William Godsoe MacFarlane

1870-1942

William Godsoe MacFarlane was born 28 December 1870 in Fairville, New Brunswick, now part of the city of Saint John. MacFarlane became a newspaperman in Saint John, where he worked for the St. John Sun and was a founding member of the Saint John Press Club when it was incorporated on 21 April 1894. He published a New Brunswick bibliography: the books and writers of the province in 1895, and Where breezes blow: an illustrated guide to St. John and Fredericton and the province of New Brunswick describing the tourist’ resorts, fishing and bathing waters and the routes of travel of a delightful country in 1895. In 1898, MacFarlane graduated with an M.A. from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Graduate studies followed in the political science departments of Harvard and Columbia universities. MacFarlane moved to Toronto, Ontario and worked with Grip Ltd as a publisher.  MacFarlane began publishing picture postcards in 1902. In December 1907, the business conducted by MacFarlane was federally incorporated under the name of The MacFarlane Company. Around April 1908, the company filed for bankruptcy. MacFarlane married Mary H. (Harahan) Nicol on 23 November 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio and they divorced in 1915. At the time, MacFarlane was with Edwards & Deutsch Lithographing Co., Chicago.  MacFarlane was later involved with The American Autochrome Co. of Chicago, publishers of postcards and souvenir view albums. At some point he moved back to Toronto, and died on 14 February 1942 while on vacation in Miami, Florida.

Predominant New Brunswick Residences:

Fairville, Saint John