The Rev. Edgar James McFarland: 1897-1944
Rev. E. J. McFarland.
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The Rev. Edgar James McFarland, B.A., Vicar at Te Aroha, was born in 1857, in Londonderry, Ireland, and accompanied his parents to Auckland in 1862. He was educated at the Thames and the Auckland Grammar school, and graduated in the New Zealand University, in which he took his degree in 1882. He was ordained deacon in the same year, and priest in the following year. Mr. McFarland's first charge was Paeroa-cum-Katikati, where he was for one year. He was also for one year at the Bay of Islands, and after being for eleven years at Bombay (Pukekohe) he removed to Te Aroha in 1896. Mr. McFarland is a Freemason and a Past Master of the English Constitution. He was married, in 1888, to a grand-daughter of the Rev. Richard Taylor, of Wanganui, and has three sons and one daughter.
The Reverend McFarland joined the NZ Territorial Forces Piako Mounted Rifle Volunteers transferring to "A" Battery New Zealand Field Artillery Volunteers from 24 December 1902 (page 39-42) being accepted by the unit due to the death of Archbishop Cowie who was chaplain to '"A" Battery' became Chaplain 4th Class (promoted to 3rd Class 24 December 1912 and gazetted 27 December 1912) serving from 1902-1911 and retired with his discharged on the 26 January 1918. According to a letter to Archbishop Averill (page 12-13), the Reverend was 10 years overdue the retirement age and the subject of much discussion between the Auckland Unit and the New Zealand Defense Headquarters resulted in the action of deeming him 'retired'.
He was made a Canon of St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell and was Bishop's chaplain at his death in 1944 aged 87 years. His death notice is shown below. |
CANON E. J. MCFARLAND (Evening Post, 29 December 1944). Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/17814426
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