Walter Ferguson - Scotland

[Thistle76]

Looking for any info on Walter Ferguson and family who emigrated to Canada in 1931.

Walter Ferguson b 03 Mar 1880, Garnkirk, Cadder, Lanarkshire
Annie McCormick b c1882, Coyleton, Ayrshire
Agnes Ferguson b c1905, Linwood, Renfrewshire
James Ferguson b c1912
All arrived in Quebec on the Duchess of Bedford 5/2/1931

Walter Ferguson b c1908, Tollcross, Shettleston, Lanarkshire
Arrived in Quebec on the Melita 16/7/1927

Have lost sight of them in Canada.

Many thanks
Gary

[cosmac]

The destination of the family on the 1931 arrival was Centreville, New Brunswick.

[Skoosh]

Gary,  Garnkirk was the terminus of Scotland's first railway, NE of Glasgow. It had extensive fireclay works and a distillery.

Skoosh.

[Jacquie in Canada]

There is an incoming UK passenger list that has the family departing from St. John, New Brunswick on the Montcalm and arriving in Liverpool on 13 Dec 1936. Listed are Agnes (30, domestic), Annie (54, housewife), Walter (56, farmer) and James (25, farmer). The passenger list has a mark in the column which indicates their intended future permanent residence was Scotland. Their proposed address was 47, Countess(? it's a little blurry but I think that's what it says) Road, East Lothian.

Find My Past has a passenger list for the Arcadia which departed from London on 14 Jan 1959 and was bound for Adelaide, Australia that has Walter (born 3 Mar 1880, retired) and Annie (born 31 Mar 1882, housewife) onboard. The passenger list gives their address in the UK as Stoney Mollan Cottage, Baldock, by Alexandria. In the column for future permanent residence it indicates Australia.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

You may want to check out the following information to see if these are your Walter and Annie:

The Genealogy SA website (http://www.genealogysa.org.au/home.html) has an entry in their death index for a Walter Ferguson in Port Adelaide in 1963 (registration 956/3212). Their South Australia Cemeteries index indicates there is a Walter Ferguson who died in 1963, was 83 years old and is buried in Enfield Memorial Park. There are two entries for women named Annie Ferguson for Enfield who were born about the same year:

* one was 97 and died in 1980; and
* one was 88 and died in 1971 however the death index for this Annie has a relative listed as Richard Munson FERGUSON.

The Adelaide Cemeteries Authority (http://www.aca.sa.gov.au/RecordsSearch.aspx) has a database that can be searched. The Annie who died 18 Jan 1980 had her abode listed as Windsor Gardens which is the same as is listed for a Walter Ferguson who died 4 Jun 1963. Both are buried in the general section of the cemetery.

I haven't been able to find anything to indicate James or Agnes emigrated to Australia either before or after their parents.

Jacquie

[Thistle76]

Thanks for the responses, especially Jacquie.

I hadn't thought about them returning but I suppose during the depression it makes sense.

I have done a little more digging. One of Walter's children (Mary Frances Ferguson) who didn't emigrate with the rest of her family, married in 1930, Thomas Smith from Dunbar. This is where the family returned to in 1936 (Countess Road).

The Smiths in turn emigrated to Adelaide where the elderly Walter and Annie joined them in 1959. Mary Frances divorced Thomas in 1972 after 42yrs of marriage (wonder what the story was there!).
She is also buried in Enfield Memorial Park (1999). There is also an Agnes Ferguson who died in 1999, buried in Enfield Memorial Park who was born c1905/6. Could be the same family.

Thanks for all your help.

It seems quite difficult to trace people in Canada, would it be tough to find out about the son Walter who looks like stayed on in Canada?

Gary

[Jacquie in Canada]

I forgot about the son Walter.

From his birth registration in the Western District, Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, Walter Ferguson was born 11 May 1907 at Flush Place, Tollcross. His parents are listed as Walter Ferguson, ploughman and Annie McCormick with their marriage date listed as 6 Jun 1902 in Reccarton, Ayrshire. The passenger list from 1927 does have Walter's place of birth listed as Old Monkland.

The British Columbia death index at the LDS site has a transcript of a death registration for a Walter Ferguson born 11 May 1908 in Glasgow who died in 1966 in Kelowna, BC. Unfortunately the registration doesn't include the names of his parents but odds are pretty good this is the same Walter. Walter's spouse is listed as Mary Helen Murray but I haven't been able to find a marriage for them. Here's a link to the death registration transcript:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLTB-5XN

Jacquie

[Sheilagh W]

Hi:
My name is Sheilagh and my father was Walter Ferguson from Tollcross born May 11, 1907, his mother was Annie and his father was Walter. For this email I will refer to my father as Jr. Walter Jr. married Mary Helen Murray. They lived in Kelowna BC where I father was a plumber.  He passed away when his was 58 and my mother passed away when she was in her 80's.

From what I have learned to date, Walter and Annie, had 6 children Walter (my father) John, Jim, Agie, Mary and Nathan.

I guess my question to you is... why are you looking into my fathers life? 

[Thistle76]

Hi Sheilagh!
Thanks for your message.
My mother is a Ferguson. Her grandfather, James Bain Ferguson was the brother of Walter Sr, so he was your Father's uncle.
I have five of your father's family, didn't have Nathan.
I have attached a picture of James Bain Ferguson, it would be great to chat more.
Gary