Guide to the Francis McFarland Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Francis McFarland Papers

Inclusive Dates

1817-1871

Call Number

RG 459

Creator(s)

McFarland, Francis, 1788-1871.

Quantity

2.00 cubic feet (4 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

Francis McFarland was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1788, and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1793. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1820, after which he served for several years as a home missionary in Indiana, Missouri, and Georgia. In 1823, he was called as pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Augusta County, Virginia, where he served until 1835. Between 1835 and 1841, McFarland served as corresponding secretary of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Education. In 1841, he returned to Bethel Presbyterian Church, where he remained until his death in 1871. McFarland served for many years as stated clerk of the Synod of Virginia, and in 1856, he was elected General Assembly Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Old School). He was one of the key figures involved in the formation, in 1861, of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America, which became the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. He presided over the Assembly for that church until its first moderator and clerks were elected.

Collection Overview

The collection contains the personal papers of Francis McFarland documenting his career as a seminary student, Presbyterian minister, and corresponding secretary of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Education. The papers consist primarily of handwritten sermons, circa 1823-1866, and personal correspondence from 1817 to 1871, including a letterpress book, 1840-1849. Correspondents include William Henry Foote, Charles Hodge, William Swan Plumer, William Henry Ruffner, and Joseph Ruggles Wilson. Included is a sermon logbook, circa 1823-1866; two notebooks, circa 1819-1820, which record lectures on pastoral theology and church history delivered by Archibald Alexander at Princeton Theological Seminary; and copies of "secret circulars," 1836, and other materials which illustrate disagreements over the Westminster Confession.

Organization and Arrangement

Summary of Box Contents

Box 1: Correspondence, A-Y, 1817-1871

Box 2: Manuscript sermons, circa 1823-1866, arranged by text

Box 3: Student notebooks on church history, pastoral care, and metaphysics, 1819-1820; sermon log (in the same notebook as metaphysics lecture notes), 1823-1866; and account books, 1843-1855

Box 4: Letterpress book, 1840-1849

Related Material

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Received from Mr. and Mrs. W.B. McFarland in 1936.

Processing Information

This collection is minimally processed: materials may not have been ordered beyond their original condition. A preliminary inventory is provided in this guide. Guide revised in 2009 by Jennifer Barr, Archives Intern.

Preferred Citation

Francis McFarland Papers, RG 459, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Personal Name Subject

McFarland, Francis, 1788-1871.

Alexander, Archibald, 1772-1851.

Foote, William Henry, 1794-1869.

Hodge, Charles, 1797-1878.

Plumer, William S. (William Swan), 1802-1880.

Ruffner, William Henry, 1824-1908.

Wilson, Joseph Ruggles, 1822-1903.

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Old School). General Assembly.

Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Education.

Princeton Theological Seminary.

Topical Subject

Presbyterian Church--Virginia--Clergy--19th century.

Sermons, American--19th century.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Sermons. aat

Personal Added Name

Alexander, Archibald, 1772-1851.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Correspondence, A
1	2	Correspondence, B
1	3	Correspondence, C-G
1	4	Correspondence, H-L
1	5	Correspondence, M
1	6	Correspondence, P-R
1	7	Correspondence, S-V
1	8	Correspondence, W, Y
1	9	Correspondence, miscellaneous
1	10	Correspondence, unidentified

2	1	Sermons, Genesis
2	2	Sermons, Exodus
2	3	Sermons, Leviticus
2	4	Sermons, Numbers
2	5	Sermons, Deuteronomy
2	6	Sermons, Joshua
2	7	Sermons, Judges
2	8	Sermons, Ruth
2	9	Sermons, I Kings
2	10	Sermons, II Kings
2	11	Sermons, I Chronicles
2	12	Sermons, II Chronicles
2	13	Sermons, Nehemiah
2	14	Sermons, Job
2	15	Sermons, Psalms
2	16	Sermons, Proverbs
2	17	Sermons, Ecclesiastes
2	18	Sermons, Isaiah
2	19	Sermons, Jeremiah
2	20	Sermons, Lamentations
2	21	Sermons, Ezekiel
2	22	Sermons, Daniel
2	23	Sermons, Hosea
2	24	Sermons, Joel
2	25	Sermons, Amos
2	26	Sermons, Jonah
2	27	Sermons, Micah
2	28	Sermons, Haggai
2	29	Sermons, Zechariah
2	30	Sermons, Malachi
2	31	Sermons, Matthew
2	32	Sermons, Mark
2	33	Sermons, Luke
2	34	Sermons, John
2	35	Sermons, Acts
2	36	Sermons, Romans
2	37	Sermons, I Corinthians
2	38	Sermons, II Corinthians
2	39	Sermons, Galatians
2	40	Sermons, Ephesians
2	41	Sermons, Philippians
2	42	Sermons, Colossians
2	43	Sermons, I Thessalonians
2	44	Sermons, II Thessalonians
2	45	Sermons, I Timothy
2	46	Sermons, II Timothy
2	47	Sermons, Titus
2	48	Sermons, Philemon
2	49	Sermons, Hebrews
2	50	Sermons, James
2	51	Sermons, I Peter
2	52	Sermons, II Peter
2	53	Sermons, I John
2	54	Sermons, Revelation
2	55	Sermons, miscellaneous

3	1	Miscellaneous papers
3	2	Circular letters, broadsides, and other printed material, 1828-1870
3	3	Metaphysics lecture notebook and sermon log, 1819, 1823-1866
3	4	Pastoral theology lecture notebook, 1819
3	5	Church history lecture notebook, 1819-1820
3	6	Account books, 1843-1855

4		Letterpress book, 1840-1849

Print

You are here

Guide to the Francis McFarland Papers

Creator(s)