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Robert Ferguson FRS FRSE FGS (8 September 1769 – 3 December 1840) of Raith, was at various times a Whig Member of Parliament for Fifeshire, Haddingtonshire and Kirkcaldy Burghs, and at the time of his death he was Lord Lieutenant of the county of Fife.^[1]^[2]

As an amateur geologist and mineralogist the mineral Fergusonite was named after him.^[2]

Biography

Robert Ferguson was the eldest son of Jane Crauford, daughter of Ronald Craufurd of Restalrig, (sister to Margaret, countess of Dumfries) and William Ferguson of Raith, Fife. General Sir Ronald Craufurd Ferguson was his brother.^[1] He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh, 1777–1780. He was also privately tutored by John Playfair. He then studied law at the University of Edinburgh. He qualified as an advocate in 1791.

He lived at Raith House near Kirkcaldy.^[3]

Robert Ferguson was elected to the Whig parliament of 1806 for Fifeshire, but was not afterwards elected until the time of the Reform Bill, upon which he represented the Kirkcaldy district of Burghs from 1831 to 1835, and in the latter year was returned for Haddingtonshire, defeating Mr Hope, the Tory candidate, by 268 to 231 votes. At the general election of 1837 he was in turn defeated by Lord Ramsay, who polled 299 votes to 205. He then returned to the representation of the Kirkcaldy division of Burghs. He was a cordial supporter of the measures of the Whig government, and opposed to the ballot.^[4]

Due to his amateur interests in mineralogy, in 1805 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. In 1806 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was Lord Lieutenant of Fife from 1837.

He died at a house in Portman Square in London on 3 December 1840.

Memorials

A major monument to Ferguson stands near the northern approach to Haddington designed by Robert Forrest in 1843.^[5]

A memorial also exists to him in Abbotshall Church in Fife.^[6]

Family

Ferguson infamously had an affair with Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin, only daughter of William Hamilton Nisbet, esq. of Dirleton, near Haddington. She was the wife of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, with whom she had one son, later Lord Bruce (1800–1840) and three daughters. The Earl sued Ferguson in both England and Scotland and won £10,000 (the current, 2016, equivalent of around £5 million). Following the Countess's inevitable divorce, Ferguson then married her on 20 April 1808.^[2]

The couple had no children together.^[7] His nephew Robert Munro Ferguson (1802-1868) inherited his estates on his death.

Recognition

Sir Henry Raeburn painted Ferguson in his youth (with his brother Ronald behind) in the picture "The Archers".^[2]

There are two Raith Monuments erected in his memory, one in Fife and the other^[8] in Haddington. They were both designed by Robert Forrest.

References

^ ^a ^b Urban 1841, p. 315.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Ferguson, Robert (1769–1840), of Raith, Fife and 18 Portman Square, Mdx., History of Parliament Online". Retrieved 17 August 2016.
^ "Raith House | Canmore".
^ Urban 1841, pp. 315, 316.
^ Buildings of Scotland: Lothian by Colin McWilliam
^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
^ Urban 1841, p. 316.
^ "Haddington, West End, Fergusson Monument". John Gray Centre. Retrieved 26 May 2016.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Urban, Sylvanus, ed. (1841). "Obituary Robert Furguson". The Gentleman's magazine. Vol. 169. Printed by F. Jefferies. pp. 225, 315, 316.

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robert Ferguson of Raith

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir William Erskine, Bt	Member of Parliament for Fife 1806–1807	Succeeded by William Wemyss
Preceded by Lord Loughborough	Member of Parliament for Dysart Burghs 1831–1832	constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy Burghs 1832–1835	Succeeded by John Fergus
Preceded by James Balfour	Member of Parliament for Haddingtonshire 1835–1837	Succeeded by Lord Ramsay
Preceded by John Fergus	Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy Burghs 1837–1840	Succeeded by Robert Ferguson

[FOOTNOTEUrban1841315-1] Urban 1841, p. 315.

[HoP-2] "Ferguson, Robert (1769–1840), of Raith, Fife and 18 Portman Square, Mdx., History of Parliament Online". Retrieved 17 August 2016.

[3] "Raith House | Canmore".

[FOOTNOTEUrban1841315,_316-4] Urban 1841, pp. 315, 316.

[5] Buildings of Scotland: Lothian by Colin McWilliam

[6] Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.

[FOOTNOTEUrban1841316-7] Urban 1841, p. 316.

[8] "Haddington, West End, Fergusson Monument". John Gray Centre. Retrieved 26 May 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Scottish politician and geologist (1769–1840)}}
-{{use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
-{{use British English|date=March 2016}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
+{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}
-[[File:The Archers.jpg|thumb|450px|The Archers by Sir [[Henry Raeburn]] illustrates Robert with his brother Ronald]]
+[[File:The Archers.jpg|thumb|300px|The Archers by Sir [[Henry Raeburn]] illustrates Robert with his brother Ronald]]
-'''Robert Ferguson''' [[Royal Society of London|FRS]] [[FRSE]] FGS (8 Septemner 1769{{snd}}3 December 1840) of [[Raith, Fife|Raith]], was at various times a [[Whig (British political party)|Whig]] Member of Parliament for [[Fifeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Fifeshire]],  [[Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Haddingtonshire]]  and [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]], and at the time of his death he was [[Lord Lieutenant]] of the [[county of Fife]].{{sfn|Urban|1841|p=315}}<ref name="HoP">{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/ferguson-robert-1769-1840|title=''Ferguson, Robert (1769–1840), of Raith, Fife and 18 Portman Square, Mdx.'', History of Parliament Online|accessdate=17 August 2016}}</ref>
+'''Robert Ferguson'''  {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=|FRS|FRSE|FGS|}}  (8 September 1769{{snd}}3 December 1840) of [[Raith, Fife|Raith]], was at various times a [[Whig (British political party)|Whig]] Member of Parliament for [[Fifeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Fifeshire]],  [[Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Haddingtonshire]]  and [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]], and at the time of his death he was [[Lord Lieutenant]] of the [[county of Fife]].{{sfn|Urban|1841|p=315}}<ref name="HoP">{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/ferguson-robert-1769-1840|title=''Ferguson, Robert (1769–1840), of Raith, Fife and 18 Portman Square, Mdx.'', History of Parliament Online|accessdate=17 August 2016}}</ref>
 As an amateur geologist and mineralogist the mineral [[Fergusonite]] was named after him.<ref name="HoP"/>
 ==Biography==
+[[File:Monument to Robert Ferguson of Raith, Haddington.png|thumb|Monument to Robert Ferguson of Raith, Haddington]]
-Robert Ferguson was the eldest son of William Ferguson of Raith, [[Fife]], and Jane Crauford, daughter of Ronald Craufurd of [[Restalrig]], (sister to [[Patrick McDouall-Crichton, 6th Earl of Dumfries#Family|Margaret]], [[countess of Dumfries]]). General Sir [[Ronald Craufurd Ferguson]] was his brother.{{sfn|Urban|1841|p=315}} He was educated at the High School in [[Edinburgh]], 1777-1780. He was also privately tutored by [[John Playfair]]. He then studied Law at [[Edinburgh University]]. He qualified as an advocate in 1791.
+Robert Ferguson was the eldest son of  Jane Crauford, daughter of Ronald Craufurd of [[Restalrig]], (sister to [[Patrick McDouall-Crichton, 6th Earl of Dumfries#Family|Margaret]], [[countess of Dumfries]]) and William Ferguson of Raith, [[Fife]]. General Sir [[Ronald Craufurd Ferguson]] was his brother.{{sfn|Urban|1841|p=315}} He was educated at the [[Royal High School, Edinburgh|High School in Edinburgh]], 1777–1780. He was also privately tutored by [[John Playfair]]. He then studied law at the [[University of Edinburgh]]. He qualified as an advocate in 1791.
+He lived at Raith House near [[Kirkcaldy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/52933/raith-house|title=Raith House &#124; Canmore}}</ref>
-Robert Ferguson was elected to the Whig parliament of 1806 for Fifeshire, but was not afterwards elected until the time of the Reform Bill, upon which he represented the Kirkcaldy district of Burghs from 1831 to 1835, and in the latter year was returned for Haddingtonshire, defeating Mr. Hope, the Tory candidate, by 268 to 231 votes. At the general election of 1837 he was in turn defeated by [[Earl of Dalhousie|Lord Ramsay]], who polled 299 votes to 205. He then returned to the representation of the Kirkcaldy division of Burghs. He was a cordial supporter of the measures of the Whig government, and opposed to the ballot.{{sfn|Urban|1841|pp=315, 316}}
+Robert Ferguson was elected to the Whig parliament of 1806 for Fifeshire, but was not afterwards elected until the time of the [[Reform Act 1832|Reform Bill]], upon which he represented the [[Kirkcaldy]] district of Burghs from 1831 to 1835, and in the latter year was returned for Haddingtonshire, defeating Mr Hope, the Tory candidate, by 268 to 231 votes. At the general election of 1837 he was in turn defeated by [[Earl of Dalhousie|Lord Ramsay]], who polled 299 votes to 205. He then returned to the representation of the Kirkcaldy division of Burghs. He was a cordial supporter of the measures of the Whig government, and opposed to the ballot.{{sfn|Urban|1841|pp=315, 316}}
-Due to his amateur interests in mineralogy, in 1805 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of London]]. In 1806 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. He was Lord Lieutenant of Fife from 1837.
+Due to his amateur interests in [[mineralogy]], in 1805 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of London]]. In 1806 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. He was Lord Lieutenant of Fife from 1837.
-He died at a house in Portman Square in [[London]] on 3 December 1840. A memorial exists to him in Abbotshall Church in Fife.<ref>{{cite book|title=BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF FORMER FELLOWS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 1783 – 2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0 902 198 84 X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf}}</ref>
+He died at a house in Portman Square in [[London]] on 3 December 1840.
+==Memorials==
+A major monument to Ferguson stands near the northern approach to [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]] designed by [[Robert Forrest (sculptor)|Robert Forrest]] in 1843.<ref>Buildings of Scotland: Lothian by Colin McWilliam</ref>
+A memorial also exists to him in Abbotshall Church in Fife.<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf}}</ref>
 ==Family==
-Robert Ferguson infamously had an affair with [[Mary Nisbet]], Countess of Elgin, only daughter of William Hamilton Nisbet, esq. of [[Dirleton]], near [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]]. She was the wife of [[Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin]], with whom she had one son, later Lord Bruce (1800–1840) and three daughters. The Earl sued Ferguson in both England and Scotland and won £10,000 (the current, 2016, equivalent of around £5 million). Following the Countess's inevitable divorce, Ferguson then married her on 20 April 1808.<ref name="HoP"/>
+Ferguson infamously had an affair with [[Mary Nisbet]], Countess of Elgin, only daughter of William Hamilton Nisbet, esq. of [[Dirleton]], near [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]]. She was the wife of [[Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin]], with whom she had one son, later Lord Bruce (1800–1840) and three daughters. The Earl sued Ferguson in both England and Scotland and won £10,000 (the current, 2016, equivalent of around £5 million). Following the Countess's inevitable divorce, Ferguson then married her on 20 April 1808.<ref name="HoP"/>
 The couple had no children together.{{sfn|Urban|1841|p=316}} His nephew Robert Munro Ferguson (1802-1868) inherited his estates on his death.
@@ Line 23: / Line 33: @@
 ==Recognition==
-Sir Henry Raeburn painted Robert in his youth (with his brother Ronald behind) in the picture "The Archers".<ref name="HoP"/>
+[[Henry Raeburn|Sir Henry Raeburn]] painted Ferguson in his youth (with his brother Ronald behind) in the picture "The Archers".<ref name="HoP"/>
-There are two Raith Monuments erected in his memory, one in [[Fife]] and the other<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.johngraycentre.org/collections/getrecord/ELHER_MEL3297/|title=Haddington, West End, Fergusson Monument|website=John Gray Centre|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref> in [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]]. They were both designed by [[Robert Forrest]].
+There are two Raith Monuments erected in his memory, one in [[Fife]] and the other<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.johngraycentre.org/collections/getrecord/ELHER_MEL3297/|title=Haddington, West End, Fergusson Monument|website=John Gray Centre|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref> in [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]]. They were both designed by [[Robert Forrest (sculptor)|Robert Forrest]].
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ;Attribution
-*{{source-attribution|{{Cite book|editor-last=Urban |editor-first=Sylvanus |editor-link=Sylvanus Urban |year=1841|chapter=Obituary Robert Furguson |title=The Gentleman's magazine|volume=169 |publisher=Printed by F. Jefferies |pages=225, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lGQdAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA315#v=onepage&q&f=false 315], 316}}}}
+*{{source-attribution|{{Cite book|editor-last=Urban |editor-first=Sylvanus |editor-link=Sylvanus Urban |year=1841|chapter=Obituary Robert Furguson |title=The Gentleman's magazine|volume=169 |publisher=Printed by F. Jefferies |pages=225, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lGQdAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA315 315], 316}}}}
 == External links ==
@@ Line 40: / Line 50: @@
 {{s-bef | before = [[Sir William Erskine, 2nd Baronet|Sir William Erskine, Bt]] }}
 {{s-ttl
- | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|Fife]]
+ | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|Fife]]
- | years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1806|1806]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1807|1807]]
+ | years = [[1806 United Kingdom general election|1806]]–[[1807 United Kingdom general election|1807]]
 }}
 {{s-aft | after = [[William Wemyss]] }}
@@ Line 47: / Line 57: @@
 {{s-bef | before = [[James St Clair-Erskine, 3rd Earl of Rosslyn|Lord Loughborough]] }}
 {{s-ttl
- | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Dysart Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Dysart Burghs]]
+ | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Dysart Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Dysart Burghs]]
- | years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1831|1831]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1832|1832]]
+ | years = [[1831 United Kingdom general election|1831]]–[[1832 United Kingdom general election|1832]]
 }}
 {{s-non | reason = constituency abolished }}
@@ Line 54: / Line 64: @@
 {{s-new | constituency }}
 {{s-ttl
- | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]]
+ | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]]
- | years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1832|1832]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1835|1835]]
+ | years = [[1832 United Kingdom general election|1832]]–[[1835 United Kingdom general election|1835]]
 }}
-{{s-aft | after = [[John Fergus (Scottish MP)|John Fergus]]  }}
+{{s-aft | after = [[John Fergus (politician)|John Fergus]]  }}
 {{s-bef | before = [[James Balfour (died 1845)|James Balfour]] }}
 {{s-ttl
- | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Haddingtonshire]]
+ | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Haddingtonshire]]
- | years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1835|1835]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1837|1837]]
+ | years = [[1835 United Kingdom general election|1835]]–[[1837 United Kingdom general election|1837]]
 }}
 {{s-aft | after = [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|Lord Ramsay]] }}
-{{s-bef | before = [[John Fergus (Scottish MP)|John Fergus]] }}
+{{s-bef | before = [[John Fergus (politician)|John Fergus]] }}
 {{s-ttl
- | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]]
+ | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy Burghs]]
- | years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1837|1837]]&ndash;[[Kirkcaldy Burghs byelection, 1840|1840]]
+ | years = [[1837 United Kingdom general election|1837]]–[[Kirkcaldy Burghs byelection, 1840|1840]]
 }}
 {{s-aft | after = [[Robert Ferguson (1802–1868)|Robert Ferguson]] }}
 {{s-end}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Robert}}
 [[Category:1769 births]]
 [[Category:1840 deaths]]
-[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies]]
+[[Category:Whig (British political party) MPs for Scottish constituencies]]
-[[Category:Whig (British political party) MPs]]
+[[Category:Lord-lieutenants of Fife]]
-[[Category:Lord-Lieutenants of Fife]]
+[[Category:UK MPs 1806–1807]]
-[[Category:UK MPs 1806–07]]
+[[Category:UK MPs 1831–1832]]
-[[Category:UK MPs 1831–32]]
+[[Category:UK MPs 1832–1835]]
-[[Category:UK MPs 1832–35]]
+[[Category:UK MPs 1835–1837]]
-[[Category:UK MPs 1835–37]]
+[[Category:UK MPs 1837–1841]]
-[[Category:UK MPs 1837–41]]
 [[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies]]
 [[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies]]
 [[Category:19th-century Scottish politicians]]
+[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
+[[Category:Paintings by Henry Raeburn]]
+[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
+[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
+[[Category:Fellows of the Geological Society of London]]

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