A Genealogy and Family History
of James and Margaret Lamont Macfarlane (Mcfarland), 1793-1993

The North Antrim Coast

1. James(1) Macfarlane (Mcfarland). Born, circa 1793, in Ireland or Scotland¹. Died, 29 Apr 1885, in Landhead, Ballymoney Parish, County Antrim, Ireland². Buried in Old Ballymoney Cemetery, County Antrim, Ireland³.

He married⁴ Margaret (Peggy) Lamont (Lamond) , 17 May 1823, in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Ireland. They married in the Parish Church, Church of Ireland, Ballymoney, Ireland. Margaret was born, circa 1798, in Ireland or Scotland. Died, 15 Jul 1864, in Landhead, Ballymoney Parish, County Antrim, Ireland⁵. Buried in Old Ballymoney Cemetery, County Antrim, Ireland.

The Old Ballymoney Graveyard with the Parish Church behind
The Macfarlane gravestone is the first to the right as you enter through the gate

James and Margaret (Peggy) were probably born in Ireland. In 1824 they lived in the townland of Carnany, just east of Ballymoney. The term townland does not indicate a town but designates a small farming district. Little is known about James's and Margaret's antecedents. Naming patterns and proximity indicate that Margaret may have been the daughter or sister of DanielLamont (Lamond), who also resided in Carnany, although this has not been proven. James and Margaret were married in the Ballymoney Parish Church, the Church of Ireland. They were both residents of Ballymoney parish at the time of their marriage. Many of the Lamonts (Lamonds) were members of the Church of Ireland, but James and Margaret baptized all of their children in the First Presbyterian Church of Ballymoney, although a baptismal record was not found for John. Their children were Jane, Daniel, James, Margaret, Isabella, and John.

Presumably in the 1840's or '50's they moved a short distance east to the townland of Landhead which bordered Carnany and was 1.5 miles east of Ballymoney. James and Margaret lived at Landhead in 1861 when the Griffith's valuations were taken. According to this document, the Macfarlane's farm was 31 acres. This seems very small by American standards, but it was the largest farm in the townland. James purchased another farm of 17 acres in Landhead before 1881, that formerly belonged to Daniel Nevin. This property was on the south side of Kilraghts Road, south of James's other farm.

A 1900 insurance application made by their grandson, John Herbert McFarland, stated that James lived to be 94 years old and that Margaret lived to be 60 years old. According to their gravestone in the Old Ballymoney Graveyard, James lived to be 90 and Margaret lived to be 66. The sexton's record listed James as 91. Their grave is the first to the right as you enter through the gate.

The House at Landhead

Their son James and his wife Mary Mansfield

Their children: Jane, Daniel, Margaret, Isabella, and John

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