The Famous Faces of Clan Ferguson

Our first ‘famous face’ for today may not be immediately familiar to you, but he greatly inspired someone you’re sure to recognise! Robert Ferguson (5 September 1750 – 16 October 1774) was a Scottish poet from Edinburgh who was one of the leading figures of the 18th-century revival of Scots writing and arguably Robert Burns’ main inspiration.

Robert Fergusson was born in a tenement in Edinburgh to William and Elizabeth, a couple originally from Aberdeenshire. After attending high schools in Edinburgh and Dundee, he joined the University of St Andrews in September 1765, receiving financial help from the Fergusson Clan Bursary. He quickly immersed himself in student life, studying rhetoric and English literature and excelling in mathematics. He also made some early steps in his creative practice, as he used his time out of classes to begin writing a play on the life of William Wallace.

However, while in many ways he was a model pupil, his fiery Ferguson temper caused tensions between the young Robert and the university faculty. In March 1768, Principal Thomas Tullideph threatened to expel Fergusson after he participated in a rowdy student riot. Luckily, a fellow staff member, Professor Wilkie, persuaded the principal to allow him to stay – potentially with less than selfless motives, as Fergusson had promised to help Wilkie organise his lecture notes! True to the proud Fergusson name, Robert kept his word and worked with Professor Wilkie over the summer, later writing the poem ‘Eclogue’ in his memory.

In late summer of 1768 Fergusson returned to Edinburgh and began working as a legal copy clerk for the Commissary Records Office in Edinburgh. However, it wasn’t long before his literary career began to take off. In 1771 he had poems accepted for the Weekly Magazine or Edinburgh Amusement whose owner, Walter Ruddiman, went on to publish all his work, including collections after his sadly early death.

His work, fondly depicting his beloved Edinburgh and its people, was only growing in popularity, but by 1773, Fergusson’s personal life was careering out of control. Heavy drinking, failing health and growing fears of death left him depressed. He began to isolate himself to his room to read the Bible compulsively, until eventually he lost his job. Things then went from bad to worse, when he suffered a serious head injury in mysterious circumstances which intensified his unstable moods even further. At the end of 1774, he was taken from his mother’s house against his will and sent to a mental institution next to the Edinburgh poorhouse, where he died alone in his cell within weeks, aged only 24.

He was buried in an unmarked grave on the west side of the Canongate Kirkyard.

While his death was extremely tragic and untimely, he has been shown an immense amount of respect and reverence posthumously. The iconic Robert Burns privately commissioned and paid for a memorial headstone, designed by himself, in 1787. The stone was restored in April 1850 by the poet Robert Gilfillan. In the later nineteenth century, another famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson planned to renovate the stone, but died before he could do so. The epitaph that Stevenson had intended to add to the stone can now be seen on a plaque that was added to the grave by the Saltire Society in 1995.

In late summer of 1768 Fergusson returned to Edinburgh and began working as a legal copy clerk for the Commissary Records Office in Edinburgh. However, it wasn’t long before his literary career began to take off. In 1771 he had poems accepted for the Weekly Magazine or Edinburgh Amusement whose owner, Walter Ruddiman, went on to publish all his work, including collections after his sadly early death.

His work, fondly depicting his beloved Edinburgh and its people, was only growing in popularity, but by 1773, Fergusson’s personal life was careering out of control. Heavy drinking, failing health and growing fears of death left him depressed. He began to isolate himself to his room to read the Bible compulsively, until eventually he lost his job. Things then went from bad to worse, when he suffered a serious head injury in mysterious circumstances which intensified his unstable moods even further. At the end of 1774, he was taken from his mother’s house against his will and sent to a mental institution next to the Edinburgh poorhouse, where he died alone in his cell within weeks, aged only 24.

He was buried in an unmarked grave on the west side of the Canongate Kirkyard.

While his death was extremely tragic and untimely, he has been shown an immense amount of respect and reverence posthumously. The iconic Robert Burns privately commissioned and paid for a memorial headstone, designed by himself, in 1787. The stone was restored in April 1850 by the poet Robert Gilfillan. In the later nineteenth century, another famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson planned to renovate the stone, but died before he could do so. The epitaph that Stevenson had intended to add to the stone can now be seen on a plaque that was added to the grave by the Saltire Society in 1995.

Another Fergusson also played a pivotal role in academia in the eighteenth century. Adam Ferguson, (20^th June, 1723 – 22^nd February 1816) was a Scottish historian and philosopher who is remembered as ‘the father of modern sociology.’ He was born in Logierait, a Perthshire village on the border between the English-speaking Lowlands and the Gaelic speaking Highlands of Scotland. He was educated at his local grammar school, before going on to study at the University of St. Andrews.

After graduating in 1742, he went on to Edinburgh to study divinity, aiming to be ordained. He excelled in his studies, to the point that, when the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 broke out, he was granted a licence to serve as a minister, even though he had only completed three of the usual six required years. He was quickly appointed deputy chaplain to Scotland’s Black Watch Regiment in 1745 and served in combat in Flanders. Once again, he made a strong impression, and was rapidly promoted to principal chaplain in 1746. He remained with the regiment until 1754, when he left to forge the path he was to become most known for, establishing an illustrious career as a writer and scholar.

He became a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 1759 and professor of mental and moral philosophy there in 1764. By the time he resigned in 1785, he had written his major works, which include ‘The Morality of Stage Plays Seriously Considered (1757)’; ‘Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767)’; ‘Institutes of Moral Philosophy (1769)’; and ‘Remarks (1776)’, in which he proposed peace terms for the North Americans fighting in the American Revolution.

Ferguson’s work was immediately popular and travelled across the world, translated into numerous European languages. His writings exhibit some of the distinctive features of Scottish Enlightenment philosophy; he argued that moral philosophy should combine educational purpose with intellectual inquiry, and the study of human nature is essentially the study of social interactions. Similarly to his fellow Ferguson, Robert, he was memorialised by a leading Scottish writer when he died, when Sir Walter Scott wrote an epitaph commemorating the great impact he had in Scottish philosophy and academia.

We have found it fascinating to see how early Fergusons played such a big role in shaping the culture we know today! However, it’s equally inspiring to look at the success the family are enjoying currently, across numerous different fields.

One key example you may have heard of is Sir Alex Ferguson, a former Scottish football player who is widely considered to be one of the best managers of all time. He was born on the 31^st of December 1941 in Govan, Glasgow and developed a keen interest in football at an early age, cutting his teeth in local youth teams such as Harmony Row Boys Club and Drumchapel Amateurs.

Ferguson debuted professionally with Queen’s Park as a striker, aged only 16, and immediately impressed, scoring the only goal in his first game with them. He then moved to Dunfermline, where he continued to build his reputation, earning the accolade of the Scottish League’s goal scorer in the 1965-66 season.

Following this, Ferguson made history by joining Rangers for £65,000, a record amount for a transfer between two Scottish clubs. He then advanced his experience by joining Falkirk as a player-coach, before finishing his playing career with Ayr United in 1974.

This is when he began the most respected and admired phase of his work, managing a variety of teams, leading them to an impressive level of success. After a fruitful stint at Aberdeen, he moved to Manchester United in 1986 where he led the club to an unprecedented series of wins and solidified his reputation as one of the most successful managers in the modern game. He is renowned for his ability to motivate players and cultivate a successful team dynamic. He stayed with the club for 26 years, during which time he won 38 trophies, including 13 premier league titles and 5 FA cups.

On the 8^th of May 2013, Ferguson announced that he would retire as manager at the end of the football season. The reactions to his decision were a testament to the impact he’d had on the game, as well as the formidable reputation he had built. The Guardian remarked that it was the ‘end of an era,’ and the UEFA president Michel Platini lamented his retirement, dubbing him ‘a true visionary.’

While we love to see modern-day Fergusons excelling so greatly in Scotland, it’s also exciting to see the family’s descendants enjoy success across the globe!

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who we’re sure you’ll recognise from the hit show ‘Modern Family.’ From 2009 to 2020, he played the beloved character Mitchell Pritchett, earning 5 consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He has also had an impressive theatrical career, appearing in productions of ‘A Winter’s Tale,’ ‘The Producers,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘Spamalot’ and ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ Recently, he received the great honour of winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in the 2022 revival of ‘Take Me Out.’

However, it is not just Ferguson’s performing talent that is impressive, his philanthropic work is arguably even more admirable. In September 2012, Ferguson started a charity called ‘Tie the Knot’ with his partner, Justin Mikita. They aimed to raise funds in support of same-sex marriage, by selling bow ties to retail stores.

Their work received wide recognition and praise, and in January 2013, the couple were even recruited by Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Sheila Simon, to lobby legislators to pass a bill which would legally allow same-sex marriage. The bill passed both legislative houses and was signed into law, going into effect on June 1, 2014! We find it inspirational to see how the great Clan Ferguson continue to help shape the world around them for the better.

Image Sources:

Sir Alex Ferguson - https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

Sir Alex Ferguson Staue | Old Trafford - https://www.flickr.com/photos/...