MacFarlane’s Lantern Newsletter of the Clan MacFarlane Society, Australia, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No.127 September 2013 Website: http://www.clanmacfarlane.org.au Alexander MacFarlane , F.R.S. Merchant. Jamaica Portrait by John Vanderbank (Sic) "His Honour Judge MacFarlane, Alexander MacFarlane, F.R.S., who was born circa 1703 in Scotland, and died unmarried on 23 August 1755 at Kingston on the Isle of Jamaica. He attended the University of Glasgow and became a merchant and planter in Jamaica where he was a member of the legislative assembly and a judge. On 4 November 1735 he became Postmaster General of Jamaica on a deputation from Alexander Spottiswoode, Postmaster General of all of H.M.'s Dominions in America (a relation of Alexander's mother's second husband, John Spottiswoode of that Ilk). A m athematician and an astronomer he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. At his death he left his plantation Large Island on Jamaica to his brothers and his scientific instruments to his alma mater. The instruments were installed in the university's first observatory which was named after him .” And (Sic) “Alexander had been to Glasgow University and was well educated. Being a good mathematician he became interested in astronomy. In the pursuit of this interest he acquired some valuable instruments, whic h in his will he left to his university. They were repaired and set up by his celebrated relative, James Watt, in the University Observatory on Dove Hill (?) which was named after MacFarlane. In his work as a trader in Jamaica , Alexander made a considera ble fortune. (Next Page). 1 (From Page 1) are sparse. He was born at Craigrostan (an old His ability was recognised in that he became property once held by Rob Roy MacGregor) in a member of the island’s legislative assembly Buchanan parish and later settled on the island of and also served as an assistant judge. When he Inchfad, Loch Lomond with his wife Katherine died, unmarried, in 1775 (?) Alexander left Macgregor, and where both are buried on the extensive estates including those at Large island of Inch Cailleach. Island to his brothers Walter of Arrochar and Indeed, Caribbean slavery did much for the William, who was a physician in Edinburgh.” Scottish economy of the 18 th century and cities The foregoing two entries are from New prospered as a result. Likewise, many of those Zealand member Andrew Macfarlane’s website: Scots who acquired great wealth on the backs of www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/ which also Negro slaves later came home to Scotland to contains entries by Chevalier Terrance Gach receive lordships and knighthoods for their efforts. MacFarlane, noted clan historian and member of It was the ongoing development of the British our kindred society Clan MacFarlane Worldwide Empire and subsequent Industrial Revolution (CMW). which finally destroyed the clan system in the This particular article highlights an eighteenth- Highlands. Those landowners and chiefs who century episode of MacFarlane history, when ventured into the colonies as planters and Scotland was actively involved with slave labour merchants also turned their backs on the old social in the West Indies. See also “Scotland and the order. Highland landlords had become aspiring Slave Trade” which we featured in ‘Lantern’ No. members of a new Anglo-Scottish ruling elite. 112 December 2009. This was particularly evident in the central Alexander was the youngest son of Andrew Highlands, especially in Argyllshire, where many MacFarlane, 18 th Laird of Arrochar and his 2 nd local lairds had become ardent members of the wife Helen Arbuthnot. It may well have been his British imperial exploiting establishment as mother who influenced her son to seek his fortune planters, slave traders, colonial officials, military in the West Indies, for the Arbuthnot family of commanders, financiers and merchant adventurers. Kincardineshire also owned and worked extensive No better example can be shown than that of the plantations in the Caribbean. small Clan Malcolm of Poltalloch, where three Following the 1707 Act of Union many young generations of the clan’s chiefs effectively became Scots sought their fortunes as slave masters, slave absentee landlords as a result of their dealings in doctors and estate administrators. It is estimated the West Indies and in Australia. * Wealth brings that 20,000,000 Africans were bought or captured power and prestige, and the Malcolm family was in Africa and transported to the Americas. The eventually seen as a threat to the longstanding Scottish-Caribbean link dates back to the early dominance of the powerful Clan Campbell in years of the 18 th century. Argyllshire. It is noted that Alexander MacFarlane died un- There were of course other MacFarlane planters married, but there are strong indications that, like in the West Indies including the following:- so many other white slave-owners, he may have Duncan MacFarlane, planter in Jamaica 1776. fathered one or more children by female workers. James McFarlane , planter in Jamaica 1780. The MacFarlane surname has since become well David MacFarlane , planter in St. Croix, 1776. dispersed throughout the West Indies: although it George MacFarlane , planter in St. Croix who has to be said that not all are genealogically linked, graduated as MD at University at Edinburgh 1803. since it was also a common practice where slaves Walter MacFarlane , merchant in St. Croix 2776. either adopted or were given the surname of the John McFarlane . In Savanna la Mar, Jamaica, owner in the particular plantation where they lived 1801. and worked. It would appear that all of the above-named Alexander had a cousin who was yet another MacFarlanes had acquired considerable wealth noted clan member in Jamaica. This was Andrew from their plantation days in the West Indies – MacFarlane (c.1725-1817) the son of John and they were not alone by any means, when we MacFarlane 8 th Laird of Gartartan & Auchantroig. see the number of other Scottish family names Andrew held property in the Black Morass area still evident around the Caribbean. in Jamaica, but he seems to have returned to The British Slavery Abolition Act of 1834 Scotland by 1790, living near Edinburgh and, provided a grant of £20 million to compensate the although happily married, there is evidence of two owners of all West Indian slaves for the loss of illegitimate children born in Jamaica. their ‘human property’! Yet another Loch Lomond clansman to spend *Reference source: “Commercial Landlordism & some time in Jamaica was Duncan MacFarlane Clearances in the Scottish Highlands” by Allan I. (1735-1786), although details of his activity there Macinnes (Aberdeen University). 2 CLAN ARCHAEOLOGY: 2013 Thanks to everyone for your continued support (particularly from Australia). We will update the (Ellan Vhow Up-date) donors list in the coming weeks. (Internet access was too intermittent during the trip to support site th 28 June: email from Glenda Dickson to Ellan updates). Vhow Preservation Fund. Thanks, Bruce.” “Dear Bruce and Katherine. ______________________________________________________ Glad to hear that the bat survey is soon to be Still with Archaeology: our Society has recently underway. added two new books to the Clan Library, and When we sent out our renewal notice for which are available for loan to members . membership recently, we offered to collect donations to the Ellan Vhow Preservation Fund from those who, for some reason or other, did not wish to do so online. The money just forwarded was predominately made up of these donations, along with more raised from our raffle held at Ringwood Highland Games. There could be more donations yet, as subscriptions are still coming in, and if this is the case we will forward them on at a later date, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to The above picture is a view across Loch Lomond support such an inspiring project. towards Inveruglas Farm, ancient seat of the Clan Regards, Glenda Dickson, Secretary/Treasurer.” MacFarlane chiefs is from Book No.1. “An Archaeological Survey of Inveruglas Farm: th 9 July: email from Bruce MacFarlin. A Search for Clan MacFarlane.” “Just returned from a week-long visit to Scotland By David R. Starbuck, Ph.D . with activities centred around memorial for This book offers a comprehensive study of more Robert Lee McFarlin. As part of that, two of his recent archaeology carried out around Loch three brothers, Katherine and I made a visit to Lomond, published by Plymouth State University, Ellan Vhow along with my siblings. We were very Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA. careful and found that the nesting geese had hatched and moved on – and that there was much Book 2: another excellent local history volume evidence of campers having visited the island “Luss already this summer. The First fifteen hundred years” Our thanks to Peter McFarland, who was our By John McGilp Sinclair able skipper during the trip. We are also This handy little tome, in spite of its modest planning to follow up with a local newspaper size and layout, covers much of the history of the article with Peter. Church and parish of Luss, from the arrival of the th Of particular note was that we could not locate 5 century Celtic evangelist Saint Kessog to the the artefacts which we had identified and left in present time. It was written by local historian place last summer. It is critical that artefacts John McGilp Sinclair, apparently aided by the remain in place, undisturbed on the island. We local Luss Heritage Group and edited by Rachel J. are concerned that visitors may be removing such Hammerton. Although Luss has long been items. Please help. associated with Clan Colquhoun, it should be In our informal visit we did find a bottle shard -- remembered that it was the original parish on the which we photographed and left in place – western side of Loch Lomond, even before sending the photographs to Fiona for possible Arrochar parish, and some early MacFarlane identification.