Joseph Ferguson (1788 – 17 February 1863) was an English politician. He was born at

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

, the son of Robert Ferguson, Esq and his wife Anne daughter of John Wood Esq of Maryport, and was educated at

Carlisle grammar school Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril. It is the administrative centre of the City ...

Career

A liberal reformer by conviction, he joined a manufacturing firm in Carlisle, and was soon a sleeping partner in the firm. He was made President of the Chamber of Commerce in Carlisle in 1833 on the reform of the franchise. He was "of decidedly liberal opinions; in favour of parliamentary reform, opposed to the

Maynooth Grant The Maynooth Grant was a cash grant from the British government to a Catholic seminary in Ireland. In 1845, the Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, sought to improve the relationship between Catholic Ireland and Protestant Britain by in ...

". The Maynooth Grant, to an Irish catholic seminary, had been rejected by Peel's Conservative government, but in 1847 post-famine was accepted by Lord John Russell's Whig government.

Politics

The success of the firm led to his appointment as Mayor of Carlisle in 1837. This was followed by the call to the magistrate's bench in 1840. He was first elected as MP for

in July 1852. Ferguson voted for the ballot of 1853 during the Adullamite Cave crisis. He was defeated in 1857 and retired from politics.

Family

He married Maria Isabella Clarke, daughter of John Clarke, Esq., of Bebside House, Northumberland in 1815 and they had a son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, born 1 April 1817. Robert became MP for Carlisle in 1874.

Death

Ferguson died on 17 February 1863.

References

;Bibliography {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Joseph 1788 births 1863 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies People educated at Carlisle Grammar School UK MPs 1852–1857 Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies