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George Macfarlane
30 January 1809, Dunfermline - 21 December 1881, Govan [Glasgow]
Son of the Rev. James Macfarlane (ca 1759-1823) and Grizel [Grace] Husband (1779-1816).
Associated with Glasgow Chess Club.
His signature.
Chartered Accountant.
Nothing is known of Mr Macfarlane's early education, but he was in practice as an Accountant in Glasgow from 1847. Over the years he had several business addresses in the city: 11 Princes Square; 116 St Vincent Street; 179 West George Street.
In 1853 he was admitted as a member of the Institute of Accountants and Actuaries in Glasgow (IAAG). in 1863 he entered into a partnership with James Hutton under the firm of Macfarlane and Hutton - later Macfarlane, Hutton and Patrick.
In the 1861 census his home address was 1 Havelock Terrace, Govan Parish, now Edwin St, off Paisley Road West. In the 1871 census he was shown at "Dunsloy", in the Bellahouston area of Govan Parish, having moved to a new home named after the district of Dunfermline with which his family was associated. The home was located in what became known as Church Road, but is now called Carillon Road. (Govan was annexed by Glasgow 1912.)
It is not known when Macfarlane joined the Glasgow Chess Club - a disastrous 1856 fire destroyed the club records - but in 1852 he was shown to be a member of the club council.
In 1874 he became Hon. President and as a token of his appreciation he made a financial donation to the cluib which resulted in the purchase of the Macfarlane Cup that year. The unpublished history of the club provides the following information:
For seventeen years to 1891 it was held by the Club Champions. In 1892 it became the first prize in the Minor Championship of the club and for two years 1908 and 1909 was offered as the trophy in an Intermediate Championship tournament. "Re-transferred to Minor, 1910" the "Macfarlane" has remained the keenly contested award in the Club Minor Championship tournament.
In 1879 Macfarlane financed the publication of Rules and Alphabetical List of the Members of the Glasgow Chess Club.
Hon. President George Macfarlane (left) and Hon. Treasurer Alexander Berwick.
From the above mentioned publication.The booklet gave problems by Macfarlane and Sheriff Spens, a list of office-bearers, a problem by John Jenkin, club champions from 1863 and a problem by John Crum. There then followed a list of members, the club rules, and a brief history of chess boards.
Shortly before his death, thinking about players who were not of the first class, Macfarlane presented a set of Staunton Ivory Chessmen to the club and soon after the Macfarlane Handicap Tournament for Junior members was established. Rules for such tournaments were drawn up and printed and remained standard for future similar events.
Macfarlane died 21 December 1881 at his home "Dunsloy". He had been predeceased by his wife, Emily Cotton, who died in childbirth - as did the child - in 1859. All are buried in the Glasgow Necropolis, along with Macfarlane's nephew, Wardlaw (1854-1857).
Sources
- ScotlandsPeople web site.
- Unpublished history of Glasgow Chess Club.
- Rules and Alphabetical List of the Members of the Glasgow Chess Club (M' Farlane & Erskine, Edinburgh, 1879).
- Seekers of Truth: The Scottish Founders of Modern Public Accountancy, by T.A. Lee, edited by Gary J. Previts, Robert Bricker (Emerald Group Publishing, Apr. 12, 2006).
- A History of Accounting and Accountants, by Richard Brown (2004).
- Clan Macfarlane genealogy at https://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getperson.php?personID=I9105&tree=CC
- Chess Player's Chronicle 1852, pp. 84-5.
Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess ScotlandUpdated - 05/01/2019