1. WILLIAM ANGUS1 MCFARLIN , born abt. 1797 NC; deceased between 1841 and 1847 in Bowie Co. TX. He married in Carroll Co. GA., NANCY DUNMAN , born 1795 in Hall Co GA; deceased after 1841 in Bowie Co. TX, daughter of MICHAEL THOMAS DUNMAN and JEANNIE HICKMAN.


Notes for William Angus McFarlin


William and his wife, Nancy, came to TX in January of 1825, first settling in the Arthur Wavell Colony in old Miller Co AR, later Red River Co TX. After the Texas Revolution, the whole of this county, which lay south of the Red River, was absorbed by the Republic of Texas. As of 1830, he is listed on both the Wavell Colony Register and the Miller Co AR census with Nancy and his 5 children. In 1840 he is found on the Lafayette Co AR census as William "McFarland". Due to the still unsettled boundary between the U.S. and the new Republic of Texas, the census for Lafayette Co AR includes people who were actually living in Texas.


When I first began researching this family, I was told the family lore that he was stationed at the Alamo preceding the attack by Santa Anna,but had left on sick leave before the battle. This appears to be false. In the records found for his company, it was never at the Alamo:


Wm. McFarlain is listed in the roster for Co. C, 1st Regiment Infantry, Regular Texas Army,enlistment date is "aft. 12/2/1835". Served under W.E. Howth. Date of this roster is 06/20/1836.

This company is then taken over by Capt. Nicholas Lynch, and Wm. McFarlane is listed as of 06/30/1836 as serving under Lynch at Victoria.

Two months later, listed as Wm McFarland, still with the same company, at Cox Point, Camp Johnson in Aug of 1836. The last muster roll listed for this company shows it at Camp Independence on the San Jacinto River. The date of this roster is 10/31/1836-12/31/1836. He is still with them, listed as Wm. McFarland. He was an enlisted man, not to be confused with Capt. William McFarland,who commanded a different regiment in the war.


Prior to the war there was a Spanish land grant on the Brazos River in what is now Hill Co. TX issued to William McFarlin in 1835. I have never found any evidence that he lived on this property and do not know the disposition of it. Perhaps he never claimed it due to the war. Or perhaps it was a different William McFarlin. After the war, he was granted a headright claim by the Republic of Texas for his service :

Republic of Texas and State of Coahuila And Texas ( Mexico) Abstracts of Deed Record Books A-B, A-B-C, D, F To 19 Feb 1846 Annexation to United States; Abstracted by Joyce Martin Murray. ( Copied at the Abilene ( TX) Public Library and sent to me by Hubert Welch.)

"The following Certificates were issued by the County Court Board

RICHARD F. HOPKINS, ass. of BENJAMIN L. TIPTON."

"Certificates stated are genuine claims but not issued owing to oath not having been taken and subscribed by original claimant. Dated 10 Apr 1841. Page 54 - Statement showing the number of First Class Certificates issued in the County of Red River to individuals living and residing East of Rices on the Lafayette Line at the date of the Declaration of Independence and which is within the present jurisdiction of Arkansas."


After this statement is a list of names, including "William McFarland" who is immediately followed by the name "Sherrod Dunn". Sherrod DUNMAN was the brother of Williams wife, Nancy.


After he died in Bowie Co TX, three of his children, John Green McFarlin, Martha McFarlin, and Thomas McFarlin, sold their rights to this headright to Alvin Johnson, husband of his daughter Rebecca McFarlin, for $400. This transaction is recorded in Hempstead Co. AR in 1847.( Bk H, pg 75) The claim in Bowie County of William's brother-in-law, Sherrod Dunman, is also included. Sherrod, who died prior to 1840, owned land in 9 counties in AR and TX; though a will has not been found, other evidence shows that he left these holdings to his siblings and they were later inherited by their children. In 1841, William and his family were in the area that later became Llano Co TX ,according to an article in the Texas Handbook about his son, John Green McFarlin. Nancy Dunman's brother Hickman settled in this area, and this is supposedly where John Green joined the Texas Rangers. Apparently, William returned to Bowie Co, as he died there before 1847.


Children of WILLIAM ANGUS MCFARLIN and NANCY DUNMAN were as follows:


i. REBECCA2 , born 14 Dec 1821 in Carroll Co. GA; died 04 Jan 1901 Cherokee Co TX. She married in 1841 Bowie Co TX, ALVIN JOHNSON, born 1818 in Moore Co NC; died 11 Feb 1881 TX. In 1850, they are found on the census for Hempstead Co AR, but migrated before 1860 to Cherokee Co TX.

(have more information on Rebecca's family and descendant contacts).


ii. MARTHA "PATSY"2 , born 1823 in Carroll Co. GA. Martha was single and living with her sister Rebecca McFarlin Johnson on both the 1850 census for Hempstead Co. AR and the 1860 census for Cherokee Co. TX.


2 iii. JOHN GREEN2


3 iv. THOMAS2


v. JANE2 , born 1828 in Red River Co. TX.


vi. WILLIAM M., b. abt 1839/40 in Bowie Co TX; d. bef 1906, possibly in Hamilton Co Tx. Though not yet proven as a son of William and Nancy, there is mounting circumstantial evidence that he was, and I believe it to be so. He married abt 1857, Louisa J. _____, and had three sons: David, Robert Lee, and William Henry. The 1840 Census for the family of "William McFarland" (William Angus McFarlin) in Lafayette Co AR does include another son, but the enumeration has this child as over age 5. This could easily be an error, as early census records are not known for accuracy. In 1870 tax records for Cass Co TX, William is shown paying taxes on land valued at $800 and originally granted to "S. Duncan". This name is from a transcription and I believe this to be, in fact, Sherrod Dunman, who did have a land grant in Cass Co. which was patented by "the heirs of Sherrod Dunman" on 18 Jan 1858. To verify, I need to look at original in the Texas Land Office. In the 1880 census record for William M. McFarlin in Comanche Co TX, he is 40 yrs old, born TX, and stated his father was born NC and mother born GA. This fits with the information given by John Green McFarlin about his parents on the 1880 Burnet Co TX census. His son William Henry is known to have lived in Williamson Co TX and later in Blanco Co, both of which border Burnet Co. There is other evidence also and research continues to prove the connection.


Generation 2


2. JOHN GREEN2 MCFARLIN (William Angus1), born 23 Aug 1824 in Carroll Co. GA.; deceased 18 Apr 1917 in Burnet Co. TX. He married 23 Sep 1855 in Union Co. AR, (1) NANCY FRANCES JONES , born 2 Oct 1837 in Franklin Co.TN; deceased 7 Oct 1894 in Burnet Co. TX, daughter of MARTIN HEZEKIAH JONES and JANE J. RHODES. He married 17 Aug 1895 in Burnet Co TX, (2) MAHALA CELIA HUMPREYS BOONE, born abt 1837 AL; died 18 July 1910 Bertram, Burnet Co TX, daughter of JOHN HUMPHREYS. Mahala was the widow of JOSEPH BOONE. She came to Bertram from Mississippi after Joseph died in 1887. Known as "Aunt Mahala".


Notes for John Green McFarlin

Known locally to some as "Uncle Johnny", John is buried beside Nancy in the South Gabriel Cemetery near Bertram, TX, however, his headstone faces that of Mahala's in the next row instead of facing the same direction as Nancy's.

John joined the Texas Rangers in 1841, when he was just sixteen, serving first under Capt. Talbert, then for 12 months with Brig. Gen. Edward Tarrant's regiment as an Indian fighter in the area of modern day Dallas-Ft.Worth. In 1842 he took part in the Prairie Fight against the Caddo tribe near Bonham in Fannin County.

He left the Rangers about 1846 and moved to Hempstead Co AR, where he is found in the household of his sister Rebecca McFarlin and her husband Alvin Johnson on the 1850 census. He returned to Llano Co. and bought land for a hog ranch in January 1853. After establishing the ranch, he went back to Arkansas and married Nancy Frances Jones in September of 1855. She was the daughter of Martin Hezekiah Jones and Jane Rhodes, who had migrated to AR from Franklin Co TN. John then brought his new bride back to Llano County. The ranch they lived on in Llano County is believed to have been located on Pecan Creek, near Dunman's Mountain, where John's uncle Hickman Dunman lived.

John Green re-entered Ranger service during the Civil War, and was stationed at Camp San Saba, which was charged with protecting the frontier from Indian raids during the war. After the war, he once again left the Rangers and went back to raising stock, this time in Burnet County, establishing the McFarlin Ranch about 5 miles south of Bertram near the South Gabriel River in 1867. Still in the family, and still a working ranch, it was designated a Family Heritage Ranch by the Dept of Agriculture in 1974.


His daughter, Martha Nettie McFarlin Gray , wrote a biography of him,"Texas Pioneer, The Adventures of John Green McFarlin" which is preserved in the Barker Texas History collection at the University of Texas Library. Though it is a rough manuscript, it contains some interesting stories of pioneer life in early Llano and Burnet counties as well as detail on the life of her father.

Children of JOHN GREEN2 MCFARLIN and NANCY FRANCES JONES were as follows:

i LULA DELLA3 She married (1) Unknown. She married (2) in Lampasas Co, TX, J.D. MILLER.


ii. NANCY JANE3 , born 06 Aug 1856 in Llano Co TX;d. 22 July 1944 in Goldthwaite, Mills Co TX. She married 12 April 1876 in Burnet Co TX, DANIEL THORNTON BUSH, b. 1850 in Chestnut Hill, Jefferson Co TN; d. 1915 in Goldthwaite, Mills Co TX. Daniel was the son of Jesse Lindsay Bush and Sarah Caroline THORNTON, and the grandson of Sarah Hill and her second husband Barnabus Thornton. See HILL family page.
D.T. and Nancy are buried in Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery.

iii. MARTHA NETTIE3 , born 1858 in Llano Co.TX; deceased 30 October 1951 in Bertram, Burnet Co. TX. She married 12 Sept 1877 in Burnet Co TX, LODERICK R. GRAY. They are buried in the South Gabriel Cemetery south of Bertram.

iv. JOHN P., born 1863, deceased 1865 in Llano Co TX, buried at Pecan Creek Cemetery near Dunman Mountain in Llano Co TX.

4 vi. ELIZA CASSANDER3

5 vii. RUFUS HOUSTON3

viii. FRANCES KATHERINE3 "FANNY KATE", born 1869 in Burnet Co. TX. She married W.F. BULLINGTON.

ix. ALICE3 , born 31 Dec 1871 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 11 Jan 1894 in Burnet Co. TX.

x. JAMES R.3 , born 8 Dec 1876 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 20 Dec 1883 in Burnet Co. TX.


3 THOMAS2 (William Angus1), born 1826 in Red River Co. TX. He married 1859 in Cherokee Co TX, SARAH MCLEOD. Thomas served with the Union Army during the Civil War. Family lore is that he was shot as a deserter after his wife died and he returned home for her funeral without permission. His only son William A. was raised by his brother John G. McFarlin.

Child of Thomas and Sarah McLeod McFarlin was as follows:

6 i. WILLIAM A.3


Generation 3


4. ELIZA CASSANDER3 MCFARLIN (John Green , William Angus ), born 1861 Llano Co TX; deceased 20 August 1956 in Liberty Hill, Williamson Co TX. She married JAMES CASWELL KEELER , born 30 Sep 1847 in Sevier Co.TN; deceased 5 Mar 1938 in Williamson Co. TX, son of JOHN ADAM KEELER and MARY ANN MATILDA BAKER.

Notes for Eliza Cassander McFarlin

Eliza and her husband, James, are buried in the Liberty Hill Cemetery in Williamson Co. TX.


Children of ELIZA CASSANDER3 MCFARLIN and JAMES CASWELL KEELER were as follows:

i. LOTTIE4 born 11 Feb 1896 in Liberty Hill, Williamson Co TX; deceased Jan 1984 in Liberty Hill, Williamson Co TX. She married EMMIT FARQUHAR.

ii. JAMES MARTIN4 born 25 Oct 1899 in Liberty Hill, Williamson Co TX; deceased 19 Oct 1984 in Liberty Hill, Williamson Co TX. He married ADA MAYNARD.

iii. MAGGIE4 She married HUGH CURTIS.

iv. NETTIE4

7 v. ELMA DELLA4



5. RUFUS HOUSTON3 MCFARLIN (John Green2, William Angus1), born 11 Oct 1866 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 8 May 1964 in Burnet Co. TX. He married (1) GERTRUDE POWELL. He married (2) MINNIE E. POWELL , born 29 Nov 1875 in Newark, AR; deceased 30 Nov 1939 in Burnet Co. TX.

Notes for Rufus Houston:
First wife Gertrude and two children died of yellow fever.
They are buried at South Gabriel Cemetery near Bertram,TX.

Children of RUFUS HOUSTON3 MCFARLIN and MINNIE POWELL were as follows:

i. JAMES HOUSTON4 , born 19 Oct 1896 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 4 July 1980 in Burnet Co. TX. He married JUANITA B. POPE, born 25 Oct 1896; deceased 7 June 1978 in Burnet Co. TX.

ii. RUFUS S.4 , born 7 Nov 1897 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 29 Mar 1988 in Burnet Co. TX. He married MARGARET MCDEED , born 2 May 1908; deceased 18 Feb 1991 in Burnet Co. TX.

iii. TOM BUSH4 , born 1 Apr 1907 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 25 Dec 1993 in Burnet Co. TX. He married GRACE DARDEN , born 31 Aug 1914; deceased 18 May 1972 in Burnet Co. TX.



6 WILLIAM A.3 MCFARLIN (Thomas2, William Angus1), born 1860 in Llano Co.TX; He married MARY F. ____. William was raised by his uncle, John Green McFarlin.

Children of WILLIAM A.3 MCFARLIN and MARY F. _____ were as follows:


i. MYRTLE LEE4, born 17 Mar 1888; deceased 24 July 1899.

ii. JOHN THOMAS4 , born 14 Jan 1889 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 4 Nov 1921 in Burnet Co. TX.


Generation 4


7. ELMA DELLA4 KEELER (Eliza Cassander3 McFarlin, John Green2, William Angus1), born 14 Dec 1885 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 02 Feb 1978 in Williamson Co. TX. She married 05 June 1906 in Williamson Co. TX, AULCY WILLIAM ARNOLD COX , born 1885 in Benton Co. AR; deceased 1963 in Williamson Co. TX, son of JAMES BEAUREGARD COX and ELIZA JANE ELLIS.


Children of ELMA DELLA4 KEELER and AULCY WILLIAM ARNOLD COX were as follows:


i HORACE BRADY5 He married HIXIE BUCK.

ii. MINA FRANCES5 She married ERVIN RAY JOHNSON.

iii. JAMES BERNARD5 He married LINNIE WEEKS.

iv. LAURA VERNA5 born 19 Jun 1914 in Burnet Co. TX; deceased 30 Mar 2003 in Round Rock, Williamson Co TX. She married 1935 in Burnet Co TX, KING SAMUEL REED, son of ROBERT WALTER REED and LILLIE ROSE KING.

v. LONNIE VIRGIL5 , born 19 June 1914 in Burnet Co TX;d. 1990 in Bertram, Burnet Co TX. He married MARGUERITE HEINE.

vi. HENRY MARTIN5, born 1918 Bertram, Burnet Co TX.







Prepared by Teresa Reed Shands, granddaughter of Laura Verna Cox and King Samuel Reed. Email Teresa for more information. Sources include "John Green McFarlin" The Texas Handbook Online; Articles about John Green printed in the Burnet (TX) Bulletin in 1902; "Texas Pioneer, The Adventures of John Green McFarlin", a manuscript by Martha Nettie McFarlin Gray, 1931; marriage, land, court,census, cemetery and other records.

Teresa Shands