Home County: City of St. Louis
Term of service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1889 - January 1898
Judge Shepard Barclay was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 3, 1847.[i] He was educated in public and private schools, in St. Louis.[ii] He graduated from Saint Louis University in 1867 with an A.B. degree,[iii] then studied law at the University of Virginia. [iv] He completed his law degree, (LL. B)[v] at the University of Virginia, in 1869.[vi] After completing his degree at the University of Virginia, he studied civil law at the University of Berlin[vii] for a year.[viii] In June of 1872[ix] he was admitted to the Missouri bar and he began practicing law.[x] In 1874, Barclay formed a law partnership with William C. Marshall, in St. Louis.[xi] Barclay practiced as an attorney, until November 1882,[xii] when was elected as a Circuit Court judge for the Eighth judicial circuit, which included the City of St. Louis.[xiii] Judge Barclay served six years on the Circuit Court bench.[xiv]
In November 1888[xv] he was elected to the Supreme Court of Missouri, to serve a ten-year term, that was set to expire December 31, 1898.[xvi] He began his service with the Court in January of 1889.[xvii] During his service with the Court, Judge Barclay was Chief Justice of the Court from January 1897[xviii] until the conclusion of his service with the Court.[xix] While Chief Justice of the Court, Barclay was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws, from the University of Missouri, Columbia.[xx] In January of 1898,[xxi] Judge Barclay stepped down from the Court, to return to private practice, in St. Louis.[xxii] In October of 1901, Judge Shepard Barclay was appointed by then-Governor Dockery, to fill a vacancy, as the judge of the St. Louis Court of Appeals.[xxiii] He served with the St. Louis Court of Appeals, until December 1902.[xxiv]
In addition to his judicial service, Judge Barclay was a member of the St. Louis Bar Association and charter member.[xxv] He authored numerous speeches; many which detailed translations of French and German legal philosophy, and greatly benefitted the legal community.[xxvi] He was an instructor of commercial law, for the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.),[xxvii] and served as a commissioned officer with the National Guard of Missouri, as a Captain and Judge Advocate.[xxviii]
Judge Shepard Barclay died in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 17, 1925.[xxix]
[i] “Chief Justice Barclay,” Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly), State Officers, Etc., 1897-8, vol. 1, (Jefferson City, MO: Scroggs & Davis, 1897), information courtesy of Google Books website, accessed May 19, 2021, available from https://www.google.com/books/edition/Souvenir_of_the_Missouri_Legislature_thi/VB86AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
[ii] Perry S. Rader, reporter, “In Memoriam, Hon. Shepard Barclay, in the Supreme court of Missouri, April Term, Tuesday, April 12, 1927,” Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 317, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, 1928), xlvii.
[iii] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 162, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021. See also: Hugh P. Williamson, “Shepard Barclay: Aristocrat of the Law,” Journal of the Missouri Bar, vol. 17 (January 1961), 28. Article on file at the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[iv] “Chief Justice Barclay,” Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly), State Officers, Etc., 1897-8, vol. 1, (Jefferson City, MO: Scroggs & Davis, 1897), information courtesy of Google Books website, accessed May 19, 2021.
<[v] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 162, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[vi] Perry S. Rader, reporter, “In Memoriam, Hon. Shepard Barclay, in the Supreme court of Missouri, April Term, Tuesday, April 12, 1927,” Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 317, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, 1928), xlvii. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library. See also: “Chief Justice Barclay,” Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly), State Officers, Etc., 1897-8, vol. 1, (Jefferson City, MO: Scroggs & Davis, 1897), information courtesy of Google Books website, accessed May 19, 2021.
[vii] “Chief Justice Barclay,” Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly), State Officers, Etc., 1897-8, vol. 1, (Jefferson City, MO: Scroggs & Davis, 1897), information courtesy of Google Books website, accessed May 19, 2021.
[viii] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 162, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[ix] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 162, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[x] Perry S. Rader, reporter, “In Memoriam, Hon. Shepard Barclay, in the Supreme court of Missouri, April Term, Tuesday, April 12, 1927,” Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 317, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, 1928), xlviii. See also: “Chief Justice Barclay,” Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly), State Officers, Etc., 1897-8, vol. 1, (Jefferson City, MO: Scroggs & Davis, 1897), information courtesy of Google Books website, accessed May 19, 2021.
[xi] Hugh P. Williamson, “Shepard Barclay: Aristocrat of the Law,” Journal of the Missouri Bar, vol. 17 (January 1961), 29. Article on file at the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xii] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 162, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[xiii] Michael K. McGrath, ed. Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, 4th ed. (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly Stationery and Printing Company, 1883), 14, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[xiv] Michael K. McGrath, ed., Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, Directory of Missouri, 1887-8, 6th ed., (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1888), 127, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 20, 2021.
[xv] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1891-92, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1892), 249, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[xvi] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1895-96, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1896), 142, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 19, 2021.
[xvii] F.M. Brown, state reporter, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 97, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1889), iii. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xviii] F.M. Brown, official reporter, Reports of Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 136, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1897), iii. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xix] Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 142, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1898), iii. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xx] “University of Missouri, Honorary Degrees, Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Louis,” Archives of the University of Missouri website, accessed on May 20, 2021.
[xxi] Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 142, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1898), iii. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xxii] “May Resign To-Day,” Henry County Democrat, (Clinton, Missouri), January 20, 1898, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project Collection, accessed May 20, 2021.
[xxiii] “Missouri Items Condensed,” Centralia Fireside, (Centralia, Missouri), October 11, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project Collection, accessed May 20, 2021. See also: “Editorial and Otherwise,” South Missourian-Democrat, (Alton, Missouri), October 10, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project Collection, accessed May 20, 2021.
[xxiv] “Criminal Statute May Be Amended, Meeting of State Judiciary,” St. Louis Republic, (St. Louis, Missouri), December 27, 1902, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information provided by the Chronicling America website, accessed on May 21, 2021.
[xxv] Perry S. Rader, reporter, “In Memoriam, Hon. Shepard Barclay, in the Supreme court of Missouri, April Term, Tuesday, April 12, 1927,” Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 317, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, 1928), xlvi. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xxvi] Perry S. Rader, reporter, “In Memoriam, Hon. Shepard Barclay, in the Supreme court of Missouri, April Term, Tuesday, April 12, 1927,” Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 317, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, 1928), xlviii-xlix. Publication in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
[xxvii] “Banquet to Judge Barclay,” The St. Louis Republic, (St. Louis, Missouri), November 7, 1902, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed May 20, 2021.
[xxviii] “Discharged from Militia,” The St. Louis Republic, (St. Louis, Missouri), November 1, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, image courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed May 20, 2021. See also: Sam B. Cook, compiler, Sam B. Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1903-1904, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders), 1904), 284, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 20, 2021.
[xxix] “Shepard Barclay,” Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970 Collection, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 20, 2021.
Biographical information by John “Jack” Ries, 2021, University of Missouri-Columbia.