My 2nd great-grandmother, the mother of Mary B Humphreys

 

 

 

Malinda J Kendrick, was born 17 June 1823 in Russell County, Virginia, and died on 06 November 1894 in Russell County, Virginia.

Samuel Humphreys was born 19 April 1813 in Greenbrier County, in what is now West Virginia, and died on 29 October 1892 in Rosedale, Russell County, Virginia.

They were married on 10 August 1853 in Tazewell County, Virginia.



Clarissa McFarlane was born on 09 September 1799 in Russell County, Virginia, and died on 20 August 1877 in Elk Garden, Russell County, Virginia.

James F Kendrick was born on 03 March 1799 in Russell County, Virginia, and died on 19 January 1882 in Elk Garden, Russell County, Virginia.

They were married in 1822.



James Alexander McFarlane was born in 1767 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, and died on 24 March 1830 in Russell County, Virginia.

He served as a Colonel in the 1st Batallion, 72nd Regiment during the War of 1812.

He was a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and a Justice of the Peace.

Jane Price was born in 1768 in Virginia, and died on 29 September 1820.

Their marriage date is unknown.



William McFarland (also known as William McFarlane) was born in May 1732 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in February 1791 in Tazewell County, Virginia.

He served as a Private in Captain Daniel Smith's Company of Fincastle, Virginia Militia under Colonel John Buchanan during Lord Dunmore's War, and qualified as a Captain of horse in 1763.

Elizabeth Gibson was born in 1735 in Orange County, Virginia, and died in 1782 in Wolfe Creek, Tazewell County, Virginia.

They were married in 1755 in Augusta County, Virginia.



Duncan McFarland (also known as Duncan McFarlane) was born on 14 April 1706 in Northern Ireland, and died in 1782 in Back Creek, Frederick County, Virginia.

He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before 1720.

He qualified as a Captain of horse in 1763.

Elizabeth Anne Porter was born in 1702 in Augusta County, Virginia, and died in 1746 in Bath, Morgan County, West Virginia.

They were married in 1720 in Pennsylvania.

 

Although I can't trace the genealogy any further back than Duncan, Y-DNA analysis of Duncan's direct male descendants has determined that Duncan McFarland was a descendant of Ian Cam (the one-eyed) MacGregor, Chief of Clan Gregor, who died in 1390, as recorded in the "Chronicle of Fortingigall". Ian Cam MacGregor is the direct ancestor of the current (24th) Chief, Major Sir Malcom Gregor Charles MacGregor of MacGregor, 7th Baronet of Lanrick and Balquhidder.

 

​In April 1603, King James VI of Scotland issued an edict proclaiming the name MacGregor altogether abolished, and making it a capital crime to be a MacGregor. This proscription wasn't repealed until 1774. It's very likely that Duncan McFarland's ancestor changed his name from MacGregor to MacFarlane about 1603, possibly because he had a MacFarlane wife, or possibly because he was familiar with the MacFarlane clan, which lived on the other side of Loch Lomond from the MacGregor's.

 

In 1608, the Earl of Lennox, who had close associations with Clan MacFarlane, was granted his first Plantation in Ulster, Northern Ireland. It's likely that Duncan's ancestor, now called MacFarlane rather than MacGregor, moved to Ireland shortly after that date, to be certain he would not be recognized as a MacGregor. The name likely changed spelling to McFarland to look more like an Irish name while the family was in Ireland.

 

By the time the family reached America, their descent from the MacGregor's was apparently forgotten.