Notes |
- Mary Helen Haines research:
North Carolina:
Haywood County:
Census Records for Haywood County, NC in 1810 show this John McFarland as a male older than 15 and younger than 26, with a wife the same, and a male younger than eleven, a female younger than 11, and another female younger than 16, but over 10. The records of these children are unknown at this time, but this might indicate the mystery son named John. A daughter bet. 10 and 15 seems unlikely, so this could be a relation instead.
Missouri:
In 1828 John McFarland and the heirs of John McFarland (deceased) made claim to 240 acres in Ste. Genevieve in or near the town of Avon today. Doc. #514, 515, and 516 for 80 acres each: Section 12, 35-N, Range 7 E. I can only speculate that this is the land where they first settled when they came to Missouri. (This would be land claimed by John husband of Rebecca Bell, because this is bought out by John Jr. to settle the estate of John Sr.)
There are several John McFarland land claims in Missouri, and there are at least two different John McFarlands living in the area around Avon, so it is hard to know anything for certain. It would seem that the land claim made in 1825 for 80 acres, Doc. 581, W1/2 SW, Sec. 33, 36N, 8E, and the 1837 claim of 40 acres, Cert. 3744, SESE 32, 36-N, 8-E, in Ste. Genevieve is the land where the Stone Church Cemetery is today. If so, then this would be the Rev. John McFarland's land claim. His home was used as a church meeting place (Methodist), until a stone church was erected in the 1840s. Rev. John McFarland, his wife, and some other children are buried there. This Rev. John McFarland is not related to our John in any known way. The Rev. John's parents were Duncan and Janet McFarland from Ireland.
There is an 1824 land claim by John McFarland, Doc. 508, for 126.72 acres: SW Sect. 7, 35-N, Range 7-E, that borders Ste. Francois/Ste. Genevieve line. This seems to be where he made his home for the census in 1830 and 1840.(This seems to be the preemption claim of George Cathey bought for $100. in 1816. There are two other claims made that seem adjacent to the claim above: Doc. 5131 and 5132, for 31 acres in SWNW 7, 35-N, 7E, and 40 acres at SENE Sect. 12, 35-N, 6-E. These lands seem to be next to Back Creek, and just below are the land claims made by Reuben and Jacob McFarland.
There is another land purchase made in 1829 recorded in Book A, p. 366-367 for 65 acres in NE quarter of Sect. 26, 35 N, Range 6 E, paid $65 to John McHenry and wife. This is near the Sect. 25 that brother James received from Elliott Jackson. In 1837 John sold this tract to Samuel P. Harris (Book B. p. 121).
Texas:
John's gravesite at OakRidge Cemetery is still visible, as is his wife's. Although I have records of John's daughters and their families, John's son, John, is lost to me at this time. I think he must have died young.
John McFarland, eldest brother of James McFarland, followed James to Fannin County around the year 1849, twelve years after James' arrival. In the 1830 and 1840 censuses his family was found in Libertyville, St. Francois County, Missouri. The earliest record of John McFarland (1787-1874), husband of Mary, in Fannin County is the purchase of land from James Chambers in 1849. It seems that Rice Smith, who owned the land grant north and adjacent to James McFarland, died and James McFarland administered the Rice estate in September, 1847. 104 acres were offered in public outcry in Bonham and James Chambers bought it for $55.00 (p. 299 Deed Record Book C). On p. 300 of the same deed book, John McFarland buys a parcel from James Chambers.
John then purchased 640 acres from James E. McConnell, which is an original land grant and adjacent to Jasper McFarland, Andrew White, D. P. Bridge, and Rice Smith's land grants, and near the Waggoner and Fuller grants. (p. 312, Book C)
On April 9, 1850 John bought 150 acres for $150 from the heirs of Mary Allen, headright of Mary Allen. Pat. #323 Vol. I, Nov. 19, 1845.
In the 1850 census John and wife Mary were living on this land with F.P. Deguire and his wife Eliza (John and Mary's daughter) and their children. Their neighbors were the Pences, Jasper McFarland, the Thomas Rattans, and Andrew White.
John continued to purchase more land. Book H, p. 429 records a purchase from the Heirs of Mary Allen. He then buys 41 acres for $41 from John Rattan out of the Daniel Waggoner survey, Book I, p. 5. Also he buys 55 acres for $55 from Isaac Hobbs, Book I, p. 293.
John gave a gift of land to Eliza Deguire, his daughter, on Sept. 20, 1852. Eliza died in 1853 giving birth to a daughter named Emily. In September 1855, this deed was cancelled and Deguire pays $510 to own 75 acres from the Mary Allen survey. Mary McFarland also signed this document. (Book I, p. 171)
Mary McFarland died in 1855 and is buried on land that became the Oak Ridge Cemetery in the late 1870s.
In January, 1857 John sold to Francis P. DeGuire, his son-in-law, one-half of 560 acres for $1000, p. 127 Book J. The land is described as being the late residence of John McFarland and deeded to him by James E. McConnell (280 acres) and 70 acres from the George Smith survey and part of Allen and Waggoner surveys.
In March, 1857 Jasper DeGuire, Francis' son, purchases 110 acres of the 280 acres for $400 from his father. (Book J, p. 176). Francis pays $337 for 135 acres from J.N. Walker, part of the Daniel Davis survey.
In Book K, p. 83, John gave his daughter Emily Pettit a gift of slaves:
"John McFarland for love and affection to my daughter Emily, wife of James N. Pettit…including two daughters of sd. James Pettit by a former wife, to wit Missouri and Lucretia.
Man - Sanders, age 32 years
Woman-Mary, age 27 years
Man - Henry, age 24 years
Boy - Charles- age 2 years
Boy - Joseph, age 2 years
Girl - Delilah, age 2 months"
In 1858 he bought another 250 acres on the North Sulphur from Hugh Braley (Pat. 792, Vol. 3), p. 84 in Deed Book K. And then he bought back land from F.P. Deguire that he had conveyed to him earlier. (P. 85, Book K)
John then sold to Alexander C. Sloan (his brother-in-law) 180 acres on Feb. 4, 1858 for $825.00. Alexander and Nancy Caroline McFarland Sloan must have moved here from Missouri at this time (p. 124, Book K.) In 1850 the Sloan family was living in Lafayette County, Missouri, on land valued at $3000 and owning four slaves.
Then John bought more land from Samuel Wall(s) for $100 in 1858 (who had previously bought it from John Rattan).( P. 105, Book L) He also buys land from John Biggerstaff. (p. 398, Book L)
In A History of Fannin County, by Floy Crandall Hodge, pub. 1966, he explains that the Flag Spring Church was organized in 1853 by Methodists and Baptists. Early trustees include Samuel Wall, Jackson McFarland, and Joseph Wigley. The Church must have been used as a school as well.
In 1860 John McFarland and D.P. Bridge conveyed land to establish a school for the Flag Springs Community. It came from the southeast corner of the 280 acres owned by John McFarland and the southwest corner of the 110 acres owned by D.P. Bridge, and part of the 640 acres of the Central National Road certificate of John Whittenburg. The trustees of the settlement are Samuel Wall, Jackson McFarland, and Joseph Wigley. (Book M, p. 420)
In the 1860 census John McFarland was living with his daughter Emily Pettit. J. N. Pettit, her husband, who in 1857 had sold slaves to John McFarland for $4500.00 (Book J, p. 250) was not present, and has probably died. (There is confusion about J. N. Pettit as there seems to be two different men by that name.) In the 1880 census, Emily lists herself as widowed, and this is confirmed by other court documents. Yet there is a J.N. Pettit buried in Moore's Chapel cemetery in Fannin County with a death date of 1891, so even though he has been connected with Emily by some descendants, he is not the same man.) They were living next to sister Nancy Caroline and her husband Alexander C. Sloan and their family in Beat 5, Fannin County. (Families 312, 313)
In 1867 John deeded to his daughter Emily Pettit, 180 acres of the 280 acres "I reside on" from the original tract of John Whittenburg and Daniel Waggoner that he bought from James E. McClellan for $17.00.
In 1868 John bought 100 more acres from Theophilus Wall for $600. (Book Q, p. 188-189)
In the 1870 census John, 82, was living with Emily, 44, on their land. His land was valued at $2500, and hers at $2000. At approximately $6 an acre, that puts his land at approximately 416 acres, and hers at 333 acres. The former slaves that he had given to his daughter have taken the name of Pettit and are still living on, and presumably working, the land.
There are no films of marriage records this early for these counties.
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