BarclayGW

Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

Barclay, George W.

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

Born: Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Died: Buenos Aires, Argentine.

career:

Since 1833 Kew Gardener and collector; he accompanied the ‘Sulphur’ expedition of Capt. Belcher. In later years he earned his living by collecting plants in S. America.

Piper barclayanum C.DC. and other plants were named after him.

Collecting localities:

Expedition in the ‘Sulphur’, 1835-42.¹ cf. sub R.B. Hinds. As Barclay’s autograph journal often mentions slightly different dates and localities from those given by Belcher, an extract of Barclay’s itinerary in Malaysia, exerpted from his journal, is given here: New Ireland: Carteret Harbour or Port Carteret (July 4-15, 1840), making trips to Leigh’s Isl. (6, 7, and 8), and several to Green Isle (all the time extremely bad weather and nearly impossible to get any plants dried, all covered with mildew etc.); anchoring off New Guinea (26), landing on the 27th; anchoring off the Isl. of Aramoa (Aug. 4), weighing again in the same evening; Yobi (= Japen) (9-17, occasionally landing, also on a small neighbouring islet); on a small island (18); Pigeon Isl. (26, collecting); Boeroe: Cajeli (30-Sept. 1); Amboyna (= Ambon, Sept. 4-12); Boeroe (16); SW. Celebes: Makassar (26-28); c. Oct. 1 sailing for Singapore (arriving 16). Barclay left the expedition on Oct. 21, 1840 at Singapore, conceiving himself out of sphere in the prospective war operations (cf. sub Hinds, Itinerary); he was back in London again on Febr. 14, 1841.²

collections:

Collections made during the voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur, 1836-41³ in New Guinea, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, etc. presented by W.T. Aiton, 1839, and by the Lords of the Admiralty, 1896, in Herb. Brit. Mus [BM]. A vast collection of specimens now in the British Museum appear not to have been looked at in writing the botany of the Voyage, which was compiled from a private collection.⁴ Some dupl. in Herb. Utrecht [U].

Barclay collected 24 plants in Ambon; the above-mentioned Piper barclayanum was collected, according to Backer, in the island of Tobi N of Dutch New Guinea (probably a mistake for Jobi = Japen).

The American collections made later on are in Herb. Kew [K].

literature:

(1) Barclay’s autograph journal of the voyage is preserved in the Brit. Museum; a partial copy at Kew, viz from March 28, 1836-July 1, 1836.
Sir Edw. Belcher: ‘Narrative of a voyage round the world performed in H.M.S. Sulphur during the years 1836-1842’ (London 1843, 2 vols).
cf. also sub Hinds.
(2) cf. Kew Bull. 1891, p. 321, and Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305-306.
(3) G. Bentham: ‘Enumeration of the plants collected by R.B. Hinds Esq. and by Mr. Barclay in the Feejee Islands, Tanna, New Ireland and New Guinea; to which are added a few species gathered in Amboyna by Mr. Barclay’ (Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 2, 1843, p. 211-240); ‘Botany of the voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur under the command of Edw. Belcher during the years 1836-42’ (London 1844-46, w. atlas of 60 pl.).
P.H. Raven: ‘George Barclay and the ‘California’ portion of the Botany of the Sulphur’ (Aliso 5, 1964, p. 469-477; incl. list of plants).
(4) cf. Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305.

biographical data:

Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 26, 1888, p. 86-87, and in 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305-306; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.

	Career Collecting localities Collections Literature Biographical data
	Barclay, George W.
	(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors) (Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)
	Born: Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Died: Buenos Aires, Argentine.
	career: Since 1833 Kew Gardener and collector; he accompanied the ‘Sulphur’ expedition of Capt. Belcher. In later years he earned his living by collecting plants in S. America. Piper barclayanum C.DC. and other plants were named after him.
	Collecting localities: Expedition in the ‘Sulphur’, 1835-42.¹ cf. sub R.B. Hinds. As Barclay’s autograph journal often mentions slightly different dates and localities from those given by Belcher, an extract of Barclay’s itinerary in Malaysia, exerpted from his journal, is given here: New Ireland: Carteret Harbour or Port Carteret (July 4-15, 1840), making trips to Leigh’s Isl. (6, 7, and 8), and several to Green Isle (all the time extremely bad weather and nearly impossible to get any plants dried, all covered with mildew etc.); anchoring off New Guinea (26), landing on the 27th; anchoring off the Isl. of Aramoa (Aug. 4), weighing again in the same evening; Yobi (= Japen) (9-17, occasionally landing, also on a small neighbouring islet); on a small island (18); Pigeon Isl. (26, collecting); Boeroe: Cajeli (30-Sept. 1); Amboyna (= Ambon, Sept. 4-12); Boeroe (16); SW. Celebes: Makassar (26-28); c. Oct. 1 sailing for Singapore (arriving 16). Barclay left the expedition on Oct. 21, 1840 at Singapore, conceiving himself out of sphere in the prospective war operations (cf. sub Hinds, Itinerary); he was back in London again on Febr. 14, 1841.²
	collections: Collections made during the voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur, 1836-41³ in New Guinea, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, etc. presented by W.T. Aiton, 1839, and by the Lords of the Admiralty, 1896, in Herb. Brit. Mus [BM]. A vast collection of specimens now in the British Museum appear not to have been looked at in writing the botany of the Voyage, which was compiled from a private collection.⁴ Some dupl. in Herb. Utrecht [U]. Barclay collected 24 plants in Ambon; the above-mentioned Piper barclayanum was collected, according to Backer, in the island of Tobi N of Dutch New Guinea (probably a mistake for Jobi = Japen). The American collections made later on are in Herb. Kew [K].
	literature: (1) Barclay’s autograph journal of the voyage is preserved in the Brit. Museum; a partial copy at Kew, viz from March 28, 1836-July 1, 1836. Sir Edw. Belcher: ‘Narrative of a voyage round the world performed in H.M.S. Sulphur during the years 1836-1842’ (London 1843, 2 vols). cf. also sub Hinds. (2) cf. Kew Bull. 1891, p. 321, and Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305-306. (3) G. Bentham: ‘Enumeration of the plants collected by R.B. Hinds Esq. and by Mr. Barclay in the Feejee Islands, Tanna, New Ireland and New Guinea; to which are added a few species gathered in Amboyna by Mr. Barclay’ (Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 2, 1843, p. 211-240); ‘Botany of the voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur under the command of Edw. Belcher during the years 1836-42’ (London 1844-46, w. atlas of 60 pl.). P.H. Raven: ‘George Barclay and the ‘California’ portion of the Botany of the Sulphur’ (Aliso 5, 1964, p. 469-477; incl. list of plants). (4) cf. Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305.
	biographical data: Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 26, 1888, p. 86-87, and in 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Gard. Chron. 1882¹, p. 305-306; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.