William McFarlin died in Rutherford County, Tennessee, in 1824. His will lists his wife Sarah, sons Pleasant Nelson and Benjamin, and daughters Elizabeth Ann, Kasey, Nancy B, Louisa J, and Sarah. This appears to be the Elizabeth Ann McFarlin who married Robert Cummings. For a younger sister, such as Louisa J. was, to have come with Elizabeth and Robert Cummings to Texas was not unusual. It was also not unusual for a brother-in-law to witness a land grant application.
When Louisa J McFarlin applied for the conditional land certificate which she received, one of the witnesses was Robert Cummings. The certificate does spell her name as "McFarland" and the Minutes of the Board of Commissioners has this certificate under the name of "Louis J McFarland". But the certificate itself, now in the files of the General Land Office of Texas, shows the first name as "Louisa". Our Louisa J. McFarlin Long sold the certificate, after her marriage to Sam Long, proving that she was the owner.
Robert Cummings and Elizabeth McFarlin had five children:
Eliza Jane | b 1834 | d | m 11 April 1847 | James S Long |
Sarah Ann | b 1835 | d | m 23 Sept 1850 | David Jones |
Granville Newton | b 15 March 1838 | d 14 Sept 1917 | m 28 Feb 1861 | Clarinda Gandy |
William Robert | b 11 April 1840 | d 22 Jan 1881 | m 5 Nov 1879 | M L Pemberton |
Mary Young | b 1842 | d | m abt 1861? | Gilles |
25 Nov. 1856, Petersburg, Mr. MACKFARLIN, Dear Brothers, I would be very glad to see bothe of you it has bin so long since you have seen my mother Elisabeth A. CUMMINGS you would hardly know her my father Robert CUMMINGS was killed by the Mexicans in '44. Elisabeth's two oldest daughters Eliza Jane and Sarah Ann is maried Elisabeth has but two brothers Nelson MACKFARLIN and Benjamine MACKFARLIN she wants to know whether ant Betsy MACKFARLIN is a live ing or not Louisa Jane is maried to a man by the name of LONG wasent there some money a coming to Elisabeth Ann and Louisa Jane the drouth is bin very hard this year we have fine range for cattle here and horses we dont haf to feed our stock here I would be very glad to see some of you i want you to be shore to write to me where my kindfolks is and how they are we are a living in western texas Lavaca County direct your letters to Lavaca County petersburg po Texas Write soon /S/ G.N. CUMMINGS