Sir Robert Alexander Ferguson, 2nd Baronet (26 December 1795 –13 March 1860) was a Whig and then

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician from

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Ferguson was born in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

in 1796 as son of Sir Andrew Ferguson (1761–1808), a banker and mayor of Derry from 1796 to 1798, and Elizabeth, daughter of the Derry merchant Robert Alexander of Broom Hall, who was the brother of James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon. Ferguson succeeded to the baronetcy in July 1808, after his father was killed in accident on a bridge in Moville, County Donegal. Ferguson was educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he graduated MA in 1817. He was

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the disembodied Londonderry Militia from 1839 (and Honorary Colonel from 1855 when it was embodied for the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

) and Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry from 1840 to 1860. He lived at The Farm, County Londonderry. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Donegal The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Donega ...

in 1818 and

High Sheriff of Tyrone The High Sheriff of Tyrone is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Tyrone. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his jud ...

in 1825 and then elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Londonderry City at the 1830 general election, but his election was declared void. A member of the United University club, he was re-elected at the resulting by-election held on 2 April 1831, and held the seat until his death in 1860, at the age of 63, when the baronetcy became extinct. In 1859 he voted in favour of the Derby ministry's reform bill. There is a statue of Ferguson in Brooke Park in his native Derry.

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* 1795 births 1860 deaths Whig (British political party) MPs for Irish constituencies Irish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Londonderry constituencies (1801–1922) UK MPs 1830–1831 UK MPs 1831–1832 UK MPs 1832–1835 UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Lord-lieutenants of County Londonderry Londonderry Militia officers High sheriffs of Tyrone High sheriffs of Donegal Politicians from Derry (city) {{Liberal-UK-MP-stub