Duncan ‘the weaver’ McFarland

Duncan "the Weaver" McFarland

• Born about 1700 in Ireland
• Died after Aug 1790 after about age 90 in Greene County, Tennessee or Bath County, Virginia

Duncan McFarland was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Duncan McFARLAND married Anne (or Elizabeth) PORTER (possibly d/o Thomas Porter, a sea captain) bef abt 1720-1721 in Ireland or Pennsylvania

Children:

• 1. Jean "Ann" McFarland b ca 1721 in IRE or PA m 1) Alexander Dunlap of Ulster, IRE, 1737 in Philadelphia, m 2) Robert Bratton of Antrim, IRE, 1745 in Virginia
• 2. Robert McFarland b ca 1725 in IRE or PA m. Unknown (had daughters Mary, Jane and Hannah in VA in the 1750's)
• 3. Alexander McFarland b 1727 in IRE or PA m Mary (Crawford?) (the Alexander who m Mary Crawford may have been Alexander McFarland Jr.) -- Alexander b 1727 is a proven child of Duncan McFarland
• 4. William McFarland b 1732 in IRE or PA m 1) Elizabeth Gibson, m 2) Louisa [Lucy/Lucretia] LNU -- William b 1732 is a proven child of Duncan McFarland

Speculative

• 5. Margaret McFarland b ca 1748 Augusta Co VA m John Irwin Margaret Irwin - detached

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Errors

From https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Duncan_McFarland_%281%29

ERRORS: Note that Robert (2) and John (2) were not children of Duncan McFarland, they were both sons of Robert McFarland of Rapho Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

• i. [ERROR] Robert McFarland (2), died in 1798; married Esther Houston, daughter of John Houston (1669-1755) and Margaret Crawford. He qualified a Lieutenant on November 16, 1752 (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. II, page 55).
• 3. ii. [ERROR] John McFarland (2), called "Old Scotland John", married Mary Montgomery. He was one of the first Elders in the Old Stone Church in Augusta County, Virginia. Two of his grandsons were active in the early settlement of the Tennessee border territory. They were Colonel Robert McFarland (son of Robert McFarland) and Colonel John McFarland (son of Benjamin McFarland). Colonel John McFarland represented Jefferson County, Tennessee in the Legislature at Nashville in 1824. John McFarland (2) qualified as Ensign on November 16, 1752. (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. II, page 55). _____

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Biography

Please refer to Wikitree McFarland-1241 (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McFarland-1241) for most up-to-date information.

Note: There is conflicting information online regarding the places of birth/death for Duncan McFarland. It is probably safest to say that he was born "in Ireland" (although his ancestry was Scottish), and that he died either in the Jackson River area of present-day Bath County, Virginia, or in present-day Greene Co TN. The following notes are adapted from research attributed to Gary Morris and Mary Helen Haines referenced on this Duncan McFarland page on rootsweb.com, supplemented by DNA-related research by Earl McFarland and William Hunt, with additional comments by L. K. Henderson.

DUNCAN McFARLAND, born bef 1700 in Ireland' "...according to some reports was an immigrant from Weter, Ireland in 1718." (Immigration date and place of origin from: Col. James McFarlane of Virginia, by Lake McFarlane Parsons, p. 1) He died after Aug 1790, possibly in the Jackson River area of present-day Bath County, Virginia (in which case he was probably buried in an unmarked grave in the George Cleek Cemetery), or more likely in Greene Co TN (where in August of 1790 he gave a POA to son Alexander to sell his property back in Virginia, which Alexander did in 1792).

Note: We need immigration records for Duncan McFarland to clarify his date of arrival. One source says 1718, another 1738. If 1718, then he likely married in Pennsylvania, and all of his children were born in America, not in Ireland. If he did not arrive until 1738, then all the children except for possible dau Margaret McFarland Irwin were born in Ireland. A ship's list or other landing document is needed to confirm his immigration date.

Note: There may be some confusion between Daniel McFarland who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1718 and died there in 1738, and Duncan McFarland, who is supposed to have arrived in Pennsylvania from "Weter" in 1718 or 1738. The two men were related, although we don't know how, but clearly they are not the same person. I believe some researchers are confusing them in the records, especially on Ancestry.com. -- Comment by L. K. Henderson, 2 Aug 2018.

Family legend says he married about 1720, probably in Ireland or Pennsylvania, to Anne (or Elizabeth) PORTER, born about 1705 in Ireland, died in Bath County, Virginia, buried in George Cleek Cemetery, Bath County, Virginia.

Note: Anne Porter is supposed to have been the daughter of Thomas Porter, a "sea captain." No supporting documentation as of 8/1/18.

Note: There is no "Weter" County in Ireland and no town of "Weter." If the reference by Lake McFarlane Parsons to McFarland family origins in "Weter" is correct, it is possible the author meant to refer to the parish of "Witter" (County Down), or possibly to "Waterford" (Munster Province) or "Wexford" (Leinster Province). Since the McFarland family is originally of Scottish origin, it is possible they migrated from Scotland to the Ulster Plantations before subsequently moving on to America.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: From the "Annals of Bath County" by Oren F. Morten 1917 Staunton, VA, pg 198 of the chapter on "Families of Greater Bath:" "Duncan Mc Farland seems to have come from Lunenburg County. Alexander and William were sons. The first was a soldier of the Revolution. He sold to Jacob Cleek and went to North Carolina. The other absconded about 1775, leaving his father-in-law to care for the wife and her seven children."

Note: Son Alexander moved to Green Co NC, which became Greene Co TN. The son who "absconded" was William, who only "absconded" as far as Montgomery County, Virginia. William's father-in-law, Alexander Gibson, gained custody of the McFarland children in Augusta Co VA in 1775.

RESIDENCE: (PRE 1738) Probably Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania.

RESIDENCE: (1742-1745) Probably moved from Philadelphia to Virginia around this time.

Note: Annals of Bath County mentions that Duncan may have been in Lunenburg County prior to arriving in Augusta County. He appears to have arrived in Philadelphia no later than 1738 from Ireland and stayed in PA for a few years before moving to Virginia.

RESIDENCE: (1753-1767) Virginia, Augusta County, Middle River headwaters. "Duncan McFarland and family were in Beverly Patent, Augusta County, VA by at least 1753 on the headwaters of Middle River, 6 to 10 miles SW of present Staunton, and in 1767 moved to Jackson River in present Bath County, VA." (Source: Mary T. Haines)

MOVE TO JACKSON RIVER: (1767) Virginia, Augusta County, Jackson River. "Duncan McFarland and family moved in 1767 to Jackson River in present Bath County, VA." (Source: Mary T. Haines)

SON, WILLIAM: (1753) Virginia, Augusta County. Reference to Duncan McFarland and son William, March 18, 1753: James Lockhart "made oath that he was afraid Duncan McFarland and his son William would kill or injure some of his stock of creatures." (Source: Order Book 1, p. 453, or Lyman Chalkey's Chronicles, Vol. 1, p. 58)

Note: May1753, Duncan McFarland and James Lockhart were in the list of tithables named to assist in clearing a roadway from John Brown's bridge to the Glebe House (Chalkey, Vol 7, p. 444).

MENTIONED IN PROBATE RECORDS: (1755) Virginia, Augusta County. Duncan McFarland, March 18, 1755. WILL of Robert Young, plantationer, conveys personal estate, mentions Duncan McFarland, weaver. (Source:"Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement in Virginia" 1958 by Lyman Chalkley vol 3 LDS Microfilm #01 62044)

Note: Connection to Robert Young is unclear. Robert was a distiller, father of William, Hugh and Joseph Young. Also mentioned in the probate record is "Thomas Bradshaw, weaver."

MILITARY EXEMPTION: (1760) Virginia, Augusta County. Court martial of Duncan McFarland of Augusta County, VA 24 Sep 1760. Conclusion: exempted from Military Service due to old age. (Source: "Virginia Colonial Soldiers" by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck 1988, page 329)

Note: Duncan's estimated birth date can be extrapolated from this record. Military service was expected of all able-bodied men ages 16-60, so the fact that Duncan was deemed too old for service in 1760 would indicate that he was born in or before the year 1700.

LAND PURCHASE: (1767) Virginia, Augusta County. Daniel (?) McFarland, 18 March 1767, from William Willson and Barbara, 100 acres on Jackson River for 30 pounds. (Sources: Chalkley Vol 3:450; Augusta County Will page 227; Deed Book No. 13, p. 226-7, March 18)

Note: In the book "History of Highland County," by Morton, p. 83, there is mention of an Indian raid in 1764 on the home of William Wilson at the mouth of Bolar Run. The family was building a new house and "...An Irishman was weaving outdoors near the old house...In fleeing toward the house, Barbara Wilson was struck by a flying tomahawk and rendered unconscious...The weaver escaped with a bullet wound in his shoulder." It is unclear whether the Irishman referred to is Duncan McFarland (who would have been at least 64 yo), or some other Irish weaver.

ROAD ORDERS: On 18 Mar 1767 a road was ordered built "at foot of Bull Pasture to Branch near Feemsters." Mentioned in the order were Robert Bratton ( Duncan's son-in-law), William Givens, Duncan Mcfarling, Robert Mcfarling, and Alex McFarling, among others. (Source: Augusta Order Book 10, p. 478)

Annals of Bath County, by Oren F. Morton, 1917 states that "a view was ordered from William Wilson's mill on Bolar Run 'into the New Layed out Road at the foot of the Bull Pastures and thence into the Branch near Feemsters.'" Robert Bratton was named in the petition.

WRITTEN MENTION IN LAND RECORDS: (15 May 1770) Virginia, Augusta/Bath County. "Conveyance of property in Beverley Manor, corner of Duncan McFarland, George Peary's line."

WRITTEN MENTION IN ORDER BOOK: (21 Nov 1768) Virginia, Augusta County. "John McCreery appointed road surveyor. John Hamilton appointed road surveyor from Warm Springs Road to Cap. Dickenson's, and to work with the tithables on Jackson's River, from Wm. Mann's to Duncan McFarland's, and tithables on Back Creek--vice John McClenachan." (Source: Augusta County Court Records, Order Book XIII pg 45)

TAX RECORDS: (1786-1790) Virginia, Augusta County.
(Source: Augusta County Personal Property Taxes 1782-1795, microfilm R-25 at Dallas Public Library)

Comments and questions adapted from McFarland, Hill, Meredith, Jackson, Harper, Mobley, Wieland, Bishop, Haines, Tudor, Pontremoli Families, on rootsweb.com, submitted by Mary, updated 2017-08-09.

1782: Image 29 on roll: Duncan McFarland, 1 tithe, 5 horses, 11 cattle, next to George Bratton, near William Willson

1783: Image 72: Duncan McFarland, 1 tithe, 5 horses, 11 cattle

1784: Image 73: Duncan McFarland, 1 tithe, 5 horses, 11 cattle. On same page is Thomas Neal.

Comment: This may be the Thomas Neal wo married Eleanor McFarland, Duncan's granddaughter. Thomas Neal does not appear in the tax list in Montgomery Co. VA in 1782, while William McFarland (father of Eleanor) does.

1785: Image 127: Alexander McFarland, 1 tithe, 7 horses, 6 cattle

Question: Has Duncan become too old to be taxed, and Alexander, his son, has returned home from somewhere else?

1786: Image 177: Alexander McFarland, 2 tithes, 8 horses, 12 cattle

Question: Is the second tithe Duncan?

1787: Image 225: Alex Mcfarling person's name charged with tax, Alex Mcfarling name of white male tithe above 21, 15 horses, 20 cattle

1788: Comment: Couldn't find them in the pages, a John McFarlin is present and he continues in the 1790s.

Question: Is this Duncan's grandson John?

1789: Image 310: Alexander Mcfarland: 1 tithe, 11 horses

1790: Comment: McFarlands are absent and do not reappear

LAND, SON ALEXANDER: (1792) Virginia, Bath County (formerly Augusta). Alexander, son of Duncan McFarland, Feb 20, 1792. "On February 20, 1792, Alexander McFarland of Green County, North Carolina (later Greene county, TN), by virtue of a power of attorney from his father, Duncan McFarland, sold 319 acres of land on Jackson River, Bath County, Virginia to Jacob Cleek. (Source: Bath County Deed Book 1, pages 66 and 68; "Early Western Augusta County Pioneers" 1957 by George W. Cleek, page 22).

Note 1: The land which Jacob Cleek purchased is approximately ten miles north of Warm Springs, Virginia, on U.S. Route 220.

Note 2: It is possible Duncan McFarland may have moved to Greene County TN with son Alexander. On 2 Aug 1790 in Greene Co TN, "A Power of Attorney from DUNCAN MCFARLAND TO ALEX MCFARLAND dated August second 1790 (giving unto the said ALEX full power and authority to ask, demand, sell for recover and receive all debts, dues etc) was duly acknowledged by the said DUNCAN and admitted to record." (Source: Greene County, Tennessee Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, 1783-1795, compiled by Goldene Fillers Burgner, p. 82.) In 1792 we find Alexander back in Bath County selling Duncan's property to Jacob Cleek (above).

WRITTEN MENTION: Referenced in book on grandson, James McFarlane of Virginia (1766/1767): "Duncan McFarland immigrated from Weter, Ireland in 1718 and married the daughter of a Sea Captain, Anne Porter, in Augusta County, VA before 1750; was possibly from Lancaster Co, Pa, settled on the Jackson River, near Warm Springs, Augusta County (soon that part in Bath County); buried in unmarked graves in the George W. Cleek Cemetery, 13 miles North of Warm Springs on US Route 220."

CLAN MACFARLANE From "History of Woodford County, Kentucky" by Wm E. Railey 1938 at Bellingham Library R929.3R: "Duncan McFarland's daughter, Ann McFarland, descendant of Clan McFarland..."

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Note: Please reference the following section, "DNA RESULTS," for a correction of the erroneous assumptions made above in the "History of Woodford County, Kentucky."

DNA RESULTS:
Per the 2015 comments of Earl MacFarland, Duncan McFarland does not share a direct male lineage with Clan McFarlane (of the Earls of Lennox), and instead belongs to a McFarland surname subgroup called the "Hidden MacGregors of Clan MacFarlane." According to Earl McFarland's information as related in the article "Not only a McFarland but a 'Hidden McGregor,'" after the Battle of Glen Fruin in 1603, the McGregors of Clan Gregor were hunted men and many changed their surnames to avoid persecution or death. The MacFarlanes had been allies of the MacGregors in the MacGregor's feud with the Colquhouns, so it is unsurprising that some of the MacGregor males would adopt the MacFarlane surname in order to conceal their identities.

The McFarland/McFarlane/McFarlin Y-DNA lines in question are NOT by DNA of Clan MacFarlane, who are Strathclyde Britons, rather the FGC28985 SNP of these lines may indicate a Pict or Gaelic origin

DNA testing has proven that Duncan McFarland's line shares a direct-line male ancestor with Daniel McFarland who immigrated to Worcester Co MA in 1718 and died there in 1738 (f/o James McFarland of Brunswick/Topsham ME). The McFarlands of 1780's Orange and Granville Counties NC also appear to share an ancestor with Daniel of MA and Duncan of VA...It is also noted that there are several Y-DNA related lines in the US these lines appear to have a common origin in Ulster typically in the area about Tyrone ( see listing/info under "Original Y-DNA McFarland " on this site for further information)...current lines under "Common Y-DNA McFarland...include Daniel McFarland, John McFarland of Boothbay Maine, Duncan The Weaver McFarlane, William McFarland/McFarlane of Orange Co NC, James McFarland/McFarlane SD, Thomas Hunt line, Ira Lane McFarland/McFarlin NC, James McFarland (son Francis) PA, Andrew MacFarlane/McFarlane Mich., William D McFarland KY, Peter McFarlane Utah, all these lines are. R1b and R-L-1335, R-L1065, R-S744, R-S764 and FGC28985 ( follow Hidden MacGregors on Facebook or contact me Earl Macfarland crzypopmac@aol.com for details)

The family of Duncan McFarland of Virginia is represented in lines 312-317 of the Clan MacFarlane DNA project on Family Tree DNA. They fall into the common western European R1b haplogroup (R1b-L1065, identified in the project as "Scots Modal Lineage A Virginia Sub-lineage). They are also represented in the the MacGregor DNA project on Family Tree DNA (designated as "MacFarland or MacFarlane/MacFarlin "Hidden MacGregors") -- DNA comments by L. K. Henderson, 1 Aug 2018.

Note: The Duncan McFarland family is not related on the direct male line to the family of Robert McFarland of Lancaster Co PA (although there were intermarriages with this McFarland family), nor are they direct-line male relations to the McFarlands of Tennessee.

HISTORICAL SKETCH (CAUTION - CONTAINS ERRORS):
Virginia, Bath County. "The McFarland Family," pgs 397-398.

The Macfarlane Clan was one of the Highland Clans in Scotland. They moved from Aryshire, Scotland to Ireland about 1601, where the name changed from Macfarlane to McFarland. There have been no fewer than 23 Lairds of Macfarlane, the last of whom came to America early in the 18th century.

1. Duncan McFarland (1), died in Bath County, Virginia; married Anne Porter, daughter of a sea captain. Duncan McFarland was a weaver and was in Augusta County before 1750. He settled on Jackson River in what is now Bath County, Virginia. Both are buried near the George Cleek Cemetery in Bath County, Virginia in unmarked graves.

The McFarland family abandoned their cave on the east side of Jackson River just opposite their cabin. From the cave they saw their home and personal belongings destroyed and their livestock tortured and killed. After several years of discouragement by being continually harassed by the cunning Indians, descendants of Duncan McFarland sold their real estate to Jacob Cleek in February 1792 and settled in that part of North Carolina which is now included in the state of Tennessee. _____Children: 4 (others?)

Note: 2 and 3, below, are in error. Robert (2) and John (3) were not children of Duncan McFarland.

2. i. Robert McFarland (2), died in 1798; married Esther Houston, daughter of John Houston (1669-1755) and Margaret Crawford. He qualified as a Lieutenant on November 16, 1752 (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. II, page 55). Their daughter, Anne McFarland (3), born 1723; married (1) in 1738, Captain Alexander Dunlap, born 1716; died 1744; married (2) in 1745, Robert Bratton, born May 20, 1712; died in 1785. (See Bratton Family).

3. ii. John McFarland (2), called "Old Scot land John", married Mary Montgomery. He was one of the first Elders in the Old Stone Church in Augusta County, Virginia. Two of his grandsons were active in the early settlement of the Tennessee border territory. They were Colonel Robert McFArland (son of Robert McFarland) and Colonel John McFarland (son of Benjamin McFarland). Colonel John McFarland represented Jefferson County, Tennessee in the Legislature at Nashville in 1824. John McFarland (2) qualified as Ensign on November 16, 1752. (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. II, page 55).

Note: 4 and 5, below, are correct in general but incomplete.

4. iii. William McFarland (2), married _____ Gibson, daughter of Alexander Gibson and Mary _____. William McFarland served in the Revolution.

5. iv. Alexander McFarland (2). He was wounded in the Battle of Point Pleasant, October 10, 1774. Source: "Early Western Augusta Pioneers" by George W. Cleek, Staunton, Virginia 1957. Page 397-398).

NOTE:Follow Hidden MacGregors on Facebook, see also "Original (Y-DNA)McFarland" on Geni

Origins

This Duncan is NOT listed in the family group sheet at < “Clan MacFarlane and associated clans genealogy” for Robert McFarland (abt 1680-1751) and his wife Janette.

Sources

1. Ancestry Family Trees: This citation provides evidence for Duncan McFarland
2. Family Data Collection - Marriages (1 citation provides evidence for Name, Marriage)
3. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (2 citations provide evidence for Name, Arrival)
4. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth, Burial, Death)
5. Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 (3 citations provide evidence for Name)
6. Greene County, Tennessee Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, 1783-1795, compiled by Goldene Fillers Burgner, p. 82
7. McFarland, Hill, Meredith, Jackson, Harper, Mobley, Wieland, Bishop, Haines, Tudor, Pontremoli Families, on rootsweb.com, submitted by Mary, updated 2017-08-09
8. Clan MacFarlane DNA project on Family Tree DNA
9. "Not only a McFarland but a “Hidden McGregor,” by William Hunt, 14 Jan 2015, HuntRoots.com
10. Wikipedia: Bath County, Virginia
11. Wikipedia: Battle of Glen Fruin

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jun 13 2018, 5:29:05 UTC

1. Since 2015 DNA analysis of this line has made much progress, latest FTDNA findings continue to show these lines are related, however the Macgregor connection is not as significant as once thought...both these lines descend from SNP S744, at roughly the same time, but parallel, probably around 400-800AD, oddly enough Clan McLaren also split off S744....these findings do not show that "we" were not using the name Macgregor (Proscription may still have been a major factor) in surnames, only that we are not of Clan Macfarlane,
2. Duncan McFarland and Ann/Eliz Porter are unrelated to the Clan MacFarlane, and are part of the Hidden MacGregors of Clan MacFarlane (see the Clan MacFarlane DNA Project, line 1 sublinages ABC)
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63900691/duncan-mcfarland
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_County,_Virginia Bath County was created on December 14, 1790, from parts of Augusta, Botetourt, and Greenbrier counties. Due to the many mineral springs found in the area, the county was named for the English spa and resort city of Bath.[3] In the early 1700s, before the county was formed, the area that subsequently became Bath County was settled by immigrants from England. The families who settled in what has since become Bath County came to Virginia from the English regions of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, the western portion of Sussex, Dorset, Somerset, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Lincolnshire. This was notable because much of Shenandoah Valley region was settled by Scots-Irish immigrants and German farmers, both of whom were moving southward from Pennsylvania, whereas by contrast, what has since become Bath County was almost exclusively English.[4] By the year 1800, Bath County was exclusively inhabited by first generation English immigrants and their Virginia-born children.[5] This population was mostly subsistence farmers, though some were also artisans and smaller amounts were shopkeepers.[6]
5. https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Duncan_McFarland_%281%29 Note: some estimates give Duncan McFarland's birthdate as early as 1684, but records indicate he was born later, likely about 1695. More research is necessary to determine more accurately his birthdate.
6. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/r/Brandy-M-Barr/WEBS...