| Notes |
1 - 53rd Regiment of Foot
Formed as the 55th Regiment of Foot [1755]
Renumbered 53rd Regiment [1757]
Arrived Quebec [May 1776]
Surrendered at Saratoga [Oct 1777]
2 - Miss Margaret Elizabeth, elder daughter of the above John, sworn at Aberdeen on 29 May 1827 in which she "depones that Major James Macfarlane (grandson of Andrew of Ardess, the 18th Chief) was Cousin German of the deponants' s grandfatherWilliam, the 21st Chief)." Thus the House of Ardess at the death of Robert, the 24th Chief, became successors to the title of Macfarlane of Macfarlane and heirs male of the ancient House of Lennox. This Major James of Ardess was therefore the 25th Chief and his eldest son, Duncan (if he survived his father), the 26th laird.
Major James had three sons, but as according to the testimony of the Miss Macfarlane of Macfarlane already referred to, they all to the best of her knowledge, died without leaving ; heirs male (the two younger sons did. not marry), the line again failed.
[History of Clan Macfarlane Vol. II (manuscript by James Macfarlane]
3 - James, eldest son of Duncan, like his father, adopted the army as his profession and ultimately attained the rank of Major. On 13 August 1754 he married Jean Forbes, a daughter of Sir Alexander Forbes of Foveran and had a family of three sons and two daughters, Duncan, William, James, Henrietta and Maria Susannah.
At the time of his marriage James was a Lieutenant in Beauclerk's Foot. The conversion of the Regiment into the 53rd of the line was completed early in 1756 and James was appointed one of the first captains (30 December 1755).
He was promoted Major as from 30 August 1768. In the spring of 1776 the Regiment was sent to assist in the relief of Quebec. Major James MacFarlane's name still appeared; in the Army List of that year, but had been deleted and that of Lord Balcarres substituted under date of 9 December 1775. The obvious inference is that Major James died or retired on or before that date, and too late, in 1775, for the alteration to be made in the Army List for 1776.
He certainly died before the middle of 1782 as in an obituary notice in the Aberdeen Journal and in the record of her Will, Jean Forbes, who died on 15 August 1782, is described as "widow of Major James MacFarlane of the 53rd Foot".
In some ms notes in the possession of Major W Lachlan Forbes, evidently written in 1849, James is referred to as "Son of Duncan, third son of Andrew MacFarlane of that Ilk".
As to the family of Major James and Jean Forbes, we are indebted to the researches of Major W Lachlan Forbes, who has published the following:
"At Aberdeen the Twenty Ninth Day of May eighteen Hundred and Twenty Seven Years. In presence of William Kennedy esquire Sheriff Substitute of Aberdeenshire. Miss Margaret Paton, 'being solemnly sworn and interrogated' as to the family of Sir Alexander Forbes of Foveran, Bart., and Lady Forbes his wife, one of the Skenes of Skene, Depones that their daughter 'Jean married one of the family of MacFarlane of MacFarlane.'
Another witness; Mrs Catherine Leslie, depones that she recollects hearing of the death of one of Mrs MacFarlane's sons but she cannot say which of them, and she has not heard of any of them being alive for the last forty years and upwards'.
A third witness, 'Miss Margaret MacFarlane residing in Dundas Street, Edinbr. who being solemnly sworn Depones that she always understood from her Aunt who is now dead, that Major James MacFarlane was married to a daughter of Sir Alexr. Forbes of Foveran. And Depones that the said Major James MacFarlane was Cousin German of the Deponent's Grandfather (William, 21st Chief). Depones that they left three Sons and two Daughters. That the eldest Son went abroad much more than forty years ago and has never been heard of, and the two other Sons died unmarried, and that it was never heard of that the Eldest son who went abroad was married or left issue. Depones that one of the Daughters married a Mackenzie and went to the West Indies with him more than thirty years ago, and the Deponent has not heard of her, for many years and never heard of her having any Family, and the Deponent has not heard of the other Daughter, and has every reason to believe that she is dead without issue, and that the three Sons before refered to would have been heirs male to the Family of MacFarlane failing the Deponent's Uncle (Presumably Robert - Ed). And all this is Truth as the Deponent shall Answer to God." (signed) "M. E. MacFarlane"
As Miss MacFarlane of MacFarlane was the person most likely to have accurate knowledge of her immediate kinsmen, these statements on oath are almost conclusive that the issue of Major James, in respect of heirs male had died out.
[History of Clan Macfarlane Vol. II (manuscript by James Macfarlane chapt. 26]
4 - Macfarlane, Major James, of the 53d Regiment of Foot 9 Jan. 1781 and 23 Aug. 1782 See also Forbes, Jean.
(Commissariot of Edinburgh.- REGISTER OF TESTAMENTS)
[http://archive.org/stream/scottishrecordso03scotuoft/scottishrecordso03scotuoft_djvu.txt]
5 - James seems to have made a new will after the death of his wife.-Ed
Surname MACFARLANE,
Forename JAMES
Date 23 / 8 / 1782
Description MAJOR IN THE 53RD REGIMENT OF FOOT
Type TD (TESTAMENT DATIVE)
Court EDINBURGH COMMISSARY COURT
Reference Number CC8/8/125
(Scotlands People-Legal records - Wills and testaments)
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1720 - Aft 1782 (> 62 years)
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