Basil McFarland
Sir Basil Alexander Talbot McFarland, 2nd Baronet, CBE, ERD (18 February 1898– 5 March 1986) was a Northern Irish soldier, businessman and politician.
The son of Sir John McFarland, 1st Baronet, he was a businessman, a Senator of Northern Ireland, Mayor of Londonderry (1939 and 1945–1950), Lord Lieutenant of the County Borough of Londonderry (1939–1975) and an Ireland rugby union international (1920–1922). He succeeded to his father's title in 1926.
Born in County Londonderry, Sir Basil was educated at Bedford School and also in Brussels and Neuwied-on-Rhine, Germany.[citation needed]
Public service
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Sir Basil was High Sheriff of the City of Londonderry, 1930–1938 and 1952, High Sheriff of County Londonderry, 1952. He served in 1918 with the Artists Rifles, and in the Second World War served overseas, mainly in North Africa, with the 9th Londonderry HAA Regiment and was Mentioned in Dispatches.
He was Commanding Officer of the Londonderry City Battalion of the Home Guard, Chairman of the Territorial Army and Auxiliary Force Association (Co. Londonderry), 1947–1962, and a member of its national Council. McFarland was Hon. Colonel of the 9th Londonderry HAA Regiment of the Royal Artillery (TA), and President of the Northern Ireland TA and Volunteer Reserve Association, 1968–1971.
He was a Commissioner of Irish Lights, an original member of the Northern Ireland Unemployment Assistance Board (to 1939), a Senator in the Parliament of Northern Ireland, 1945–1950, a member of the Northern Ireland Air Advisory Council, 1946–1965, Chairman of the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners, 1952–1967, a member of the London Midland Area Board of the British Transport Commission, 1955–1961, and a trustee of Magee University College, Londonderry, 1962–1965.
Business Interests
His directorships and business interests included: directorships of the Belfast Banking Company Ltd, 1930–1970, the Belfast Bank Executors Trustee Company, and the Donegal Railway Company, a local directorship of the Commercial Union Assurance Co., and the chairmanship of Sir Alfred McAlpine & Son (Northern Ireland) Ltd, the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company, Lanes (Derry) Ltd, Lanes (Fuel Oils) Ltd, Lanes (Business Equipment) Ltd, John W. Corbett & Sons, R.C. Malseed & Co. Ltd, Alexander Thompson & Co. Ltd, and the Londonderry Gaslight Co.
Personal life
Sir Basil was married to Annie Kathleen Henderson (d. 1952), daughter of Andrew Henderson, JP, of Parkville, Whiteabbey, Belfast. Sir Basil had two children, including Sir John McFarland, 3rd Baronet – who lives at Dunmore House in Carrigans in the east of County Donegal. His second marriage took place in 1955 to Mary Eleanor Dougan. He lived at Aberfoyle House, a small mansion that overlooks the Strand Road in the City of Derry (this is now part of the 'Magee Campus' of the University of Ulster).
He was Given the Freedom of the City of Londonderry in 1944.[1]
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Londonderry 1939–40 |
Succeeded by Frederick Simmons |
| Preceded by | Mayor of Londonderry 1945–50 |
Succeeded by Gerald Stanley Glover |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of the City of Londonderry 1939–1975 |
Succeeded by Thomas Fitzpatrick Cooke |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Baronet (of Aberfoyle) 1926–1986 |
Succeeded by Sir John McFarland, 3rd Baronet |
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015
- 1898 births
- 1986 deaths
- Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
- High Sheriffs of Londonderry City
- High Sheriffs of County Londonderry
- Lord-Lieutenants of the City of Londonderry
- Mayors of places in Northern Ireland
- Members of the Senate of Northern Ireland 1937–41
- Members of the Senate of Northern Ireland 1945–49
- Members of the Senate of Northern Ireland 1949–53
- People educated at Bedford School
- British Army personnel of World War I
- Royal Artillery officers
- British Home Guard officers
- Irish rugby union players
- Ireland international rugby union players
- Politicians from Londonderry
