John MacFarlane^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

1842 - 1909  (67 years)

• Name	John MacFarlane  [2, 4]
  Birth	Abt. 1842	Bushmills, Antrim, Ireland
  Gender	Male
  Death	25 Jun 1909	Victoria Home, Oamaru, Nth Otago, New Zealand   [5]
  Burial	28 Jun 1909	Northern Cemetery, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand   [4]
  Person ID	I282740898872	MacFarlane
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	John MacFarlane, in Bushmills,   b. Abt. 1808, Ireland d. 7 Nov 1896, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (Age 88 years)
  Mother	Anne McNeale,   b. Abt. 1809, Ireland d. 23 Apr 1890, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (Age 81 years)
  Family ID	F76	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Julia Lehane,   b. Dec 1844, Bantry , Co Cork ,Ireland d. 10 Jun 1896, 10 Howe St, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (Age 51 years)
  Marriage	29 Aug 1871	Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
  Children	1. Annie Elizabeth MacFarlane,   b. 11 Sep 1872, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 28 Jun 1925, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (Age 52 years)   2. John Macfarlane of Kenmore  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. John Edwin MacFarlane,   b. 6 Dec 1873, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 20 Feb 1924, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (Age 50 years) + 4. Walter Macfarlane, 9th Baron of Arrochar 6th Clan Chief,   b. Abt 1430   d. 1488, Scotland (Age 58 years)   5. Helen Mary MacFarlane,   b. 8 Jun 1875, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 27 Mar 1876, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand (Age 0 years)   6. Trenwith Maurice MacFarlane,   b. 29 Nov 1876, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 7 Dec 1925, Whaupuhunga, Waikato, New Zealand (Age 49 years)   7. Julia Emma MacFarlane,   b. 21 Mar 1879, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 28 Aug 1956, Auckland province, New Zealand (Age 77 years)   8. Charles Frederick MacFarlane,   b. 7 Sep 1881, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 1956, Te Kuiti, King Country, Waikato, New Zealand (Age 74 years)   9. Hugh McNeile Gordon MacFarlane,   b. 6 Feb 1885, North East Valley, Dunedin, New Zealand d. 27 May 1914, Reefton, West Coast, New Zealand (Age 29 years)
  Family ID	F72	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

• Notes

  1 - My GGgrandfather John was born at Bushmills, Antrim about 1840 and died in New Zealand in 1909. Family records suggest that he had sisters Isabella, Jane, Elizabeth and Nellie (I don'tknow about brothers). His parents MAY have been John Macfarlane (school teacher) and Anne McNeale. Anne Macfarlane nee McNeale died in Edinburgh in 1890. The informant was her daughter, Jane Macfarlane. Also apparently consistent with the family records, an Isabella Macfarlane married an Alexander Proctor in NZ about 1865 and had a number of children including Isabella, Margaret, Annie, Winifred, Gertrude, John and Alexander. (Posted by: Don Macfarlane) [http://genforum.genealogy.com/macfarlane/messages/529.html ] 2 - Marriage records show that he was born at Bushmills, Antrim, Ireland. From given age at marriage (28) on 29 August 1871, deduce that he was born about 1843 or late 1842. Died at Victoria Home,Test St, Oamaru (NZ) on 25 June 1909 of spinal degeneration (12 yrs), cystitis and uraemia (4 days). Aged 67. From this deduce that he was born before 29 June 1842. Possibly a Professor of Mathematics at Trinity College in Dublin (letter from Gordon Macfarlane to Don 22 Nov 1988). Seems unlikely! However, his father was a schoolteacher and may therefore have been the 'Professor of Mathematics' that Gordon mentioned NOTE-his teaching records from NZ (Otago Education Board reports held by Hocken Library) indicate that he trained "one session at Kildare Place, Dublin" - it was a Church of Ireland teacher training place - but they have no record of him in the period 1860-1863 when he most likely trained. Emigrated to NZ before 1870 (he was a school teacher at Port Chalmers in 1870, his first appointment in Otago). Thought to have arrived at Port Chalmers on ship "Storm Cloud " (Eric Stevenson's letter 1 Dec 1987) but is not on the passenger lists for voyages that arrived 27 April 1860, 30 July 1861, nor for a voyage to Bluff (arrived 5 December 1862). The "Storm Cloud" arrived at Dunedin via Bluff on 21 Dec 1862 with 74 passengers. He was not one of those passengers either. Arrival on any of the 'Storm Cloud' trips seems to clash with the Otago Ed Board records that indicate he had been a teacher for 15 years in 1878 (so started teaching 1863, suggesting trained before 1863, when he was supposedly in Dublin) THE OTAGO WITNESS Saturday Feb 2nd 1861 page 4 col 6 reported the arrival on January 28 of the "Lady Egidia", 1236 tons, from Glasgow with immigrants and general cargo. Dalgety Rattray & Co agents. The passenger list included a John McFarlane and a Jessie McFarlane (brother and sister? husband and wife??). "This fine vessel arrived at Otago from Greenock on Saturday the 26th" (this seems to be too early for John given his teacher training in Dublin) A John Macfarlane is recorded on the Dunedin Electoral Roll for 1862 and again for 1865-66. We DO know that John Macfarlane married Julia Lehane in Dunedin 29 Aug 1871 (1871/266, Sup Vol 1) School teacher. Moved from Port Chalmers Grammar School to Albany Street School as Second Master (appointment confirmed in Otago Witness 30 Mar 1878) , selected from 8 applicants. Appointed head teacher at North East Valley school (Dunedin) 19 Jan 1880 and remained there until 1887 (see: North East Valley School. Eighty first Anniversary Celebrations 1851-1932, published by Whitcombe and Tombs) Confirmed as Head Teacher at Waitahuna 29 June 1888 (Otago Witness), resigned 28 Jan 1892 (Otago Witness). Presented with "a handsome clock mounted in black marble and bearing a suitable inscription" by Port Chalmers Grammar School. According to the Otago Witness of 6 March 1880 the clock was purchased with money raised by the school children. Teaching appointments in NZ: Port Chalmers 1870-1879 (Albany Street in 1879?) North East Valley 1880-1886, 1892 and 1893. Resigned 28 Dec 1893 (Otago Witness) Waitahuna Gully 1890-1891 Not engaged (but listed) 1895-1900 DEATH: 1909/2211 Died at Victoria Home, Test Street, Oamaru, New Zealand 25 June 1909. Reasons given as: spinal degeneration (12 years), cystitis, uraemia (4 days). Father - school teacher Buried Northern Cemetery, Dunedin 28 June 1909 Children alive at time of death: 4 male, 2 female [Notes with gedcom from Donald Featherstone, descendant] 3 - NZBDM Marriages: 1871/9327 Julia Lehane & John Macfarlane Children: 1872/37809 Macfarlane Annie 1874/22507 Macfarlane John Edwin 1875/8712 Macfarlane Helen Mary 1877/10016 Macfarlane Trenwith 1879/14246 MacFarlane Julia Emma 1881/10541 Macfarlane Charles Frederick 1885/4038 Macfarlane Hugh McNeile Gordon Aged 67y Burial: Block 39. Plot 7 [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/217668663/john-macfarlane]

  
  

• Sources

  [S1027704383] Ancestry Family Tree, Ancestry Family Tree. [S1027802920] Ancestry,com, New Zealand, Historical Birth Index, 1840-1902, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Department of Internal Affairs; New Zealand; New Zealand, Registration Birth Index, 1840-1901. [S1027704059] Donald Featherston Macfarlane, Donald Featherston Macfarlane NZ, (Gedcom recieved as e-mail attachment 5 November 2009). [S1027704067] Find A Grave, (Find a grave is not a source! It has many flaws unless it shows real documents or whence they gathered the data it has no proof. (FamilySearch OWT note)). [S1027704068] NZ Govt.-Internal Affairs Dept., NZ Births, Deaths and Marriages Index, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz).