- Basil McFarland
Sir Basil Alexander Talbot McFarland, 2nd Baronet, CBE, ERD (1898 - 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 County Londonderry (1939-1975) and an IrishRugby Union international (1920 - 1922).Public service
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 theArtists Rifles , and in theSecond World War served overseas, mainly in North Africa, with the 9th Londonderry HAA Regiment and wasMentioned in Dispatches . He was Commanding Officer of the Londonderry City Battalion of theHome Guard , Chairman of theTerritorial 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
Northern Ireland Parliament , 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 ofMagee 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 theDonegal Railways Company , a local directorship of the Commercial Union Assurance Co., and the chairmanship ofSir Alfred McAlpine & Son (Northern Ireland) Ltd, the Londonderry andLough Swilly Railway Co., 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, includingSir John McFarland, 3rd Baronet - who lives inCounty Donegal . His second marriage took place in 1955 to Mary Eleanor.References
[http://www.proni.gov.uk/records/private/mcfarl.htm#1stbt proni.gov.uk]
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