John Ferguson & Co, Carlisle 1850

[mientajb]

I have just been reading the will of one of my ancestors, John Chambers, dated 1850. In it he talks of co-partnership of a company called John Ferguson & Co. The will states that his share of the company can not be sold for a period of 10 years, presumably to give his partners an opportunity to manage the subsequent sale, but the share of the profits were to go to John's beneficiaries.

The company was being run by Richard Ferguson and Matthewson Hodgson Donald after the death of John Chambers. They owned property in Backhouses Walk and English Dam in Carlisle as well as shops and premises in Brampton and Echlefechan. I believe that they also had share in a cotton mill in West Wall Carlisle.

Other than that, I can not find out anything about the company itself, what happened to it after 1850 and, especially, what property they owned in Brampton.

Has anyone come across this group of people or can you advise what I can do in order to continue my research. I have looked on the Carlisle Archives site but nothing there.

Thanks

[Geoff-E]

Employees of the company apparently made a patent application in 1858 - see No.2683 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22087/page/391

Of more relevance to you, see this 1857 news (4th para on left)
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22074/page/4486

[mientajb]

Thank you. So they wound up the business after 7 years rather than 10. But what did they own in Brampton.