SAMUEL McFARLAND (deceased) was the son of Samuel McFarland, who was born in Northern Ireland, and was married to Jane Fulton. He (the father) emigrated to America about the year 1793, first living in or about Philadelphia, Penn., then coming to Washington, Penn., and settling in Smith township. On April 6, 1804, he bought 159 acres of land of Thomas Glass, and on September 3, of the same year, purchased 102 acres of Ephraim Chidester. He settled upon the former piece of land, and his family were all born and reared there. The farm remained in the family name until about the year 1890, when the heirs of his son Thomas sold it to Maxiel Work. The children of Samuel McFarland are now all dead except Andrew. The son William settled upon one of his father's farms, near the home place. John settled on another farm, sold it and removed to Ohio. David, a Presbyterian minister was married to Amanda Reed, first located in Peoria, Ill., then at Santa Fe, NM; then at San Diego, Cal., and finally became a missionary to the Indians, and died at Lapwai, Idaho; his widow afterward went into the Alaska mission field, being the first woman there. Joseph went to California during the gold fever of 1849, and died there. Thomas lived on the old home farm until a few years before his death, then removed to the borough of McDonald in the same county, where he died in December, 1886. Andrew spent most of his life in Cross Creek village, Washington county, then removed to Burgettstown, and thence to Missouri, where he is living with his son. Mary never married, but died in the household of her brother Samuel in 1859. Catherine married Thomas Farrar, and died in 1880 at the residence of her daughter in Peoria, Ill. Jane married James Farrar, and afterward died in Ohio. Samuel McFarland, the subject of this sketch, was born June 11, 1812, in Smith township, Washington county, Penn., and all his life was spent in that township and the adjoining one of Robinson, except the year 1872, when he lived in the city of Allegheny. On May 25, 1837, he was united in marriage with Jane Van Eman, who bore him children as follows: Margaret, born January 28, 1838: William Van Eman, born March 11, 1840. Sarah Caroline, born August 12, 1842; Mary Catherine, born December 29, 1844; John Wiley, born August 23, 1848, and Joseph Fulton, born August 11, 1850. Of this family, Margaret married Thomas Donaldson, of Candor, December 18, 1862, and had nine children, of whom three are now living: Joseph, John and Frank. William Van E. married Jane Dunbar, of Steubenville, Ohio, and to them were born three children: Olner, Charles and Ira (Olner died when three years old, in Washington county, Penn.; William then moved with his family to Sumner, Wash., where he still resides; his wife died in 1893). Sarah Caroline married October 21, 1868, W. C. Aiken, an elder in the Centre U.P. Church, of Midway, Penn. (their children were Joseph and Samuel; the mother died April 3, 1873, and two years later little Samuel died). Mary Catherine married August 22, 1867, James P. McCalmont, of Paris, Washington county, an elder in the U. P. Church, and they had born to them six children: Luella, Jennie, Samuel, Joseph, John and Robert. Rev. John Wiley was married in 1883, at Ft. Wrangle, Alaska, to Margaret Dunbar, of Steubenville, Ohio (they gave a few years of mission work at the McFarland Home, Ft. Wrangle, Alaska; at their own request they were transferred to the Hoonyah Mission, Alaska, where they still labor, the first and only missionaries in that far-off region; their children were Edna and Harry Seward, the last named dying of diphtheria in his third year and buried in the Hoonyah Mission cemetery). Joseph F., now an attorney at law in Washington, Penn., was married in 1882 to Mary A., daughter of Rev. James and Katherine Ranken, and their children are Samuel Audley and Joseph. Mrs. Jane Van-Eman McFarland died August 24, 1853, and, for his second wife, Samuel McFarland was married May 22, 1861, to Matilda Duncan, who was killed by a run-away team April 23, 1865. On December 25, 1866, Mr. McFarland was married to his third wife, in the person of Margaret Bingham, and by this union, one son, Albert Agnew, was born January 6, 1872. Mr. McFarland was a farmer, but during the last sixteen years of his life, was retired from active business, and during all the years of his activity he was a constant sufferer; he was a member of the Presbyterian Church from early manhood, contributing liberally to its support, and was interested in all its work. In politics he was an unswerving member of the Democratic party, but was not an active politician, and never asked for any office. He died June 29, 1889. Samuel McFarland, a nephew of our subject, and son of William, was a missionary in Siam, and is now filling a position in the Educational Department of the Court of Siam. Capt. Charles W. Bingham was an officer in the army in the war of 1812. He was born in Adams county, remaining there during his boyhood and early manhood, and was married to Margaret Agnew, of Emmitsburg, Frederick County, MD., who bore him children as follows: Sophia, William, Agnew, Albert, Martha, Margaret, James, Emma, Mary, and Charles Carrol. Of this family, all are dead but Margaret, Dr. James (of Clinton, Allegheny County, Penn.), Emma (wife of Dr. W. V. Riddile), and Mary. The father was a Democrat, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Margaret Bingham, above mentioned, is the widow of Samuel McFarland, the subject of this sketch.

Text taken from page 957 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed September 1997 by Cathy Cadd of Redmond, WA as part of the Beers Project. Published September 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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