Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet

For other people named James Fergusson, see James Fergusson (disambiguation).
The Right Honourable
Sir James Fergusson, 6th Bt
GCSI
8th Governor of South Australia
In office
16 February 1869  18 April 1873
Monarch Victoria
Preceded by Sir Dominick Daly
Succeeded by Sir Anthony Musgrave
6th Governor of New Zealand
In office
14 June 1873  3 December 1874
Monarch Victoria
Premier Julius Vogel
Preceded by Sir George Bowen
Succeeded by The Marquess of Normanby
Personal details
Born (1832-03-14)14 March 1832
Edinburgh
Died 14 January 1907(1907-01-14) (aged 74)
Jamaica
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Lady Edith Broun-Ramsay
(d. 1871)
Olive Richman (d. 1882)
Isabella Twysden
Alma mater University College, Oxford

Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet GCSI PC (14 March 1832 – 14 January 1907) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and colonial administrator.

Background and education

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fergusson was the eldest son of Sir Charles Fergusson, 5th Baronet, and his wife Helen, daughter of David Boyle. He was educated at Cheam, Rugby, and University College, Oxford (although he left without taking a degree). He entered the Grenadier Guards in 1851 and served in the Crimean War where he was wounded. He retired from the army in 1859.

Political and administrative career

Fergusson was elected Member of Parliament for Ayrshire and represented the constituency in parliament from 1854 to 1857 and 1859 to 1868. He was Under-Secretary of State for India under Lord Derby from 1866 to 1867 and Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department from 1867 to 1868 under Derby and Benjamin Disraeli and was admitted to the Privy Council in 1868. He served as Governor of South Australia from 1868 to 1873, as Governor of New Zealand between 1873 and 1874, when he resigned, and as Governor of Bombay between 1880 and 1885.[1] Following his retirement, he returned to the House of Commons, as Member of Parliament for Manchester North East, which he represented between 1885 and 1906. He again held political office as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1886 and 1891 and as Postmaster General between 1891 and 1892 in Lord Salisbury's Conservative administration.

Family

Fergusson married firstly Lady Edith Christian, daughter of James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, in 1859. They had two sons and two daughters. Lady Edith died in October 1871, aged 32. Fergusson married secondly Olive, daughter of John Henry Richman, in 1873. They had one son. She died of cholera in January 1882. He married thirdly Isabella Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Twysden and widow of Charles Hugh Hoare, in 1893. They had no children. Fergusson's son Charles and grandson Bernard Fergusson both became Governors-General of New Zealand. Fergusson was killed in an earthquake in Jamaica in 1907, aged 74.

Legacy

The town of Jamestown, South Australia, Fergusson Island in Papua New Guinea and Fergusson College in Pune (in his day, Poona), India are named in Fergusson's honour.

Notes

  1. Edgeloe, V. A. (1972). "Fergusson, Sir James (1832–1907)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 14 April 2008.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James Hunter Blair
Member of Parliament for Ayrshire
1854–1857
Succeeded by
Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart
Preceded by
Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart
Member of Parliament for Ayrshire
18591868
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Manchester North East
18851906
Succeeded by
J. R. Clynes
Political offices
Preceded by
James Stansfeld
Under-Secretary of State for India
1866–1867
Succeeded by
The Lord Clinton
Preceded by
The Earl Belmore
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
1867–1868
Succeeded by
Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt
Preceded by
James Bryce
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
1886–1891
Succeeded by
James Lowther
Preceded by
Henry Cecil Raikes
Postmaster General
1891–1892
Succeeded by
Arnold Morley
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Dominick Daly
Governor of South Australia
1869–1873
Succeeded by
Sir Anthony Musgrave
Preceded by
Sir George Bowen
Governor of New Zealand
1873–1874
Succeeded by
The Marquess of Normanby
Preceded by
Sir Richard Temple, Bt
Governor of Bombay
1880–1885
Succeeded by
The Lord Reay
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by
Charles Dalrymple Fergusson
Baronet
(of Kilkerran)
1849–1907
Succeeded by
Charles Fergusson
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