Person Page - 109

Norman's birth was registered between July 1894 and September 1894 in Cardiff, Glamorganshire.¹ and was baptised on 18 July 1894 at St German in Roath.²
He was listed as the grandson of Fanny Wiggins in the 1901 Census at 39 Newport Rd in Cardiff, Glamorganshire.³
He was listed in the 1911 census, boarding at Heath School in Horsmonden, Kent.⁴

According to family history, in about 1912 he was articled to an architect, Mr Dawn.⁵

He tried to join up, was initially rejected on grounds of health, but eventually joined the Medical Corps. Supposedly an officer in a guards regiment felt sorry for him and assisted his entry into the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps (#6/5698) on 19 August 1915.^6,7

During a route march in Yorkshire he slipped, fell, and hit his head on cobbles. In mid-September his mother was told that Norman was suffering from ocular neurosis, and he came home on sick leave, suffering from bad headaches. After a month the army doctors pronounced him fit and ordered him back to his unit. A porter found him wandering at Paddington and sent him to a hotel, where he was found unconscious in bed the next morning, having finished off the bottle of aspirins the doctor had given him to relieve the pain. His mother was sent for but he never recovered consciousness and died in hospital. The post-mortem found he had been walking round for 6 weeks with a fractured skull.⁸

Norman died on 21 October 1915 in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire. At the inquest his mother crossed swords with Bernard Spilsbury, Home Office pathologist, whom she described as a ‘cross-eyed old devil’.^9,10,6,8 He was buried at the Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery. He was buried beside his mother's father.^10,8

Richard Hugh Fergusson was born in Trevethin, Monmouthshire, on 2 November 1870.^2,1 and was baptised on 25 November 1870.¹
The siblings Alexander, Susan and Richard were listed in the 1871 census at West Place in Pontypool, Trevethin, Monmouthshire, with their parents, Ewen Fergusson and Caroline Mary Field.²

Robert Brown Millar Fergusson was born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, in 1909.^3,2
The siblings Ewen, Mary, David, Angus, Caroline, Margaret, Janet and Robert were listed in the 1911 census at 39 Lugar St in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, with their parents, Augustus James Fergusson and Margaret Duncan Millar.¹
The siblings Margaret, Janet, Robert, William and Thomas were listed in the 1921 census at 39 Lugar St in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, with their father Augustus James Fergusson.²

Robert died in 1993 in Leith, Midlothian.⁴

Ronald Stuart Fergusson was born in Cardiff, Glamorganshire, on 17 January 1892.^2,3
He was listed in the 1901 census, lodging at 54 Buckingham Rd in Brighton, Sussex, in John WHITINGTON's household; quite why he was so far from home in an unrelated family's household is unclear.⁴

According to family lore he went to Quebec in Oct 1909 when he was 17, then to the United States and became an American citizen, although no record of this has been found. He was supposedly in Buffalo, New York, between summer 1910 and summer 1912, then Montana, and Vale, Oregon, in 1913. Becoming tired of waiting for the United States to join the war, he moved to Canada to join the Canadian Army.⁵

He enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force (#430718) on 18 March 1915 at Victoria, British Columbia, having previously served in the 88th Regiment (Victoria Fusiliers) from Sep 1914. He was assigned to the 48th Battalion (later the 3rd Canadian Pioneer Battalion) and sailed for England in Jul 1915, eventually embarking for France on 9 Mar 1916. His paybook shows the Canadians were given a monthly pay of Can$10, which he assigned to his mother.³

Ronald died on 13 June 1916 at Sanctuary Wood in West-Vlaanderen at age 24 having previously been reported as 'wounded, missing in action'. His body was never recovered, hence his only memorial is at the Menin Gate, Ypres.^1,6,3

Susan Christina Fergusson was born in Trevethin, Monmouthshire, on 14 January 1869.^1,2,3
The siblings Alexander, Susan and Richard were listed in the 1871 census at West Place in Pontypool, Trevethin, Monmouthshire, with their parents, Ewen Fergusson and Caroline Mary Field.¹
She was listed as the grand-daughter of Susan Fuller in the 1881 Census at Watton village in Watton, Hertfordshire.⁴

She was listed in the 1939 Register at 3 The Crescent in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire; she was housekeeper for an Ernest ORCHARD.³

Susan's death was registered between April 1943 and June 1943 in Bedwellty, Monmouthshire.⁵

Thomas Fergusson was born in Moulin, Perthshire, circa 1758. and was baptised on 30 November 1758 in Moulin.^1,3

Thomas's grandsons Alexander and John claimed that "My father (John Fergusson, i.e Thomas's second son) had three brothers and two sisters; the names of the sisters were Jane and Mary, and of the brothers Donald, William, and Adam. Donald and William went to Baltimore, America, and Adam went to Keputh on the Tay, where he died. He was a blacksmith to trade. As far as my great-grandfather is concerned (i.e Thomas's father), I know nothing about him, further than that his name was Adam Fergusson."
This statement does not match other details from the GRO and elsewhere for the children of Thomas as there is no Donald (but there is a James). Was there an unrecorded Donald and did James die young?
Also, the claim that Thomas's father was Adam does not fit with the research of D.A. Cooper, who documents it as another Thomas and the most likely match seems to be the Thomas who married Janet CONACHER.²

He married Christian Douglass in Scotland.⁴

He was listed in the 1841 census at Balyoukan in Moulin, Perthshire, with his wife Christian; he was a mason.⁵

Thomas died on 1 May 1844 in Moulin, Perthshire.^6,7 He was buried at the Moulin churchyard in Moulin.^6,7

He married Janet Conacher, daughter of William Conacher and Anne Robertson, in Logierait, Perthshire, on 20 December 1748.^2,3

Thomas Millar Fergusson was born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, in 1913.¹
The siblings Margaret, Janet, Robert, William and Thomas were listed in the 1921 census at 39 Lugar St in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, with their father Augustus James Fergusson.²

William Fergusson was born at Balentuime of Dunfallandy in Logierait, Perthshire, on 18 July 1786.^2,1 and was baptised on 22 July 1786 at Balentuime of Dunfallandy in Logierait.^2,1

William Fergusson was born in Moulin, Perthshire, in 1756.¹ and was baptised on 28 July 1756 in Moulin.¹