MacARTNEY
The surname Macartney or MacArtney is said to be derived from one Daniel Macarthy, who went from Ireland to the north of Britain and founded the family of MacArtney, which has been known as an exclusively Scottish family. The family is seated at Mickle Leathes, Auchenleck and Blacket, Scotland. When James I colonized the north of Ireland with Scottish Presbyterians in 1610 and afterward, the MacArtney family became established in Antrim and Armagh. In 1715 George MacArtney was elected member of parliament from Belfast and was one of the few Scottish Presbyterians from Ireland in that body. The coat-of-arms of the family, both of Scotland and Ireland: Or a buck trippant gules attired argent within a bordure of the second. Crest: A dexter hand holding a slip of a rose bush proper. Motto: Stimulat sed ornat.
Lord MacArtney bears the same arms. The MacArtneys of Lissancure Castle, county Antrim, bear the same arms; likewise the MacArtneys of Belfast. The motto of the family in Armagh is: Mens Conscia recti.
The family is numberous in Antrim at the present time [1910], though the spelling McCartney seems to predominate. There are three baroents of the family now living. Lord George MacArtney recently negotiated the British treaty with China. W. G. E. MacArtney was secretary to the admiralty in 1897.
(I) William MacArtney was born in county Antim, Ulster province, Ireland, and was a farmer at Kells in that country. He married Anne Napier.
Children:
James, Sarah, Eliza, Nancy (Annie).
(II) James, son of William MacArtney, was born in Kells, county Antrim, Ireland, 1816, died at Fort Covington, New York, Oct. 1, 1892. He was educated in the schools of his native parish, and learned the trade of shoemaker at which he worked through his active life. He came to Quebec in 1835, and later moved to Durham (Ormstown), Quebec, and to Coteau, thence to (Old) Lancaster, Ontario. He located at Fort Covington, Franklin county, New York, about 1858, and lived there until his death. He worked at his trade until within three years of his death. In politics he was a Republican and in religion a Presbyterian.
He married in 1837, Claire Elise Costolow, born in Quebec, July 1, 1818, died at Fort Covington, Feb. 5, 1899, daughter of John and Claire Elise (Joilcoeur) Costolow. He Joilcoeurs ere of an old Franch family, said to have had large estates in France. The family name was originally De Contramine.
Children of James and Claire Elise MacArtney:
1. William John, born at Durham, Quebec, died in infancy.
2. Sarah, born April 9, 1848, in Canada; lives at Fort Covington with her brother, William N.
3. John, born in Canada, Nov. 2, 1849; resides in Eaton, Colorado, a retired farmer; married Margaret Rowley; their daughter Nellie married Thomas Bell, of Eaton, and has a son, John.
4. George Henry, born Aug. 9, 1853, mentioned below.
5. James, born July 20, 1855-56, mentioned below.
6. William Napier, born Feb. 25, 1862, mentioned below.
(III) George Henry, son of James (1) MacArtney, was born in Lancaster, Ontario, Aug. 9, 1853. He came to Covington with his parents in 1858, and was educated there in the public schools. He began his career as clerk in a drug store at Massena, New York. In 1879 he embarked in the grocery business on his own account in partnership with his brother James under the firm name of G. H. & J. MacArtney at Covington. In 1901 he bought out his partner and since then has conducted the business alone. He has been very successful and is one of the best known merchants of this section. In politics he is a Republican and has been a member of the board of education for twenty-five years. He was at one time postmaster of Massena and again at Fort Covington.
He married, in 1884, Mary Alice, daughter of William Paddock of Massena.
Children:
1. William Paddock, born July 17, 1885; represents the Vermont Marble Company, with headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri.
2. Florence Clara, born Jan. 8, 1887; graduate of the State Normal school at Potsdam, teacher at Weehawken, New York.
(III) James (2) son of James (1) MacArtney, was born at Lancaster, Ontario, July 20, 1855-56. He came to Fort Covington with his parents in 1858, and was educated in the public schools. He was a clerk in the store of Timothy T. Kimball, general merchant, at Fort Covington, fron 1874 to 1881, and then went into business in partnership with his brother, George H. MacArtney, under the firm name of G. H. & J. MacArtney, grocers. Since 1900, when he retired from the firm, he has been engaged in the real estate busienss. He has charge of considerable property and has been called upon to settle a number of large estates. He also owns and operates a butter factory of Fort Covington Center. He was one of the promoters and organizers of the Fort Covington Banking Company, a charter member and one of the first board of directors, and at the present time [1910] is secretary and assistant cashier of the bank. In politics he is a Republican; he has been supervisor of the town since 1896, and is well known throughout the county for his good work in the board of supervisors. He is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters and has been treasurer of the lodge.
He is an attendant of the Presbyterian church, and has been a trustee and treasurer of the society. He married, in 1891, Mary McElwain, born Nov. 18, 1855, at Fort Covington, daughter of Samuel and Jane McElwain. Her father was a native of Ireland; her mother of Fort Covington; they died at the ages of eighty-five and seventy-eight years respectively.
The only child of Mr. and Mrs. MacArtney died in infancy.
They have an adopted child, Marjorie Fields, born Oct. 23, 1900.
(III) Dr. William Napier MacArtney, son of James (1) MacArtney, was born at Fort Covington, Feb. 25, 1862, and was educated in the public schools and in Fort Covington Academy. He learned the business of pharmacist in the drug store of Dr. William Gillis at Fort Covington and passed the examination for a registered pharmacist in 1885. He entered the Medical School of the University of the City of New York and graduated in 1888 with the degree of M. D., and was an honor man of his class of one hundred and sixty-three, receiving a prize for same, being appointed on surgical staff in Bellevue. He was for two years an interne in Bellevue Hospital, New York. Sinc 1890 he has been in general practice at Fort Covington. He purchased the drug store of Dr. Gillis from the heirs in 1893, and has conducted it since then, in addition to his medical practice. Dr. MacArtney is and has been for years a liberal contributor to medical journals and also subjects on natural history. He has written a work on therapeutics. He makes surgery a specialty, and hs originated several new surgical operations, as well as devising and perfecting several new surgical instruments. He is a director and vice-president of the Fort Covington Banking Company, organized Jan. 4, 1906, and was one of its organizers.
In politics he is a Republican; he is serving his fourth term as coroner of the county, and has also been health officer of Aurora Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Fort Covington; and of the Presbyterian church; member of County Medical Society.
He married, Jan. 15, 1902, Caroline, born in Athens, Georgia, daughter of Joseph S. and Sarah Campbell (Hunter) Claghorn, of Savannah, Georgia. (See Claghorn VII).
Children:
1. William Napier Jr., born April 15, 1903.
2. Elin Karlsson, Oct. 7, 1904.
3. Caroline Clarie Elise, Jan. 8, 1907.
[Transcriber's note: Since this material was published in 1910, there's always the possibility that more children could have been born into this family].