Educated at Dulwich College and Exeter College, McFarlane entered Magdalen in 1926 as a Senior Demy. He became a fellow by examination in 1927 and a Tutorial Fellow the following year. Despite having opportunities to work elsewhere, he remained at the College until his death in 1966. He was an active participant in College business and knew the Statutes inside out.
McFarlane published very little during his lifetime. Most of his published output was done so posthumously, thanks to the efforts of dedicated colleagues and former students of his. This reluctance to publish may be the result of the high standards McFarlane set himself. From a young age, he took a meticulous approach to his academic work. Indeed, as we can see from the pieces in this exhibition, this attention to detail was also applied elsewhere in life, in his correspondence and leisure reading.
He was a dedicated tutor and saw the role as encompassing more than simply teaching History. Even outside of tutorials, he was at his students’ disposal to offer advice and a sympathetic ear. Unlike his colleague, A. J. P. Taylor, McFarlane took pride in the number of his students awarded first class marks. Indeed, the legacy of McFarlane may be most evident in the success of his former students.
