Arthur Barclay
Encyclopedia
Arthur Barclay was the 15th President of Liberia, serving from 1904 to 1912.
, Barbados
, on July 31, 1854, the tenth of twelve children of Anthony and Sarah Barclay. He was the father of Anthony Barclay, who served on the Supreme Court of Liberia
, and uncle of the 18th President, Edwin Barclay
.
His first teacher was his oldest sister, Antoinette Barclay. He later entered the Preparatory Department of Liberia College, under the principalship of Anthony T. Ferguson. Having completed the course prescribed, he matriculated into the Collegiate Department and graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in the Class of 1873.
He was called to the Bar of Montserrado County
in 1877, and after practising law for three years, he attained the rank of Counsellor of the Supreme Court in the year 1880.
His first official position was Private Secretary to President Joseph Jenkins Roberts
, from 1874; his second, Judge of the Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas of Montserrado County to which he was appointed by President Alfred F. Russell, in 1883.
In 1885, President Hilary R. W. Johnson
appointed him Sub-Treasurer of Montserrado County
, which post he held for 5 years.
In 1892, President Joseph James Cheeseman
, on taking office, elevated him to Cabinet rank as Postmaster
-General, and afterwards to the post of Secretary of State
. On the demise of H. A. Williams in 1896, he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury, which position he held continuously until his election to the Presidency in May 1903. Inaugurated in January, 1904, he served until January 1912. After his retirement he frequently acted as Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of the Interior and War. He was President of Liberia College, 1914-1917.
He served upon the following diplomatic commissions:
In 1907, while President of the Nation, he headed the mission to arrange boundary disputes with the British
and French
Governments, associating with F. E. R. Johnson, Secretary of State, and T. McCants Stewart, Deputy Attorney-General of Liberia.
Early life and education
Barclay was born at BridgetownBridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, on July 31, 1854, the tenth of twelve children of Anthony and Sarah Barclay. He was the father of Anthony Barclay, who served on the Supreme Court of Liberia
Supreme Court of Liberia
The Supreme Court of Liberia is the highest judicial body in the West African nation of Liberia. The court consists of the Chief Justice of Liberia and four Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
, and uncle of the 18th President, Edwin Barclay
Edwin Barclay
Edwin James Barclay was a Liberian politician. A member of the True Whig political party, he served as the 18th President of the country from 1930 until 1944. Under his leadership, Liberia was an ally of the United States during World War II....
.
His first teacher was his oldest sister, Antoinette Barclay. He later entered the Preparatory Department of Liberia College, under the principalship of Anthony T. Ferguson. Having completed the course prescribed, he matriculated into the Collegiate Department and graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in the Class of 1873.
Career
In 1877, he was appointed Principal of the Perparatory Department of his Alma Mater, which position he held for a number of years, and served during the vacation as Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives. His later services to the said institution were: Professor, Member of the Board of Trustees, and sometimes Acting President.He was called to the Bar of Montserrado County
Montserrado County
Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has four districts. Bensonville serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring , the smallest...
in 1877, and after practising law for three years, he attained the rank of Counsellor of the Supreme Court in the year 1880.
His first official position was Private Secretary to President Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first and seventh President of Liberia. Born free in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, Roberts emigrated to Liberia in 1829 as a young man. He opened a trading store in Monrovia, and later engaged in politics...
, from 1874; his second, Judge of the Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas of Montserrado County to which he was appointed by President Alfred F. Russell, in 1883.
In 1885, President Hilary R. W. Johnson
Hilary R. W. Johnson
Hilary Richard Wright Johnson served as the 11th President of Liberia from 1884 to 1892. He was elected four times. He served as Secretary of State before his presidency, under the administration of Edward James Roye....
appointed him Sub-Treasurer of Montserrado County
Montserrado County
Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has four districts. Bensonville serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring , the smallest...
, which post he held for 5 years.
In 1892, President Joseph James Cheeseman
Joseph James Cheeseman
Joseph James Cheeseman was the 12th President of Liberia. He was born in Edina, Grand Bassa County, Liberia and was elected three times on the True Whig ticket...
, on taking office, elevated him to Cabinet rank as Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
-General, and afterwards to the post of Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
. On the demise of H. A. Williams in 1896, he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury, which position he held continuously until his election to the Presidency in May 1903. Inaugurated in January, 1904, he served until January 1912. After his retirement he frequently acted as Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of the Interior and War. He was President of Liberia College, 1914-1917.
He served upon the following diplomatic commissions:
- In 1893, associated with SenatorSenate of LiberiaThe Senate of Liberia is the upper house of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the House of Representatives comprises the Legislature of Liberia...
A. B. King, and William Rothery, he was sent as a Commissioner to the World's Fair at ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, U.S.A.
- In 1897, associated with Attorney-General Stevens, he went to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to arrange with the Council of Foreign Bondholders for the amortization of the loan of 1870, contracted in the administration of President Edward James RoyeEdward James RoyeEdward James Roye served as the fifth President of Liberia from 1870 to his overthrow and subsequent violent death in 1871. He had previously served as the 4th Chief Justice of Liberia from 1865 until 1868...
, which had been in default for over 20 years.
- In 1901, he was associated with Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
Z. B. Roberts and Senator A. B. King on diplomatic missions to England and FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Presidency (1904-1912)
Arthur Barclay was President from 1904 to 1912. In addition to continued internal unrest, the country faced a severe economic crisis and huge indebtedness to European creditors. In the decades after 1868, escalating economic difficulties weakened the state's dominance over the coastal indigenous population. Conditions worsened, as the cost of imports was far greater than the income generated by exports of coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and timber. Liberia tried desperately to modernize its largely agricultural economy.In 1907, while President of the Nation, he headed the mission to arrange boundary disputes with the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Governments, associating with F. E. R. Johnson, Secretary of State, and T. McCants Stewart, Deputy Attorney-General of Liberia.
Sources and links
- Nathaniel R. Richardson, Liberia's Past and Present. London: The Diplomatic Press and Publishing Company, 1959.
- see also History of Liberia, external links