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Fergusson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Fergusson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland-Alt
Scotland

The Fergusson surname comes from the Irish Gaelic Ó Fearghuis or Ó Fearghasa, meaning "descendant of Fearghus," a Gaelic personal name composed of the elements "fear," meaning "man," and "gus," thought to mean "vigor," or "force." Fearghus was the name of an early Irish mythological King of Ulster, a valiant warrior said to have been shipwrecked off the coast of Northern Ireland c. AD 320, at the place known as Carrickfergus ("rock of Fergus"). 1

Early Origins of the Fergusson family

The surname Fergusson was first found in Connacht, especially in County Mayo, where they held the Parish of Burrishoole in 1303, and were hereditary physicians to the powerful O'Malleys.

"The Ferris variant is more numerous both in the old records and today than Fergus. It is well known in Keryy and in Ulster, where it has several synonyms in use including Fairy and O'Ferry, which however are properly anglicizations of Ó Fearadhaigh, a Cenél sept. There are 27 families of Ferris in the 1911 census of Co. Kerry and the name was there at least as early as 1586. " 2

Early History of the Fergusson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fergusson research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1571, 1750, 1809 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Fergusson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergusson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fergus, O'Fergus, Fargus, O'Fargus, Ferris, Ferguson and many more.

Early Notables of the Fergusson family

Notable among the family name at this time was Father Cormac O'Fergus, who went from Cork to Lisbon, Portugal in 1571. He was imprisoned while preaching at Clonmel. Richard Ferris...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fergusson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergusson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fergusson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Donald Fergusson, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 3
Duncan Fergusson, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 3
Elspeth Fergusson, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 3
Gilbert Fergusson, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 3
Janet Fergusson, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 3

Fergusson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hugh Fergusson, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 3
James Fergusson, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1821 3

Fergusson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fergusson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Fergusson, British Convict who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
John Fergusson, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Andrew Fergusson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 6
Margaret Fergusson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 6
Alexander Fergusson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fergusson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fergusson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Peter Fergusson, aged 33, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Mary Fergusson, aged 32, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Mr. James Fergusson, (b. 1830), aged 29, Scottish farm servant and shepherd from Perth travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 7
Mrs. Mary Fergusson, (b. 1833), aged 26, Scottish settler from Perth travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 7
Mr. Alexander Fergusson, (b. 1851), aged 8, Scottish settler from Perth travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fergusson migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Fergusson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Thomas Fergusson, who settled in Barbados in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Fergusson (post 1700) +

Harvey Fergusson, American writer
Francis Fergusson, American academic and critic
Harvey Butler Fergusson (1848-1915), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Democratic National Committee from New Mexico Territory, 1894-1908; Delegate to U.S. Congress from New Mexico Territory, 1897-99; U.S. Representative from New Mexico at-large, 1912-15
Jean Fergusson (1944-2019), English television and theatre actress, best known for her role as Marina on the British situation comedy Last of the Summer Wine from 1985 until it was cancelled in 2010
Sir Ewen Alastair John Fergusson GCMG GCVO (1932-2017), British diplomat and Scotland international rugby union player
Brigadier Maurice Alfred Fergusson (1895-1975), Australian Commanding Officer 8th Australian Infantry Brigade (New Guinea - Wewak) from 1944 to 1945 9
John Duncan Fergusson (1874-1961), Scottish painter
Muriel McQueen Fergusson, former Canadian Senator and Speaker of the Senate
George Fergusson, British High Commissioner to New Zealand
Frances D. Fergusson, former president of Vassar College
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Lysander.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, August 30) Maurice Fergusson. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Fergusson/Maurice_Alfred/Australia.html