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Clan Fergusson (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Fergusson / Ferguson

Gaelic Name: MacFhearghuis

Clan Crest: Upon a chapeau, Gules, furred Ermine, a bee on a thistle, Proper

Clan Motto: Dulcius ex asperis (Sweeter after difficulties)

Origin of Name: Gaelic, Fearghas (Angry)

Clan Badge: Little sunflower

Lands: Argyll, Perthshire, Dumfries and Galloway

Clan Chief: Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran

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Fergusson Clan History

The surname Fergusson arose in many different parts of Scotland. Ideally, the name could be traced back to a single ancestral family, but considering that Fergus means 'the angry' and 'the bold and proud' in Gaelic, we can see how such a descriptive term would have been applied to someone at some point in almost every village.

R.R. McIan's 19th-century depiction of a Fergusson clansman

The Fergussons of Argyllshire claim to be the descendants of Fergus Mór mac Erc, a Scots king from the time of Dalriada, and their shield features a boar's head. The Fergussons of Dumfries and Ayrshire, such as the Earls of Carrick, are also linked to the early Scots from Ireland. They can trace their ancestry back to Fergus, Prince of Galloway, who founded Dundrennan Abbey before dying in 1161.

The Kilkerran Fergussons are said to have ruled their territory since the 12th century. The first written record, however, is of John Fergusson of Kilkerran in 1464. By the 1600s, Carrick had a large number of Fergussons, with Kilkerran as their chief.

The Atholl Fergussons were patriots, following Montrose through his incredible military achievements in the Civil War, and again in the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745, fighting alongside their Strathhardle forefathers against the Hanovarians.

In contrast to the long list of noble Fergusson soldiers throughout British military history, Robert Fergusson, the son of an Aberdeen bank clerk, died on the straw floor of an Edinburgh asylum at the age of twenty-three and was buried in an unmarked grave.

When Robert Burns arrived in Edinburgh, he discovered Fergusson's grave, dug out his head, and held it in an embrace, because Fergusson had written a body of poetry that Burns admired.

Burns was given permission to erect a memorial to the young Scotsman's genius.

Fergusson Places & People

People of the Fergusson Clan

Fergus Mor (d.501) .

Fergus mac Erc, which means 'Son of Erc,' was King of Dalriada and brought his people, the 'Scoti,' across the Irish Sea from Antrim to settle in Kintyre, bringing the Gaelic language with them.

His descendants would rule Scotland for nearly 800 years.

Ferguson, James (1710-1776).

With only three months of schooling in Banffshire, James Ferguson taught himself surveying and went on to build the most accurate clocks of his era after moving to London.

His astronomical models matched the quality of his clocks. His interest in science was expressed in his book writing, which was read by George III.

Patrick Ferguson (1744-1780).

Ferguson, who was born in Pitfours, Aberdeenshire, was a soldier from the age of fifteen, almost a century ahead of his time. In 1776, he obtained a patent for a rifle design he had developed in which the rifle could be loaded more quickly from the breech rather than the muzzle.

The British military was uninterested, and it wasn't until 1790, during the American War of Independence, that Ferguson's Corps of Sharpshooters' superior firepower was recognized.

Main image: Adam Ferguson (1723-1816).

This man has been dubbed "the Father of Sociology." Adam Ferguson served in the army for twelve years after receiving an MA from St Andrews University in 1742. He then pursued a literary career and was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy and Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

He published "History of the Roman Republic" in 1783, but it was his earlier work, "History of Civil Society" in 1767, which identified what would later be termed "alienation" in his time, that influenced many, including Marx.

Ferguson died in St Andrews, Fife, at the age of 92.

Fergusson, Robert (1750–74).

With his first published work in Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine in 1771, Robert Fergusson would write over eighty poems, nearly half of which were in Scots, and in his short time be regarded as Allan Ramsay's poetic successor and Robert Burns' inspiration.

"Auld Reekie," "The Daft Days," and "Address to the Tron Kirk Bell" are among his works, which are known for their wit and honesty. During 1774, his mental and physical health deteriorated dramatically, and he died on October 17, 1774, as an inmate of the local Bedlam.

Fergusson Tartans

The Fergusson tartan was first recorded in a pattern book by Messrs Scott Adie of London in 1830, with a count from a Wilsons' sample.

Fergusson Historic

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Fergusson Contemporary

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Weathered Fergusson

Fergusson Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Fergusson Coat of Arms

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

Gules, furred Ermine, and a bee on a thistle, Proper

Coat of Arms of Clan Fergusson

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.