Photos
Family
ClaimDetailEvidence
FatherCapt. John W. McFarland (1788-1840) [S39] [S1102] [S1537] [N115]
dna
MotherRebecca McFarland (1793-1867) [S1102] [S1537] [S2912] [N115]
dna
SpouseEliza McFarland (1814-1882) 
Child +Martha Lurinda McFarland (1846-1920) [S31] [S32] [S39] [S2911]
dna
Attributes
ClaimDetailEvidence
GenderMale
NameWilliam Madison McFarland [S13] [S39]
primary
NameWilliam M. McFarland [S31] [S39:533] [S147] [S1085:386] [S1102] [S1103] [S1106] [S1109:18850910] [S1537] [S1866:50] [S2906] [S2909] [S2911] [S2913] [S2964]
primary
NameWm M. McFarland [S32] [S39] [S1104] [S1107] [S1109:18700910] [S1111:18620920] [S1112:18650524] [S1113:18961112] [S1243] [S3147]
primary
FatherCapt. John W. McFarland (1788-1840) [S39] [S1102] [S1537] [N115]
dna
MotherRebecca McFarland (1793-1867) [S1102] [S1537] [S2912] [N115]
dna
Occupationfarmer [S31] [S32]
primary
BurialHebron Cemetery, Adams, Illinois, United States [S103]
primary
Timeline
ClaimDateDetailAgeEvidence
BirthAug 12, 1814Xenia, Greene, Ohio, United States [S13] [S31] [S32] [S39] [S1102] [N115]
primary
Census (US Federal)Aug 7, 1820Xenia, Greene, Ohio, United States [S212] (Counted)
primary
Census (US Federal)Jun 1, 1830Xenia, Greene, Ohio, United States [S211] [N115] (Counted)
primary
Moved1832Adams, Illinois, United States [S1102] [S3147]
primary
MovedAug 1832Illinois, United States [S13]
primary
MovedOct 8, 1832Adams, Illinois, United States [S39] [S1106]
memoir
Moved1837Camp Point, Adams, Illinois, United States [S13]
primary
Marriage LicenseNov 24, 1837Eliza McFarland (1814-1882), Greene, Ohio, United States [S1243]
secondary
MarriageNov 30, 1837Eliza McFarland (1814-1882), Greene, Ohio, United States [S1243] [N115]
secondary
MarriageNov 30, 1837Eliza McFarland (1814-1882), Adams, Illinois, United States [S1102] [S1104]
The Greene County, Ohio marriage records prove they were not married in Adams County, Illinois
negative
Moved1838Adams, Illinois, United States [S1104]
Spring
memoir
Census (US Federal)Jun 1, 1840Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States [S147] (Named)
primary
Flourished1841Hebron, Adams, Illinois, United States [S1102]
joined the Methodist church
memoir
Census (US Federal)Jun 1, 1850Houston, Adams, Illinois, United States [S31] 36y (Named)
primary
Census (US Federal)Jun 1, 1860Houston, Adams, Illinois, United States [S32] 46y (Named)
primary
ResidenceMay 1, 1863Houston Township, Adams, Illinois, United States [S1084:175]
primary
ResidenceOct 1864LaPrairie, Adams, Illinois, United States [S1085:386]
primary
FlourishedNov 7, 1865Adams, Illinois, United States [S1111:18651216]
clerk of the court
primary
Census (US Federal)Jun 1, 1870Houston, Adams, Illinois, United States [S454] 56y (Named)
primary
FlourishedSep 10, 1870 [S1109:18700910]
May have attended the old settlers meeting in Clayton, Illinois, as his age was listed
56y
primary
Census (US Federal)Jun 11, 1880Houston, Adams, Illinois, United States [S2964] 65y (Named)
primary
MarriageNov 30, 1887Eliza McFarland (1814-1882)
The Greene County, Ohio marriage records prove they were married on 30 November 1837, not 1887 (this must be an error in reading the handwritten bible record)
negative
DeathSep 11, 1896LaPrairie, Adams, Illinois, United States [S13] [S103] [S1102] [S1107] [S1113:18961112] [S2911] 82y29d
primary
ProbateSep 23, 1896Adams, Illinois, United States [S2911]
primary
Sources
IndexTitle
[S13] "Martha Lurinda McFarland Bible".
[S31] "1850 United States Census, Illinois, Adams, Houston".
[S32] "1860 United States Census, Illinois, Adams, Houston".
[S39] "The History of Adams County, Illinois" (1879) (http://www.archive.org/details/historyofadamsco00murr).
[S103] "Hebron Cemetery, Illinois Tombstone Photographs".
[S147] "1840 United States Census, Illinois, Adams, Quincy".
[S211] "1830 United States Census, Ohio, Greene, Xenia".
[S212] "1820 United States Census, Ohio, Greene, Xenia".
[S454] "1870 United States Census, Illinois, Adams, Houston".
[S1084] "U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918, Illinois, District 4, Annual Lists; 1863-1864".
[S1085] "U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, Illinois, District 4, Monthly and Special Lists; June 1863-Dec 1864".
[S1102] "Obituary: William Madison McFarland, 1896".
[S1103] "Obituary: Eliza McFarland, Dec. 7, 1882".
[S1104] "Obituary: Eliza McFarland, Dec. 14, 1882".
[S1106] "Obituary: Joseph H. McFarland, 1892".
[S1107] "Hebron Cemetery Record Book".
[S1109] "Newspaper: The Quincy Whig" (http://archive.quincylibrary.org).
[S1111] "Newspaper: The Quincy Whig Republican" (http://archive.quincylibrary.org).
[S1112] "Newspaper: The Quincy Daily Herald" (http://archive.quincylibrary.org).
[S1113] "Newspaper: The Qunicy Daily Journal" (http://archive.quincylibrary.org).
[S1243] "Greene County, Ohio, Marriage Record Books".
[S1537] "Probate Records: James McFarland".
[S1866] "Alpha Forsyth Guardian Report", Family Search.
[S2906] "Probate Records: Alpha Layson Forsyth" (https://app.box.com/s/kmrxqci666nrbkkjksnnoifxb7go6kx2).
[S2909] "Probate Records: William Henry Forsyth" (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HeFulkoP7TMltiuc8qDC-VcYG99sgp7A).
[S2911] "Probate Records: William Madison McFarland" (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MLAU_BmIlKG1cLQsMqfLCkwVI3moWPff).
[S2912] "Will: Rebecca McFarland".
[S2913] "Probate Records: Joseph McFarland" (https://drive.google.com/file/d/144MfGFijVIzDEBB7hI3sLJF-WAOKt4vm).
[S2964] "1880 United States Census, Illinois, Adams, Houston".
[S3147] Andreas, Lyter & Co., "Atlas Map of Adams County, Illinois, 1872" (Davenport, Iowa, 1872) (https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/wiu_rmaps/id/657/).
[P4] Tim Forsythe, "Early Cabinet Cards, Hancock and Adams County, Illinois", October 22, 2016, online article , Papa Greybeard, Greybeard's Ghosts, (https://timforsythe.com/greybeard/blog/early-cabinet-cards-hancock-and-adams-county-illinois, accessed: October 31, 2016).
[N115] Tim Forsythe, "The Arthur McFarland Family", 2011, online article , Papa Greybeard, Greybeard's Ghosts, (https://timforsythe.com/greybeard/blog/the-arthur-mcfarland-family, accessed: April 3, 2022).
Kinship Lines for William Madison McFarland
Spouse/PartnerDegreeRelationshipMRCA
Eliza McFarland (1814-1882)41st CousinJoseph McFarland (1761-1839)
Eliza McFarland (1814-1882)41st CousinMargaret White (1763-1834)
Family Note
William Madison McFarland was the son of John Arthur McFarland and Rebecca McFarland according to Thomas Simms McFarland, a contemporary, and is also stated in “The History of Adams County, Illinois”. He was born on August 12, 1814 near Xenia, Greene County, Ohio. He died on September 11, 1896 at the age of 82 years and 29 days, in LaPrairie, Adams County, Illinois. He is buried in Hebron Cemetery, Adams, County, Illinois. He married Eliza McFarland November 20, 1838.
Eliza McFarland, according to Thomas Simms McFarland, was the daughter of Arthur McFarland, and was born on February 3, 1814 in Greene County, Ohio, and died December 6, 1882 in Adams County, Illinois at the age of 69. She is buried alongside her husband.

Madison and Eliza had 4 children all born in Adams County, Illinois:

Rebecca Jane (28 Aug 1840 - 29 Jun 1886) m. Lewis L. Strickler
George Green (15 Jul 1842 - 2 Mar 1852)
Martha Lurinda (10 Jan 1846 - 20 Mar 1920) m. William Henry Forsyth
Amy Hatch (12 Sep 1848 - 18 Feb 1917) m. John W. Suter

When Madison was 4 years old, his family moved from Tennessee to Harrison County, Kentucky, and then to Greene County, Ohio. In August of 1832, Madison came to Camp Point, Adams County, Illinois and moved there permanently in 1837.
A William McFarland is listed in the Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales as purchasing 5 plots of land in Hancock County on 5 Feb, 1839, totaling 240 acres. This may be a different William, as the 1860 census lists a separate William in the Pontoosuc Township of that county (ID# IL373154068). William and Eliza are both listed as age 36 in the 1850 Federal Illinois Censuses in Houston Township, Adams County. William is also listed in the 1860 Federal Illinois Census in Houston Township, Adams County as head of household (ID# IL373154074) on page 981. William is shown in the 1872 Plat Book, for Houston Township in Adams County, Illinois.