McFarland Coat of Arms, Family Crest and McFarland Family History

McFarland Family History

The family history of the ancient name McFarland was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The country of the McFarlands was the Western shore of Loch Lomond in Scotland. They are descended from Duncan MacGilchrist, 1296, brother of Mulduin, Earl of Lennox. His son was Bartholomew, from whom the Clan is named. Malcolm received the lands of Arrochar in 1395, but the male line failed and the lands were forfeited. Andrew MacFarlane succeeded in 1493. Sir John MacFarlane fell at Flodden, and Walter MacFarlane was killed at the Pinkie. The Clan fought against Queen Mary at Langside. In 1608 they slew Colquhoun of Luss, and were outlawed. In 1644-45, they fought for Montrose. Major General MacFarlane captured Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, in 1809. In 1624 many of the Clan settled in Aberdeenshire under other names. In Ireland the name McFarland is often of immigrant origin in Ulster Province where it is also an occasional variant of MacPartland.The McFarland family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including McFarland descendants.