John BARCLAY [5448]

  General Notes:

The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924) Sat 9 Apr 1892 Page 2 SUICIDE BY DROWNING AT ALLENDALE.
SUICIDE BY DROWNING AT
ALLENDALE.
ALLENDALE, Friday.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
The people here were startled this afternoon when the news was circulated that John Barclay, 30 years of age, residing here, had been found drowned in Birch's Creek, at the rear of the shire pound, in about 2 feet of water. From what can be ascertained, deceased left his home in Garfield street during yesterday forenoon, and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon was seen passing along the Clementanon- road, and nothing more was seen of him till 10 o'clock this forenoon, when Chas. Garland and Fredk, Holloway, residents of Smeaton, were out shooting, and were attracted to the spot by seeing some clothes on the bank. Looking into the creek, they saw the body of the deceased, face downwards, with only a shirt and flannel on, - The wrists were firmly tied with wire behind the-back, and the left shoulder was out of the water, showing that the suicide was a most determined one. For some months past the relations between the deceased and his wife have been very strained, and he left his home in 'November last and went to work in the Great Northern mine at Rutherglen. This separation an affected the wife that her friends were compelled to intervene, and fearing more serious results the deceased was induced to return home, which he did a fortnight ago, ,His manner and actions were thought to be somewhat singular, but in conversation he betrayed no sign of insanity, on the contrary had expressed himself to the effect that he had done his wife a great injustice, and was anxious to atone for it. Deceased leaves a mother, residing in Ballarat, a wife and six children, the youngest being two month's old. Before leaving home yesterday morning he handed his wife a sum of money, but said nothing as to his intentions.

The Argus (Melbourne Vic.: 1848-1954), Saturday 9 April 1892, page 8
News is just to hand that a man named Barclay committed suicide by drowning at Allendale to-day. Barclay appears to have tied his hands behind his back with a piece of fencing wire, and then lain face downwards in 2ft. of water. Strange to say, the deceased selected the hole in Birch's Creek in which a young man named Kidd drowned himself some time ago. The deceased leaves a widow and six children, the widow being of very unsound mind.

On John's death certificate, his father is given as William Nelson Barclay, however, I suspect that John was probably born in Australia to Elizabeth Barclay. Elizabeth appears to have arrived in Victoria at the age of 18 years without a child in 1860. I have been unable to find a birth registration in Victoria for John. On Elizabeth's marriage certificate she gives her marital status as spinster when she marries Daniel Stirrat in 1870. John Barclay would have been 7 years old at the time of Elizabeth's marriage to Daniel Stirrat

John married Lucy ( Fanny ) Bertha SHUTTLEWORTH [5398] [MRIN: 1694], daughter of William SHUTTLEWORTH [3630] and Elizabeth SLATER [3629], in 1882 in , Victoria, Australia.⁴⁹⁴⁶ (Lucy ( Fanny ) Bertha SHUTTLEWORTH [5398] was born on 5 Jun 1865 in , Victoria, Australia ⁴⁹⁴⁸ and died on 25 Jun 1947 in Albury, NSW, Australia ⁴⁹⁴⁹.)