William McFarland is the son of Robert McFarland and Esther _____. He was born June 10, 1755, in Peters Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He died at the age of 70 on June 1, 1825 in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, and is buried at Endicott's Church in Harrison County, Kentucky. His will was dated 3 years prior on November 25, 1822 (not long after his wife passd away) and was probated in August of 1825. According to "The History of Adams County, Illinois" by Esther Gallemore Holt, William was the ancestor of Martha Lurinda McFarland; and "Geneology of the Joseph and William McFarland Branches of the McFarland Family 1675 to 1910" by Thomas Simms McFarland states that he was the cousin of Joseph McFarland, the husband of Margaret White.
He married Rebecca White, daughter of John White and Catherine Evans, on October 19, 1779, in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Rebecca was born probably on May 8, 1763 in Augusta County, Virginia, and would then be the twin sister of Margaret White. Rebecca died May 1, 1822 in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky. She is also buried at Endicott's Church. Gary Morris in "Robert McFarland (1675-1740) of Ireland and Pennsylvania" states that she is the sister of Margaret White. So apparently the White sisters married the McFarland cousins.

William and Rebecca had the following children, the first seven of which were born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, the rest in Harrison County, Kentucky:

Letitia (19 May 1780 - 1 Aug 1842) m. Jun 1800, Moses Scott
Robert (7 Mar 1782 - ) m1. Deborah Gray, m2. Elizabeth Kenton, m3. Eunice Dorsey
John W. (17 Mar 1785 - ) m. Joseph McFarland's daughter Katharine. They moved to Adams county, Illinois, in 1832)
Rachel (13 Feb 1787 - ) m. David Hendershot
William (13 Nov 1788 - abt 1850) m. Susan Hire, (went to Illinois in 1822)
Thomas (16 Apr 1790 - 15 Aug 1863) m. Sarah "Sally" Florence (no children)
Esther (1 Oct 1791 - abt Mar 1793)
Rebecca (22 Jul 1793 - 1 Jun 1867) m. Joseph McFarland's son John Arthur
Sarah Ann "Sallie" (~1794/6 - ) m. John Jones
James White (17 Jun 1797 - Mar 1847) m1. Sarah Estis, m2. Rachel Willock, m3. Milly Duckworth, m4. _____
Nathaniel (4 Aug 1797 - 17 Feb 1851) m. Nancy Robinson
Joseph H. (2 Sep 1799 - 22 Jul 1822)
Jane (26 Jul 1801 - 23 Sep 1874) m. 1821, David Evans
Catharine (19 Mar 1804 - 10 May 1850) never married
Benjamin (13 Dec 1808 - ) m. Sarah Short

William apparently served at least thirteen months in the Revolutionary war prior to his marriage. He served from December 1, 1776 through January 1, 1777, and is listed as a Pennsylvania drummer boy and a frontier ranger. After this time he may have reenlisted, because his name appears as a private in Capt. Alex Peoples Co. 1st Batt. Cumberland Co. Pa. Militia in 1777, and in Captain Samuel Finton's 2nd Co. 1st Batt. Cumberland Co. Militia commanded by Col. James Dunlap in 1779 (Nat No. 155787 Vol 6 pg.23-68 Archives 5th Series Pa).
After his marriage in 1779 he moved his family from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania to Rockbridge County, Virginia. Apparently he left Pennsylvania because he was a Whig, and there were difficulties between the Whigs and the Toys. The taxlist records for Rockbridge County, Virginia show the following for William:

1782 - William Mcfarland
1783 - Wm McFarland 1 Free White Male age 16 and up , 0 slaves, 1 horse, 2 cows.
1785 - William McFarlin 7 horse and 10 cattle.
1786 - William McFarlin 2 horse and 2 cattle.
1787 - William McFarlin, 2 horses, 3 cows.

"William McFarland was an invalid the greater part of his life. Three days after the birth of his first child, his wife became suddenly sick and he ran a half mile with frost on the ground, bare footed and hatless, for assistance. This was the last of November, 1780. That day he was taken sick, and was never well afterwards."

William testified that his sister, Rachel, was over the age of 21 at her marriage on April 20, 1793 in Rockbridge County. He purchased land in Rockbridge County, Virginia, from his father, Robert McFarland, both on 3 Dec, 1793 (Deed Book B, page 544), and on 1 Dec, 1795 (Deed Book C, page 216). He also sold land there to Thomas Welch on 1 Dec, 1795 (Deed Book C, page 220). It was about this time that he moved his family to Kentucky, first at Crab Orchard, and then on Indian Creek, seven miles northeast of Cynthiana, in Harrison County, where he appears in the 1795 census and the 1800 tax list. In the 1820 Census for Maryville Township in Harrison County, William is listed as head of household 3 sons under 10, 2 daughters between the ages of 16 and 26, both he and his wife over 45, and 1 manufacturer laborer between 26 and 45. If this is indeed our ancestor, the two daughters would be Jane and Catherine, but it is unknown who the sons are; also, the youngest son listed above, Banjamin, would have been only 12 years old, and should ahve appeared on the census, unless he died young.
"At his home in the year 1800, the doctor told him his liver was diseased, and he could cure him by removing the diseased part. He submitted to an operation but nothing was found wrong with the liver. During the operation he was held by four men. He took nothing to stupefy him and afterwards said all was as dark as midnight. This took place in the old homestead, the house still standing. He was fastened to a board and lay unmoved for forty-two days. The following twenty-five years he taught school on the home farm. For sometime prior to his death he weighed but sixty-three pounds."