| Notes |
- 1 - Isabella went to work as a servant for a local farmer. When she was 16 years old he seduced/ raped her and she became pregnant. The farmer probably because he was already married refused to acknowledge the child as his and Isabel went back to her family where they raised the child James was brought up by his Macfarlane grandparents as their youngest son.
It was many years later before James was told that the woman he looked upon as his older sister was in fact his mother. It may have been what prompted his emigration.
2 - Following taken from article in Levin NZ newspaper on his death. Date unknown.
"Mr Macfarlane was born in Callander, Scotland on November 5, 1910.
At the age of 16 years (he gave his year of birth as 1909) he joined the British Army, serving with the 42nd Highland Light Infantry (the Imperial Black Watch) for ten years.
Much of his army service was seen in India and he rapidly rose through the ranks to leave with the rank of Sergeant Major. And before leaving India he gained distinction as a medallist in the pentathlon at the Olympics Games, competing in other events as well.
At the end of 1936 he emigrated to New Zealand to settle in Levin where he married. At first he worked for Macfarlanes Transport, which had among its principals a distant relation.
After the outbreak of World War II it was not long before Mr Macfarlane was back in uniform, this time in blue.
He signed on at the new RNZAF station Levin, where he was one of the first Station Warrant Officers with the rank of Flight Sergeant on August 31, 1940. Before Christmas that year he had completed a short course at Wigram and been promoted to Warrant Officer.
He spent some eight months at Levin giving hundreds of newcomers their introduction to military life and disipline before being posted to Rongotai in mid-April.
An early chief and a foundation member of the Horowhenua Scottish Society he was instrumental in forming its pipe band and securing the services of its first Pipe Major, Mr A. A. Yorston, who is the society's current Chief.
His prowess in sport was noted on the local playing fields where he was one of the founders of the soccer association, a sport he played and coached.
After leaving the air force Mr Macfarlane returned to his old station, by then Kimberley Hospital and Training School, where he worked for some 26 years as laundry manager. It was there that he added his distinctive touch of humanity, running annual bus trips to Wellington Zoo for the children at his own expense.
Mr Macfarlane is survived by his wife Barbara, and son Murray of Palmerston North."
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1910 - 1983 (72 years)
[1, 2]