John Macpherson Ferguson (1783–1855) was a Scot serving in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1823 mainly in command of HMS ''Mersey'', he rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.

Life

He was born at Argyle Square in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

on 15 August 1784 the son of

Adam Ferguson Adam Ferguson, (Scottish Gaelic: ''Adhamh MacFhearghais''), also known as Ferguson of Raith (1 July N.S. /20 June O.S. 1723 – 22 February 1816), was a Scottish philosopher and historian of the Scottish Enlightenment. Ferguson was sympath ...

and his wife, Catherine Burnett. His elder brother was Sir Adam Ferguson] The family moved to South Castle Street (just off

Princes Street Princes Street () 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, Edinburgh, New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three quar ...

) soon after the street was built (around 1792). In 1796 He entered the Royal Navy aged twelve as a First Class Volunteer on board the Caeser. In 1800 he was

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

He fought at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He saw service on La Loire,

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

and in 1803

HMS Victory HMS ''Victory'' is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line. With years of service as of , she is the world's List of oldest surviving ships, oldest naval vessel still in Ship commissioning, commission. She was ordered for the Roy ...

, under the flag of

Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

in the Mediterranean. In 1804 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the

in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. In July 1808 he was promoted to Captain. In October 1810 he was given his first command: the relatively new, 18-gun HMS ''Pandora'', replacing Commander Richard Janverin. On Pandora, on New Year's Eve 1810/11, he captured the French privateer ''Chasseur''. The 16-gun ''Chasseur'' threw her cannon overboard before capture but the ship and crew of 36 came under Ferguson's control. On 13 February 1811, the ''Pandora'' was wrecked in a storm on the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

off the coast of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

(modern day

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

). Although 27 (or 29) of the crew of 121 were drowned, Ferguson was amongst the survivors. The survivors huddled in the wrecked hull until February 15 when a Danish ship came to their rescue, but, Denmark being sided against Britain at the time, Ferguson and his crew were taken prisoner. In March, after the Battle of Anholt, in which the British captured a large number of Danish prisoners, Captain Joseph Baker of proposed taking his Danish prisoners to

Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().HMS ''Nimrod''. The ''Nimrod'' was war-hardened both against the French and in North America, but the world was entering a period of peace. His service on ''Nimrod'' was mainly on the British coast, based in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

and

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

. On 1 January 1817 he was promoted to captain but with no command. In April 1823 he took command of HMS ''Mersey'' which had undergone a two-year refit, having last been under command of

George Collier Vice-Admiral Sir George Collier (11 May 1732 – 6 April 1795) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who saw service during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. As commander of the fourth-r ...

. He saw service off the coast of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. He was raised to the rank of rear admiral. Ferguson died on 5 June 1855 and is buried next to his brother in an enclosed vault within the sealed "Covenanters Prison" section of

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 1 ...

next to his great uncle

Joseph Black Joseph Black (16 April 1728 – 6 December 1799) was a British physicist and chemist, known for his discoveries of magnesium, latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was Professor of Anatomy and Chemistry at the University of Glasgow ...

Family

File:Huntlyburn_House.jpg, Huntlyburn House in 1818 until 1823 he joins his brothers and sisters living at Huntlyburn House,

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...

, purchased by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. In 1836 Ferguson married Elizabeth Lauder Guild (1812-1894), almost thirty years his junior. After his death "Mrs Admiral Ferguson" is listed as living at 2 Eton Terrace in Edinburgh's West End. Their only son, Captain Adam Ferguson (1836–1865), served with the

42nd Highlanders The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment in the British Army also known as the Black Watch. Originally titled Crawford's Highlanders or the Highland Regiment (mustered 1739) and numbered 43rd in the line, in 17 ...

(Black Watch). His brother was Sir Adam Ferguson. His great uncle was

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, John Macpherson 1780s births 1855 deaths Military personnel from Edinburgh Royal Navy rear admirals Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Shipwreck survivors Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars 19th-century Scottish military personnel