Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College ~ Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081 ~ USA
Chronology of the Life of Robert Barclay
(All dates are "new style")
| 1610 | Birth of David Barclay (later Colonel Barclay), Robert Barclay's father |
| 1648 Dec. 23 | Birth of Robert Barclay at Ury in Scotland |
| 1659 | Sent to Scots’ Theological College (Roman Catholic) in Paris where his uncle was Rector |
| 1663 March | Death of Robert Barclay’s mother, whose dying request was that Robert return to Scotland |
| 1663 August ? |
Robert brought back to Scotland |
| 1665 | Colonel David Barclay became a Quaker |
| 1667 | Robert Barclay became a Quaker |
| 1670 February | Robert Barclay married to Christian Molleson |
| 1670 | Truth Cleared of Calumnies published |
| 1672 March | Robert Barclay walked through the streets of Aberdeen in sackcloth and ashes |
| 1672 | Barclay’s first brief imprisonment in the Tolbooth of Montrose |
| 1673 or 1674 | First attendance at London Yearly Meeting |
| 1673? | Catechism and Confession of Faith published |
| 1674 | Theses Theologicae or Some Solid Positions of Sound Divinity Asserted published in Low Dutch and Latin |
| 1675 | Theses Theologicae published in English early in the year |
| 1675 | Completion of the Latin edition of the Apology; the address to King Charles II was dated November 25, 1675 |
| 1675 | Quakerism No Popery published |
| 1676 | Anarchy of the Ranters published |
| 1676 | Quakerism Confirmed published (written with George Keith) |
| 1676 | An Apology for the True Christian Divinity As the Same is Held Forth and Preached by the People Called in Scorn Quakers published in Latin |
| 1676 Nov. 7 | Imprisonment in Aberdeen |
| 1677 April 9 | Release from prison |
| 1677 July 26 | Embarked
on ministerial tour of Holland and Germany with George Fox, William Penn and others |
| 1678 | Barclay’s English translation of the Apology published |
| 1679 Nov. 4 | Last imprisonment, at Aberdeen |
| 1682 Sept. | Appointed non-resident Governor (for life) of East New Jersey in the American colonies |
| 1683 August | Barclay attacked by highwaymen north of London |
|
1686 Oct. 12 |
Death of Colonel David Barclay |
| 1690 Oct. 3 | Death of Robert Barclay at Ury, Scotland |
| 1692 | Barclay’s collected works published under the title Truth Triumphant Through the Spiritual Warfare, Christian Labours and Writings of That Able and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, Robert Barclay |
| 1724 | Death of Christian Barclay |
Partially adapted from the chronologies of D. Elton Trueblood, Robert Barclay (New York : Harper & Row, 1968), p. 250-251 and J. Philip Wragge, The Faith of Robert Barclay (London : Friends Home Service Committee, 1948), p. 15-18.