Barclay , William Singer , 1871-1947 , explorer

William Singer Barclay was born in 1871; educated at Bedford School and on leaving school travelled to central Uruguay to join a relative who was contracted to build a railway. This contract was cancelled and led to Barclay travelling South and Central America for twenty years. Barclay contributed to the Society's journal from 1904; became editor of a monumental commercial map of South America, published by George Philip in 1922; worked as General Secretary of the Tower Hill Improvement Trust and in later life lectured at the Society's evening meetings; became an authority on South America working as Commercial Secretary to the British Mission to South America, under Sir Maurice de Bunsen during the latter part of World War One and General Secretary to the British Empire trade exhibition in Buenos Aires, 1929-1931. Barclay was a fellow of Royal Geographical Society, 1903-1947 and received the Back Award in 1913. He died in 1947.