| Notes |
ALEXANDER MCFARLAND/MCFARLIN (b abt 1778 in Ireland died 1833 in Ohio)
SCOTS IMMIGRANT - OHIO PIONEER, MILL OWNER
(Research by Peter Folsom McFarlin, 2011, revised Dec 2019 )
John and Margery McFarland's oldest son Alexander appears to have immi
grated around 1795 or'96 when he was about age twenty. Alexander sai d he "... came to America about 14 years ago...", in an 1809 affidavi t (*1), and his brother William's arrival is given as "...1796". Thi s is important information, for if thi
s Alexander is truly one of wido w Margery McFarland's sons, as he seems to be, and if we assume that t hey arrived in America together, then it stands that the family spen t about eight years in America, before they, "...came to this townshi p (C oitsville) from Ireland about the year 1804...", as Williams repor ts in 1882 (*2 p 168). Alexander's father John reportedly died "...eas t of the Mountains." (*3)
Alexander's marraige may have taken place in Pennsylvania, during hi s family's time traveling through Pennsylvania to Ohio, since his brid e, Margaret (McClelland?) was born in Pennsylvania. Perhaps this happe ned while he and his family were sta ying in Hopewell (New Bedford), Pe nnsylvania with his mother's Anderson brother . It appears that he wa s married by 1804, as indicated by the age of his first son, John, bor n 1804-1805, in Coitsville, Ohio.
Soon after arriving in the newly formed Coitsville township in Trumbul l county, Ohio, Alexander is taxed there in 1804, as shown on one of t he earliest tax lists. This may indicate that he owned some property t here in 1803. Williams further sta tes "... Alexander settled south o f the center of Coitsville..." (*2 p 168). It's likely that, in Alexan der's 1804 household, he was the oldest male family member, caring fo r his new wife and child, widowed mother and five younger sisters a n d brothers. Land records for Alexander, Margery and the other early Co itsville McFarlands would help greatly as to the locations of the McFa rland family groups. Later, as years passed, each brother or sister w ould marry and resettle elsewher e. His mother Margery apparently late r went to live with her youngest son, James.
Alexander's name further appears on at least the 1806, 1807, 1808 an d 1810 Coitsville Tax Lists. He is the only Alexander McFarland taxe d in Trumbull County from 1800 to at least 1810. Interestingly, each o f the first four tax lists spell his l ast name differently; in '04, it s McFarlain, '06-McFarlin, '07-McFarling and '08-McFarland. These near -phonetic, variant spellings are common for the McFarland family throu ghout the written records and may represent how names were actually 'h e ard' by other people at slightly different times. But all had the 'Mc ' spelling, likely indicating his origin in Ireland.
Alexander "...had seven sons and two daughters, most of whom settled i n this vicinity..." (*2 p 168). Alexander apparently used the traditio nal Scottish naming method for at least his first three children;
-- John after Alexander's father, the 1796 immigrant who died in Penns ylvania
-- William after his wife Margaret's father (a William McClelland?)
-- Alexander after Alexander's father's father?
Apparently Alexander owned the "...McFarlin mill in the south of the t ownship..." (*2 p 171). This was the second (saw?) mill in town. The 1 820 census shows Alexander McFarland with wife, six boys and one girl . Alexander's wife Margaret was bor n in 1781, in Pennsylvania, and ma y have been a sister of the John McClelland who lived just a few mile s further south, in Poland Township in 1820 (see below). In 1830, Alex ander McFarland with wife, five boys and two girls, were shown agai n i n the Coitsville enumeration. During the 1830's, a William McClellan d settled in Coitsville quite next to the Alexander McFarlands, on th e road leading south to Poland. William McClelland bought the 163 acre s from Alexander's brother Jame s McFarland.
Disaster struck their family about March of 1833, when Alexander ".. . was accidently killed by the falling of a tree." (*2 p 168), probabl y while cutting trees for his saw mill. Alexander was about fifty-fiv e when this happened and he may hav e had time, before he died, to prep are his last will and testament. Probate records show, in the settlin g of Alexander's estate in March and April, 1833, that; cash was pai d to sons Alexander jr. and Andrew, while also naming a William McClel l and as "... guardian to James McF and Samuel McF until 21 years; to R obert McF til 14 yrs; to Peggy McF til 12...all children and minor hei rs of Alexr. McFarlane, late of Coitsville. James and Samuel made thei r own choice..." (*4).
No other children were mentioned. It is possible that this guardian (a nd neighbor?) William McClelland, was related to the new widow Margare t. Was he her nephew or a younger brother?
Not sure where Alexander was buried.
PFM's SOURCES for Alexander McFarland/McFarlin
1804 Coitsville, Ohio Tax List; Alexander McFarlain p 17
1806 6th Tax Collection District, Trumbull County; Alexander McFarli n p 83
1807 Trumbull County Tax List; Alexander McFarling p 37
1808 Mixed Townships Tax List, Trumbull County; Alexander McFarlan d p 34
1810 Coitsville, Ohio Tax List; Alexander McFarland p 18
1820 census; Coitsville, Ohio p 238; (Alexander McFarland, age 26-45 , a farmer)
1830 census; Coitsville, Ohio p 249; (Alexander McFarland, age 50-60)
1840 census; Coitsville, Ohio p 188b; (widow) Margaret McFarlane age 5 0-60, male age 20-30 (son James? the farmer), boy age 10-15 (Robert?) , two girls age 10-15 (one is Peggy?)
Other REFERENCES
*1 Ohio Gen Soc Report 24:3 p 202 (1984), 1809 Depositions on Conteste d Election of Robert Hughs vs Elliott
*2 History of Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, Williams, 1882 v 2
*3 History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Brown, Runk & Co. 1888
*4 April 1833, Trumbull county, Ohio Probate, book 6, p 508
FSID GCYW-CFX
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1780 - 1833 (57 years)
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