Robert McFarland, my great, great grandfather, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1675, and was married at the age of thirty years.
Robert McFarland, my great grandfather, was born in the same county in the latter part of 1705. His first wife came from the same county. They came to America in 1740. They had four sons and two daughters. Catherine Dean was the second wife of this Robert McFarland. The latter Robert McFarland, my great grandfather, had four sons and four daughters. Robert died on Christmas day, 1799. The family landed at Philadelphia and purchased land of the Penn's, but subsequently went to Rockbridge county,VA. Esther, wife of Robert, died in 1794, and was buried at Falling Springs church, Rockbridge county. They were the grandparents of my father, also name Robert. When Esther was buried, now one hundred and sixteen years ago, the coffin was placed on the hounds of the front wheels of a wagon, drawn by a yoke of oxen, and thus taken three miles to the place of burial. The roads were too bad to admit of the corpse being taken in any other way. Her grandson, my father, then at the age of twelve years, rode behind his father on horseback to the funeral. Their children were Joseph, Abraham, William (my grandfather), Thomas, Letitia, Esther, Rachel and Rebecca. Joseph was accidentally shot in the "Whisky insurrection" in Pennsylvania, July 17,1794. He was captain of a company called out to quell the disturbance. Abraham was consumptive, went to sea, died and buried in old ocean. William my grandfather, was the only one of the last marriage that ever married. He married Rebecca White in October, 1779, in Rockbridge county, VA. Thomas lived a bachelor until more that seventy years of age, and then removed to Rush County, Indiana, to free his slaves, and there died in 1820. Letitia married Wm. Moore and went to Tennesseee. Esther married Alexander McConnell, a Presbyterian minister, and moved to the southern part of Kentucky. Rachel married David Willock, April 25th, 1793. Willock was a school teacher of some note. They moved to southern Kentucky in what is now Taylor county. Rebecca married Robert Roach, August 27th, 1797 and moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia.
John White, father of my grandmother, moved to the vicinity of Lexinton, Kentucky, in 1790, and was soon thereafter killed by the Indians, five balls passing through his body at the same time. A large stone barn stands over his grave, one mile below Lexington, Kentucky, on the Elkhorn River. Katherine Evans, wife of the said John White, was born in Ireland in 1715, and died in 1808. She had both legs and both arms broken, a darning needle run through her foot and taken out at the instep, and one eye knocked out by a baboon. The animal threw a stone at a man who was teasing it and he, to protect himself, jumped behind her. She was buried at Mt. Pisgah church, Fayette County, Kentucky. John and Katharine White had five sons and five daughters, Robert, John, James, William and Nathaniel, Mary, Jane, Rebecca, Margaret and Esther. John and William both married but to whom is unknown. James married Libby Stinson. Nathaniel married Martha McFarland. Rebecca married William McFarland, my grandfathjer, who was an invalid the greater part of his life. Three days after the birth of his first child (Harvey Scott's mother) his wife became suddenly sick and he ran a half mile with frost on the ground, barefooted and hatless, for assistance. This was the last of November, 1780. That day he was taken sick, and was never well afterwards. In 1796, the family moved to Harrison county, Kentucky, and settled on Indian creek, seven miles northesast of Cynthianna. At his home in the year 1800, the doctor told him his liver was diseased, and he could cure him by removing the diseased part. He submitted to an operation but nothing was found wrong with the liver. During the operation he was held by four men. He took nothing to stupefy him and afterwards said all was as dark as midnight. This took place in the old homestead, the house still standing. He was fastened to a board and lay unmoved for forty-two days. The following twenty-five years he taught school on the home farm. For sometime prior to his death he weighed but sixty-three pounds. He died June 1st 1825, aged seventy years, and is buried at Endicott's church, in Harrison county, Kentucky. Rebecca, my grandmother, was born in 1763, and died May 1st 1822.
Simultaneously with the removal of my grandfather to Kentucky, came Joseph McFarland, a cousin, and also a brother-in-law, having married Margaret White. The family consisted of twelve children. Joseph purchased land adjoining that of grandfather's , on the north side. The family came to Ohio in 1809 and settled near Cedarville, Greene county. In a few years, several of the family with those of my grandfather, with whom they intermingled in marriage, moved to Adams county, Illinois, near what is now Camp Point, in 1822, and formed a nucleus, around which gathered hundreds of McFarlands, many still living in the same locality. My grandfather, William McFarland, served one year in the Revolutionary war, near the close.
Of the Joseph McFarland family, a cousin and brother-in-law of my grandfather, there were twelve children, namely Katharine, married John McFarland, born Octovber 3rd 1782, and died in Adams county, Illinois. Robert, born April 1st 1784; Polly, April 1st, 1786; John A., born April 3rd, 1788; Joseph, born Sept. 3rd, 1790; Margaret, born Jan.12th., 1793; Tabitha, born June 28th, 1797, married John White; Martha born Nov. 8th, 1798, never married; James, born Sept.3rd, 1803; Priscilla, born Nov.8th., 1807, married George Currey, near Cedarville, Ohio, one child, now Mrs. James Milburn, of Cedarville; Thirza, born August 28th, 1809, married Uriah Lawrence. Joseph, the father, was born Feb.4th, 1761, and died Nov. 3rd, 1839, buried near Cedarville, Ohio. Margaret, his wife, was born May 8th, 1763, died Nov. 3rd, 1834.
The following are the ages of the children of my grandfather, Wm. McFarland, and who they married, and where they lived: Letitia, born Nov.19, 1780, in Rockbridge county, Virginia, married Moses Scott, near Cythiana, Kentucky, in June, 1800, and died August 1st, 1842, near Vienna, Clary county, Ohio. She had four children, William, Hervey, Milton and Cyhthia. Hervey was for a long time a resident of Lancaster, Ohio, a dental doctor, married Lydia Milten in 1839, had four children, Hervey, Sarah, John C., and William. John C. still living in Lancaster.
John, born March 17th, 1785, married Joseph McFarland's daughter Katharine, and moved to Adams county, Illinois, in 1832. They were the parents of eight children. Lewis, the oldest, married first, a Miss Dunlap, second a Miss Samson, one child living. Thirza married Wm. McNulty, had four children, all grew to the years of maturity. Lucinda married Samuel McNulty, had eight children, all grew to manhood and womanhood. Matilda married Joshua Whitman, one child now lives in Indianapolis. Mahala married Nelson Dunlap, five children, all grown. William married Maud Bishop, twelve children, eight of whom grew up. Josiah married Elizabeth McCurdy, six children, all grown.
John married Olive Wheaton and died in California, in 1849. The entire family is dead, Joseph dying in Kansas in 1906, being the last.
Henry M. McFarland, son of William and Mariah McFarland, was born March 4th, 1844, in Adams county, Illinois; enlisted at the age of eighteen in Company G78th Illinois Infantry, and was a non-commissioned officer for three years of the 2nd Division of the 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland. Was engaged in fourteen hard fought battles and went with Sherman to the sea. On the 4th of September, 1866, he married Electa Whiteman, a school teacher in Iroquois county, Illinois. On the 16th of June, 1906, Mrs. McFarland died. Henry is a prominent farmer in Newton county, Indiana, Postoffice Brook.
John, the head of the family, died in Adams county, Illinois, Feb. 24th, 1848. Rachel, born Feb. 13th, 1787, in Rockbridge county, Virginia, married David Hendershot and died Nov. 9th, 1809, two miles northeast of Urbana, Ohio, at the foot of Jackson's hill, and is buried one half mile north, grave unmarked. She left one child, Rachel, who went with her father to St. Louis and was never heard of afterwards.
William, born in Rockbridge, Va., Nov. 13th, 1788, went to Illinois in 1822, and died about 1850. He married Susan Hire, and had three children, named Hire, Nelson and Benjamin, all deceased.
Thomas was born April 16th, 1790, in Rockbridge county, Va., and died at the old homestead in Harrison county, Kentucky, August 15th, 1863. He was married to Sarah Florence, having no children. They raised a number of orphan children, for which they became noted. Among these was Elizabeth Harding, who became the wife of Wm J. Lucas, Esq. They are buried at Indian Creek church, Harrison county, Kentucky.
Esther was born Oct. 1st 1791, in Rockbridge county, Va., and died at the age of seventeen months, while moving to Tennessee in the spring of 1793, and is buried near Knoxville, Tennessee, on the bank of the Nolichucky river, grave unmarked.
Rebecca, born July 22nd, 1793, in Rockbridge county, Va., married John McFarland, who died July 24th, 1840, aged 51 years. They had twelve children: Madison, born Aug. 12th, 1814; Joseph Hamilton, born Feb. 27th, 1816, and died Jan. 1st, 1892; Rebecca, born July 27th 1817; Margaret Jane, born Oct. 30th, 1819, died July 20th , 1872; Emily, born Aug. 4th, 1821; Priscilla, born March 9th, 1823; Daniel Green, born Sept. 26th, 1824; died June 25th, 1895; Dr.Benjamin, born April 6th, 1825; Sarah Florence, born April 6th, 1826; Robert V, born June 30th, 1828; Katherine Eliza, born Feb. 17th, 1831; Frances Sarilda, born Oct. 6, 1836; all deceased. Daniel G., son of John and Rebecca, had the following family; Granville B., born April 30th, 1856; George R., born Sept. 3rd, 1858; John A., born Dec. 27th, 1860; Rosa D., May 12th, 1863; Arminia, born Nov. 12th, 1865; Jacob N., born Oct.26th, 1867; Susie S., May 7th, 1872.
James White McFarland, born June 17, 1797 and died March, 1847, at the home of his son- in-law, John Jones, in Nicholas county Kentucky, buried at Endicott's church. He married first Sarah Estis, second Rachel Willock, by whom he had two children, Robert H. and Sarah Ann; third wife, a Miss Duckworth, fourth unknown. Robert H. married Nancy Maffit in 1849, went to Iowa in 1855, and settled in Pike township, Muscatine county. Their first born, Brockholst Livingston, died while in Iowa, buried at Nichols graveyard. William, second born, died in Indiana. Robert H. went back to Kentucky, buried in Nicholas county.
Sallie Ann married John Jones, of the above county, leaving four children, Moses, Robert, Thomas, and Susan R., wife of James H. Talbott, of Cynthianna, Kentucky.
Nathaniel McFarland was born August 4th, 1797, married Nancy Robinson, went to Henry county, Kentucky, and was for a term, sheriff of his county. He had three sons, Richard, Nathaniel, and Columbus, one daughter, Rebecca. The father died Feb. 17th, 1851.
Jane McFarland, born July 26th, 1801, died Sept. 23rd, 1874, buried at Venus graveyard. Married David Evans in 1821, had eight children; Rebecca married Elijah Myers, who had six children, Mary, Eliza, Hattie, Jas. R., John Luther and Emma. Green D. married Emiline Davis, Dec. 13th., 1855, five childeren, James D., David W., Sarah Catharine, Dillie and Luther.
Benjamin McFarland, the youngest, born Dec. 13th, 1808, went to Taylor county, Kentucky, in 1826, married Sarah Short, Feb. 28th, 1830, died Feb. 16th., 1883. His wife died August 1st, 1894. They were the parents of ten children. Rebecca Jane, born Feb. 11th., 1831, died April 6th 1891. Elizabeth A.. born Dec. 17th, 1832, married William F. Rivers, May 28th, 1854, yet living. Mary C., born Jan. 30th, 1835, died March 1st, 1907. Isabella P., born March 16th, 1837, married Sylvester Arvin, Feb. 5th, 1854. Sarah L., born Jan. 24th, 1839, married Thomas Spratt, June, 1865. John D.W., born July 3rd, 1845, married Sarah M. Wade, December, 1869. Hattie E., born Jan. 5th, 1849, married Charles M. Tandy, June 1867, died Sept. 10th, 1904. James W., born Jan. 25th, 1850, died Nov. 10th, 1873.
Katharine McFarland, born March 9th, 1803, died May 8th 1850, never married, buried at Endicott's church. Joseph McFarland, born Sept. 2nd, 1799, in Harrison county Kentucky, died July 12th, 1822, never married, buried at Endicott's church.
Robert McFarland, father of the writer, was born in Rockbridge county, Va., March 7th, 1782, went to Harrison county Kentucky in 1796 with his father's family. The homestead farm lies seven miles northeast of Cynthiana on Indian creek, the house built by my grandfather in 1796 is still in use and in a good state of preservation.
(This concludes the early family. The balance of this written account is for the immediate family of the author's father, and is being transcribed. It will be added as soon as possible.)