Sir James Fergusson, 8th Baronet of Kilkerran, (1904–1973) was a Scottish aristocrat, broadcaster, journalist and historian.

Life

Fergusson was born in

Dailly Dailly ( gd, Dail Mhaol Chiarain) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the Water of Girvan, south of Maybole, and east of Old Dailly. "New Dailly", as it was originally known, was laid out in the 1760s as a coal-mining vil ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

on 18 September 1904 the son of

Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet, (17 January 1865 – 20 February 1951), was a British Army officer and the third Governor-General of New Zealand. Early life and military career Fergusson was the son of Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, th ...

of Kilkerran and his wife, Lady Alice Mary Boyle, daughter of

David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow, (31 May 1833 – 13 December 1915), was a British naval commander and colonial governor. He served as Governor of New Zealand between 1892 and 1897. Background Boyle was the son of Patrick Boyle (eldest son of ...

. His younger brother was

Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae Brigadier Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, (6 May 1911 – 28 November 1980) was a British Army officer and military historian. He became the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand. Early life and family Fergusson was th ...

. He was sent to

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

then went to

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

. Fergusson initially worked as a writer for ''

Blackwood’s Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

'' in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. In 1934 he joined BBC Scotland as assistant to the Scottish Regional Director, Melville Dinwiddie. He also was a town councillor for

Haddington, East Lothian The Royal Burgh of Haddington ( sco, Haidintoun, gd, Baile Adainn) is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he resisted a transfer to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and instead joined the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

, giving commentary on Nazi propaganda and making a tour of the Middle East. After the war, Fergusson became lead-writer for the ''

Glasgow Herald ''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...

'' (1945 to 1949). From 1947 to 1968, he also appeared on the popular long-running radio show "Round Britain Quiz" with

Jack House John House (16 May 1906 – 11 April 1991) was a prolific and popular Scottish writer and broadcaster, with a significant attachment to the City of Glasgow. Early life East end House was born in Tollcross, then in the County of Lanark, just o ...

. From 1949, he was made the official

Keeper of the Records of Scotland The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe ...

based at

Register House New Register House is one of multiple buildings within the National Records of Scotland estate. It is located near St Andrew Square to the east end of Princes Street in the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It also houses the Court of the Lor ...

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...

. He remained in the post until 1969, during which period the scale and function of the records office greatly increased. After his departure the expansion included the conversion of St George's Church, Charlotte Square to create West Register House. Upon the death of his father in February 1951 he became 8th Baronet of Kilkerran. In 1960, Fergusson was awarded an honorary doctorate (LLD) from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. In 1968 Fergusson was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. His proposers were Neil Campbell, Lord Balerno,

Edmund Hirst Sir Edmund Langley Hirst CBE FRS FRSE (21 July 1898 – 29 October 1975), was a British chemist. Life Hirst was born in Preston, Lancashire on 21 July 1898 the son of Elizabeth (née Langley) and Rev Sim Hirst (1856-1923) a Baptist minister. He ...

, and

Anthony Elliot Ritchie Anthony Elliot Ritchie FRSE FRCPE LLD (30 March 1915–14 September 1997) was a 20th-century Scottish physiologist and educator. Life Ritchie was born at 20 Upper Gray Street, Edinburgh on 30 March 1915, the only son of Jessie Jane Elliot and ...

. He was a Trustee of the

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by Wi ...

, Member of the Royal Commission on Historic Manuscripts, and Trustee of the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

. He was a member of the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a perso ...

. He was

Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire, Scotland. The post was abolished in 1975, being replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran. *Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton 17 March 1794 – 30 October ...

1969–73. Fergusson died on 25 October 1973. He was buried in the family graveyard at Kilkerran.

Publications

Fergusson was an active member of the committee of the History of Parliament Project. His books include: *''Letters of George Dempster to Sir Adam Fergusson'' (1934) *''Lowland Lairds'' (1949) *''Argyll in the Forty-Five'' (1951) *''The Sixteen Peers of Scotland'' (1960) *''The White Hind'' (1963) (a study of the Appin Murder Case) *''The

Curragh Incident The Curragh incident of 20 March 1914, sometimes known as the Curragh mutiny, occurred in the Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. The Curragh Camp was then the main base for the British Army in Ireland, which at the time still formed part of the U ...

'' (1964) *''The Man Behind MacBeth'' (1969) *''The Declaration of Arbroath 1320'' (1970)

Family

Fergusson married Louise Frances Balfour Stratford Dugdale (daughter of

Edgar Dugdale Edgar Trevelyan Stratford Dugdale (22 July 1876 – 14 October 1964) was a translator, completing the first English translation of ''Mein Kampf''. He gained the rank of captain in the Leicestershire Yeomanry and held the office of Justice of th ...

and

Blanche Dugdale Blanche Elizabeth Campbell "Baffy" Dugdale (née Balfour, 23 May 1880 – 16 May 1948) was a British author and Zionist. Chaim Weizmann called her, "an ardent, lifelong friend of Zionism". Early life She was born Blanche Elizabeth Campbell Balf ...

) in 1930. They had two sons: Charles who became 9th Baronet of Kilkerran, and

Adam Fergusson (MEP) Adam Dugdale Fergusson (born 10 July 1932) is a British journalist, author and Conservative Party politician who served one term in the European Parliament as an MEP. He has remained involved in the field of European Union affairs since, as a Sp ...

. They had two daughters: Alice, who married

Tim Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry Ronald Timothy Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry, (28 May 1932 – 25 August 2020) was a British Conservative politician. Early life Tim Renton, who rarely used his first name of Ronald, was born in London. He won scholarships to Eton C ...

; and Christian who died in a car crash aged 14.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson, James 1904 births 1973 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Scottish journalists Scottish broadcasters Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia