William McFarland - obituary, New York, about 1876

[Erato]

I don't know if Carrie was adopted but she was the only one born in England and both of her parents were allegedly born there, too.  That's why I mentioned her - could there be a connection to the Stallas somehow?  Robert was English.

I took a nap and dreamed that Robert and Jane were suspected of murdering William McFarland to get his money.  And, while that was an amusing possibility, I think it means I need to take a break.  I'll get back to this little conundrum tomorrow.  I'm going to look at all the other McFarlands in the 1850 Brooklyn directory to see if one of them provides a link to William.

Meanwhile, though, I've learned quite a lot about antique salamander safes and such.

[Lisa in California]

I was just stepping away for a bit.  I will be back later tonight (I didn’t want to pop in and just ignore your post.)

[Lisa in California]

Erato, regarding your Reply #5, do you know

If William McFarland lived or worked near Stalla/Logan folks c1840s?  If so, do you know how long?
If Robert Harvey Stalla’s family members left England (settling in New York)?
If there were any other children with the middle name McFarland born in Brooklyn c1845?
William McFarland’s occupation during the 1840s or possibly the 1830s?
Where in England Robert Stalla was born?

Added: have you researched the Store/Stone children who were living with the McFarland family in 1865?   

[Erato]

1. In 1840, Robert Stalla lived at 36 Henry Street in Brooklyn.  In 1850, Robert was at 130 Adams Street, Brooklyn.  Robert died on 30 March 1855, at which time he was living on 15th Street in Brooklyn (probably near 4th Avenue which is where Jane was recorded in 1859).  Jane and her unmarried daughters Elizabeth and Adelia continued to live in this general neighborhood until their deaths.  Indeed, all of the Stalla descendants who remained in Brooklyn were clustered in this part of Brooklyn until the 1920s.

William McFarland was not listed in the 1840 Brooklyn directory. In 1856 he lived at 26 South 6th Street and his business was at nearby Dunham Place.  He later built a home near the corner of Marcy Ave. and Hewes Street (not sure when).

On the attached 1850 map of Brooklyn, the green dots are the Stallas and the red dots are the McFarlands.  You can see that they were not close neighbors, but they were within walking distance of each other. The Stallas started out in Downtown Brooklyn and then moved south to the Park Slope area. The McFarlands were in Williamsburg.

2.  Stalla is not a common surname; there were no other Stalla households in Brooklyn at that time. The only family member known to have come to Brooklyn with Robert was his mother, Mary.  She was recorded with him in Brooklyn on the 1840 census: 1 male 30-40 (Robert), 2 females <5 (daughters Elizabeth and Mary Ann), 1 female 20-30 (Jane), 1 female 70-80 (Mary).  Mary's death on 23 August 1847 was reported in the Brooklyn Evening Star.  She was buried in Wallabout Cemetery but later moved to Green-Wood Cemetery and interred in the same plot as Robert and Jane.

3. I have no idea if there were any other children with the middle name McFarland born in Brooklyn c1845.  I doubt it is even possible to find out for sure.  I know of no other occurrence of the name McFarland in the Logan or Stalla families.

4.  I don't know McFarland's occupation in the 1830s and '40s.  I haven't yet found him in any directory.

5. Robert Stalla was born in Cambridgeshire, England; christened on 16 July 1809, All Saints, Longstanton; son of William and Mary. 

6.  Not yet. The Stores are on my to-do list.

[RJ137]

The document mentioned above states:
William was an inhabitant of Hempstead, County of Queens, and died in the said town, 16 January 1882.

“… and that he left him surviving as his only heirs at law and next of kin, Nancy S. McFarland his widow and Frederick H. McFarland, his son, both of full age and severally residing at Smithville South in said county of Queens.  That said decedent left no other child or descendent him surviving…”

I thought Carrie was still alive in 1900?  Was she not considered his child?  You mentioned that she was adopted, but still…. 

New York Herald
Wednesday, Jan 18, 1882
New York, NY
Page: 9

[Lisa in California]

…3. I have no idea if there were any other children with the middle name McFarland born in Brooklyn c1845.  I doubt it is even possible to find out for sure.  I know of no other occurrence of the name McFarland in the Logan or Stalla families…

Tackling the easiest first, McFarland births (however, there were no birth registrations)…

Using search terms (on Anc*try)
First and Middle Name(s): McFarlan*
Birth: 1843, +/- 10 years.  Brooklyn, New York City, New York

Grave registration for Joseph McFarland Stella

———————-
Using search terms (on Anc*try)
First and Middle Name(s): McFarlan*
Birth: 1843, +/- 10 years.  New York City, New York

Grave registration for Joseph McFarland Stella
1860 Leaf River Census: McFarland J West, born 1835, New York [Looks like West]
Private member photos: Sarah Amie McFarland Bertine, 1850-1938
Private member photos: Margaret McFarland Reid, 1841-1920
Public member photos: William McFarland Jennings, 1848-1912
American genealogical-biographical index: John McFarland Tyler, born 1853, New York
American genealogical-biographical index: Mary A (McFarland) Vandeusen
American genealogical-biographical index: Nancy Maria (McFarland) King

I was hoping that results would have included actual birth registrations, not just records from later years.  I, or others, can search for McFarland, born Brooklyn, for any events but maybe that should be done as a last choice?  It seems tedious, possibly not helpful as we would still have to look for a connection to William McFarland, and not the best use of time. 

[I was hoping to find other children who could have been named after William to see if others did the same, or if it was just the Stalla family that did so.]

[Erato]

According to the little newspaper clipping attached to my initial post, William McFarland established his safe business at Dunham Place, Brooklyn in about 1841.  However, it looks like he didn't get to Brooklyn until later than that.  His son Frederick was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on 8 October 1844, with his father William recorded as a blacksmith resident on Monument Street.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SWQ-RR?i=507&cc=1928860

I suppose it's possible that William was actually down in Brooklyn setting up his safe factory while Nancy was back in Boston with her family to give birth.  But, if William really didn't go to Brooklyn until after the birth of his son, it is unlikely that Robert Stalla was working for him when his son Joseph was born in December 1844.


added:

As a matter of fact, William and his family were still at least technically living in Charlestown in 1850.  Maybe the factory in Brooklyn was up and running but was in the hands of C.E. Tilton.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01syn/