FERGUSON, William in Edinburgh ^{2 3}

   Cause of his death was asthma.⁷

   Another name for William was FERGUSSON, William bookkeeper in Edinburgh.^{3 8}

   User ID: K872.

  General Notes:

"FERGUSON
WILLIAM
WM. FERGUSON/
M
19/03/1714
221 10 / 348
METHLICK"

from Births and Baptisms


Old Parish Registers
Methlick parish Aberdeenshire
Baptisms

"Friday March 19 1714
Ferguson
"Wm Ferguson in Mill of Ardoe had a child baptized by M^r John Mulligine Minr and named William Witnesses John Cassie at Mill of Ardoe & Patrick Milne there."




"FERGUSON
WILLIAM
-----
53
M
17/05/1767
685 / 3 220 / 391
CANONGATE"

from Deaths and burials


Old Parish Registers
Canongate parish Edinburgh
Deaths and burials

"May 1767
Ferguson 17
William Ferguson Writer in Edinr. outside of Hay's burying place, aged 53 years, died of an Asthma" ^{2 3 4 9}

  Research Notes:

OCCUPATION

There are differing descriptions of the occupation of Robert Fergusson's father. Records of the Clan and Name of Fergusson, Ferguson and Fergus states, on page 238, that he was a bookkeeper, and on page 295 that he was "a clerk in the service of the British Linen Company". House of Forbes cite him as an accountant. The William Ferguson who died in May 1767, aged 53 years, is recorded by the Old Parish Register of Burials as a'writer in Edinburgh', writer being the Scots word for a lawyer, notary, solicitor or attorney. ^{8 10 11 12}

William married Elizabeth FORBES, daughter of John FORBES in Templeton, Kildrummy and Sophia KER, in 1741.¹ (Elizabeth FORBES was baptised on 6 March 1714 in Kildrummy parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ³.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Elizabeth (Forbes), born 1714, married William Ferguson, accountant, Edinburgh."

from House of Forbes

Note:

In Genealogies of an Aberdeen Family 1540-1913 the author states :

"After her husband's death in 1767, Mrs. William Fergusson married Alexander Davidson, Bookseller, Edinburgh."

This statement is erroneous. The 1730 marriage entry of Elizabeth Forbes and Alexander Davidson records Elizabeth's father as "the deceast Ro^tt Forbes in Waterfout".

Elizabeth's supposed 1782 death, "d. 19th April, 1782.", referred by the same author, when checked in the OPR records, names Elizabeth Forbes as the relict of Alexander Davidson bookseller in Edinburgh, but makes no mention of her name being Ferguson, nor of her husband being William Ferguson.

The conclusion is that two different women named Elizabeth Forbes married Alexander Davidson and William Ferguson. ^{1 10 13 14}