 23 Apr 1857 by Jas. H. Seekirk(?), clerk. Filed GLO 3 Mar 1874.
• 26 Jun 1865Henry Jones of Navarro County → John B. Jones of Navarro County (attorney in fact, general power), Navarro County. Power of attorney, not a sale. Recorded Navarro Book L(?) p. 150, 14 Nov 1865. Original carries a $1 US internal revenue stamp cancelled 'J.B.J. Oct 30th 1865'. Copy certified by Sam R. Frost, notary, 24 Nov 1873.
• 18 Apr 1866John B. Jones → R. L. Mills and J. L. Halbert(?) (substitute agents), Navarro County. John B. Jones substitutes agents because he is 'on the eve of leaving the country for the Empire of Mexico'.

The survey

1857-11-30 (correction calls it 6 Dec 1857), J. M. Eliot, Deputy Surveyor, Robertson Land District.

Navarro County, about 3 miles S 70 W (corrected S 72 W) from Corsicana, waters of Richland Creek

Chain carriers: J. B. Jones, J. Cunningham.

Book U p. 228 (district); county Book B p. 219

The survey

24 Feb 1859, J. M. Eliot, County Surveyor, Navarro County.

Navarro County, about 9 miles S 66 W from Corsicana, waters of Richland Creek

Chain carriers: Jas. Black, J. Lemmons.

County Book B p. 350

The survey

5 May 1859, J. M. Eliot, County Surveyor, Navarro County.

Navarro County, about 20 (later 18 1/2) miles S 75 W of Corsicana, waters of Richland Creek

Chain carriers: Henry Jones, Thos. Casey.

County Book B p. 355

The survey

7 Feb 1872, John W. Irwin, County Surveyor, Navarro County.

About 10 1/2 miles S 64 W of Corsicana

Chain carriers: A. Richardson, J. S. McLendon(?).

County Book C p. 80

The survey

7 Feb 1872, John W. Irwin, County Surveyor, Navarro County.

About 3 miles S 72 W from Corsicana, waters of Richland Creek

Chain carriers: J. B. Jones, J. Cunningham.

County Book C p. 79

The patent

1871-09-23; 1872-09-16; 1873-09-05 (three patents), No. 666 Vol. 18 (94 ac, 531,073 sq vs); No. 90 Vol. 19 (178 ac, 1,004,840 sq vs); No. 572 Vol. 19 (131 ac, 742,744 sq vs), to John A. Barclay.

Also in the file

• John A. Barclay was dead by 1844; his mother in Alabama sold his whole Texas estate to Henry Jones in 1846 for $600, yet the patents of 1871-73 were still issued in Barclay's name.
• The certificate was lost twice: a duplicate was issued in 1853 and a triplicate in 1870.
• The GLO rejected surveyor J. M. Eliot's 1871 explanation, saying it would 'annihilate filed field notes and create discrepancies where none exist'; two of his surveys had to be re-run and shrunk (194 to 178 acres, 340 to 131 acres).
• A supposed vacancy between the Davis and Broadwell surveys, used for the 340-acre location, did not exist according to Land Office records.
• John B. Jones, the family's agent, was in April 1866 'on the eve of leaving the country for the Empire of Mexico' - right after the Civil War.
• The jacket's patent labels 'Small', 'Largest' and 'Mid. Small' are clerks' nicknames for the three tracts, not people.

Timeline

• 26 Jan 1838John A. Barkly buys a quarter league on the Colorado River in Matagorda County from Euclid M. Cox (recited)
• 19 Sep 1844Mary Barkly in Fayette County, Alabama, gives power of attorney to the Hartons; witnesses swear she is John's mother
• 25 Nov 1844Fort Bend probate court declares Mary Barkley sole heir
• 10 Jan 1846Mary Barkly and the Hartons sell all John's Texas land claims to Henry Jones for $600 at Matagorda
• 10 Nov 1853Duplicate headright certificate 3079/3180 for 1/3 league issued by S. Crosby
• 30 Nov 1857J. M. Eliot surveys 194 acres about 3 miles SW of Corsicana
• 20 Oct 1858J. B. Jones applies for survey for Henry Jones
• 24 Feb 1859Eliot surveys 340 acres about 9 miles SW of Corsicana
• 5 May 1859Eliot surveys 94 acres about 20 miles SW of Corsicana
• 26 Jun 1865Henry Jones gives John B. Jones power of attorney
• 18 Apr 1866John B. Jones, leaving for Mexico, substitutes agents
• 29 Nov 1870Triplicate certificate 29/205 issued by Jacob Kuechler
• 25 May 1871GLO rejects Eliot's explanation; office sketches plotted
• 23 Sep 1871Patent No. 666 Vol. 18, 94 acres
• 7 Feb 1872John W. Irwin files corrected surveys of 131 and 178 acres
• 16 Sep 1872Patent No. 90 Vol. 19, 178 acres
• 5 Sep 1873Patent No. 572 Vol. 19, 131 acres
• 3 Mar 1874Unlocated-balance certificate 14/211 issued to De Cordova & Withers

The papers in the file

Every page of the Land Office file, in the order the Land Office keeps them (56 pages). Tap a page to see it larger.

• 
  File jacketFile jacket for John A. Barclay's headright, listing the three surveys patented to him in 1871, 1872 and 1873.General Land Office, file 1002, page 1 · in the scan
• 
  CertificateTriplicate headright certificate issued at Austin on 29 November 1870 by Commissioner Jacob Kuechler for one-third league for John A. Barclay, replacing a lost duplicate.General Land Office, file 1002, page 2 · in the scan
• 
  Back of the certificateBack of the triplicate certificate, with the Land Office filing note of 22 May 1871.General Land Office, file 1002, page 3 · in the scan
• 
  Field notesField notes and plat for 194 acres on Richland Creek, surveyed for John A. Barclay by deputy surveyor J. M. Eliot, 30 November 1857.General Land Office, file 1002, page 4 · in the scan
• 
  Surveyor's certificateDistrict surveyor Thomas J. Oliver's certificate of 24 December 1857 recording the notes, with J. M. Eliot's note of 14 February 1859 on a relocation by Henry Jones.General Land Office, file 1002, page 5 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the 194-acre field notes, recorded in Book U, page 228, and signed by Henry Jones.General Land Office, file 1002, page 6 · in the scan
• 
  Field notesField notes and plat for 340 acres on Richland Creek, surveyed for John A. Barclay by county surveyor J. M. Eliot, 24 February 1859.General Land Office, file 1002, page 7 · in the scan
• 
  Surveyor's certificateCounty surveyor J. M. Eliot's certificates of 25 February and 5 March 1859 that the 340-acre survey is correct and recorded in Book B, page 350.General Land Office, file 1002, page 8 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the 340-acre field notes, with a Land Office note on the survey's conflict with neighboring tracts.General Land Office, file 1002, page 9 · in the scan
• 
  Field notesField notes and plat for 94 acres on Richland Creek, surveyed for John A. Barclay by county surveyor J. M. Eliot, 5 May 1859.General Land Office, file 1002, page 10 · in the scan
• 
  Surveyor's certificateCounty surveyor J. M. Eliot's certificate that the 94-acre notes are correct and recorded in Book B, page 355, with Land Office patent notes.General Land Office, file 1002, page 11 · in the scan
• 
  PlatCorrected plat and field notes for 131 acres for John A. Barclay, made by county surveyor John W. Irwin on 7 February 1872.General Land Office, file 1002, page 12 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the corrected 131-acre field notes, filed 13 February 1872 and marked patented to John A. Barclay in September 1873.General Land Office, file 1002, page 13 · in the scan
• 
  PlatCorrected plat and field notes for 178 acres for John A. Barclay, made by county surveyor John W. Irwin on 7 February 1872.General Land Office, file 1002, page 14 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the corrected 178-acre field notes, filed 13 February 1872 and marked patented to John A. Barclay in September 1872.General Land Office, file 1002, page 15 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the field notes of the 178-acre survey for John A. Barclay.General Land Office, file 1002, page 16 · in the scan
• 
  Other papersCopy of the Fort Bend County probate court record of November 1844 naming Mary Barkley sole heir of John A. Barkley, followed by her power of attorney.General Land Office, file 1002, page 17 · in the scan
• 
  Power of attorneyMary Barkly's power of attorney of 19 September 1844 from Fayette County, Alabama, to Green T. and Hardy W. Harton, signed before a justice of the peace.General Land Office, file 1002, page 18 · in the scan
• 
  AffidavitAffidavit of 19 September 1844 by Alabama neighbors that Mary Barkly is the mother of John A. Barkly, with the county clerk's certificates.General Land Office, file 1002, page 19 · in the scan
• 
  TransferFort Bend clerk's certificate of 2 January 1846 that the probate record is a true copy, and the opening of the 10 January 1846 deed to Henry Jones.General Land Office, file 1002, page 20 · in the scan
• 
  TransferDeed in which Mary Barkly and the Hartons sold John A. Barkly's Texas land claims, including this headright, to Henry Jones at Matagorda for $600.General Land Office, file 1002, page 21 · in the scan
• 
  TransferClose of the deed to Henry Jones, signed by Mary Barkly by her attorneys and by the three Hartons before witnesses.General Land Office, file 1002, page 22 · in the scan
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  AffidavitNotary's acknowledgment of the Matagorda deed of 10 January 1846, with the Matagorda county clerk's certified-copy certificate of 23 April 1857.General Land Office, file 1002, page 23 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the copy of the deed from Mary Barkly and others to Henry Jones, filed at the Land Office on 3 March 1874.General Land Office, file 1002, page 24 · in the scan
• 
  Power of attorneyCopy of Henry Jones's power of attorney of 26 June 1865 naming John B. Jones his attorney in fact.General Land Office, file 1002, page 25 · in the scan
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  AffidavitProof of the power of attorney by R. L. Mills, dated 31 October 1865, with a notary's certificate of 1873 that this is a true copy.General Land Office, file 1002, page 26 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the copy of Henry Jones's power of attorney to John B. Jones, filed at the Land Office on 3 January 1874.General Land Office, file 1002, page 27 · in the scan
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  Power of attorneyOriginal power of attorney of 26 June 1865 from Henry Jones to John B. Jones, with a cancelled revenue stamp.General Land Office, file 1002, page 28 · in the scan
• 
  AffidavitClose of the 1865 power of attorney and the Navarro County clerk's proof of it, 31 October 1865.General Land Office, file 1002, page 29 · in the scan
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  Power of attorneySubstitution of 18 April 1866 in which John B. Jones, about to leave for Mexico, names R. L. Mills and another as agents, acknowledged 20 April 1866.General Land Office, file 1002, page 30 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper and recording note for the power of attorney from Henry Jones to John B. Jones, recorded in Navarro County on 14 November 1865.General Land Office, file 1002, page 31 · in the scan
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  Surveyor's certificateCertificate of 24 April 1871 by county surveyor John W. Irwin that J. M. Eliot's sketches of the Barclay surveys match the ground.General Land Office, file 1002, page 32 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the county surveyor's certificate, filed at the Land Office on 20 May 1871.General Land Office, file 1002, page 33 · in the scan
• 
  LetterLetter of 24 April 1871 from J. M. Eliot at Corsicana to Commissioner Jacob Kuechler explaining his Barclay surveys and where they join neighboring tracts.General Land Office, file 1002, page 34 · in the scan
• 
  LetterSecond page of Eliot's letter, asking that the patents be sent and mentioning further small surveys on the Barclay headright.General Land Office, file 1002, page 35 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for Eliot's sketch and explanatory statement, with the Land Office draftsman's note of 25 May 1871 that the explanation does not settle the conflicts.General Land Office, file 1002, page 36 · in the scan
• 
  PlatLand Office sketch plotted 25 May 1871 showing the Barclay surveys and the tracts around them.General Land Office, file 1002, page 37 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the Land Office sketches of the Barclay surveys.General Land Office, file 1002, page 38 · in the scan
• 
  PlatSecond Land Office sketch plotted 25 May 1871 showing the Barclay surveys and neighboring tracts.General Land Office, file 1002, page 39 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the Land Office sketches of the Barclay surveys.General Land Office, file 1002, page 40 · in the scan
• 
  Other papersApplication of 20 October 1858 by J. B. Jones for Henry Jones to survey 100 acres on the Barclay headright certificate.General Land Office, file 1002, page 41 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the application to survey land on John A. Barclay's headright.General Land Office, file 1002, page 42 · in the scan
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  File jacketWorn jacket for the 94-acre survey, marked patented to John A. Barclay in September 1871 as patent No. 666, Volume 18.General Land Office, file 1002, page 43 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWorn wrapper fragment from the Barclay file.General Land Office, file 1002, page 44 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper listing the three Barclay surveys and a note about the unlocated-balance certificate issued in 1874.General Land Office, file 1002, page 45 · in the scan
• 
  WrapperWrapper for the 131-acre and 178-acre surveys, with patent notes from September 1872 and 1873.General Land Office, file 1002, page 46 · in the scan
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  ReceiptLand Office receipt of 3 March 1874 for unlocated balance certificate No. 14/211 issued to John A. Barclay, delivered to an Austin agent.General Land Office, file 1002, page 47 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the Land Office receipt for the unlocated balance certificate, filed 3 March 1874.General Land Office, file 1002, page 48 · in the scan
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  AffidavitAffidavit of November 1873 in which Henry Jones, by John B. Jones, states he owns triplicate certificate 29/205 and authorizes an agent to withdraw the balance certificate.General Land Office, file 1002, page 49 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper for the affidavit of ownership, filed at the Land Office on 3 January 1874.General Land Office, file 1002, page 50 · in the scan
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  MapPencil sketch by the Land Office of the Barclay surveys and nearby tracts on a punched sheet.General Land Office, file 1002, page 51 · in the scan
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  Other papersA printed field-equipment card carrying a later Land Office sketch note on the Barclay file.General Land Office, file 1002, page 52 · in the scan
• 
  Other papersDescriptive slip for 531,073 square varas of Barclay's survey, taken from the triplicate certificate issued in place of the duplicate of 10 November 1853.General Land Office, file 1002, page 53 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper with a faint pencil file number.General Land Office, file 1002, page 54 · in the scan
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  Other papersDescriptive slip for 742,744 square varas of Barclay's survey, taken from the triplicate certificate of 29 November 1870 issued in place of the duplicate.General Land Office, file 1002, page 55 · in the scan
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  WrapperWrapper with a faint pencil file number.General Land Office, file 1002, page 56 · in the scan

Scans courtesy of the Texas General Land Office, Austin, from its Land Grant Database.

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Neighbouring surveys

Sources

• Texas General Land Office, Land Grant Database: Navarro County, Abstract 55
• The Land Office file, scanned (PDF, at the General Land Office)
• 1924 map: courtesy of the Texas General Land Office, Austin, Map 73249, used under licence. Topo: U.S. Geological Survey, The National Map. Aerial photographs: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Imagery Program, 2012, 2018 and 2022. Survey outlines: Railroad Commission of Texas, Original Texas Land Survey. Grant records and files: Texas General Land Office.

All the surveys around Dresden and Blooming Grove →