Background
Macfarlane was born in Scotland, the youngest son of Allan Macfarlane Justice of the Peace, of Caithness and his wife Margaret Horne.
Macfarlane was born in Scotland, the youngest son of Allan Macfarlane Justice of the Peace, of Caithness and his wife Margaret Horne.
He became an East Indies merchant as a tea trader and indigo plantation owner. While in India he was a passionate amateur photographer. He experimented freely and produced semi-abstract images.
The Carlow constituency lost one of its two seats under the Redistribution of Seats Acting 1885, and at the 1885 general election Macfarlane stood instead for the Crofters Party in Argyllshire.
He was re-elected (by a narrow margin) at the 1892 general elections as a Liberal/Crofters candidate, holding it until a further defeat in 1895. He was knighted in 1894.
Macfarlane married Mary Isabella Bagshawe in 1857.
22nd United Kingdom Parliament. 23rd United Kingdom Parliament. 25th United Kingdom Parliament]
At the 1880 general election Macfarlane was elected as a Home Rule Member of Parliament for Carlow County.