The Fergusson Baronetcy, of Kilkerran in the County of Ayr

Ayrshire

Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...

, is a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 30 November 1703 for the prominent advocate John Fergusson. The second Baronet represented Sutherland

Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)

Sutherland was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It represented essentially the traditional county of Sutherland, electing one Member of Parliament...

 in the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

 and served as a Lord of Session under the judicial title Lord Kilkerran. The third Baronet sat as Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Ayrshire

Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1868, when it was divided into North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire....

 and Edinburgh

Edinburgh (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1885. Originally a single member constituency, representation was increased to two members in 1832...

. In 1796 he claimed the earldom of Glencairn

Earl of Glencairn

The title of Earl of Glencairn was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1488 for the first Lord Kilmaurs .On the death of the fifteenth earl in 1796, there existing no original Letters Patent of the creation nor a given remainder in the various confirmations in title of previous earls the title...

. The House of Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

 decided that he had successfully proved that he was heir-general to Alexander Cunningham, 10th Earl of Glencairn (d. 1670), but that he had not proved his right to the earldom. The sixth Baronet was a Conservative

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 politician and colonial governor and notably served as Governor of New Zealand

Governor-General of New Zealand

The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

 from 1873 to 1874 and as Governor of Bombay from 1880 to 1885. The seventh Baronet was Governor-General of New Zealand between 1924 and 1930. The eighth Baronet was an author and historian and also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire.

Several other members of the Fergusson family have also gained distinction. Sir James Andrew Fergusson

James Fergusson (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral Sir James Andrew Fergusson KCB KCMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station.-Naval career:...

 (1872-1942), second son of the sixth Baronet, was an Admiral in the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. Charles Dalrymple

Sir Charles Dalrymple, 1st Baronet

Sir Charles Dalrymple, 1st Baronet , was a Scottish Conservative politician.Born Charles Fergusson, he was the second son of Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet, and grandson of Sir James Fergusson, 4th Baronet, and his wife Jean, daughter of David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. Sir James...

, second son of the fifth Baronet, was a Conservative politician. He assumed the surname of Dalrymple in lieu of Fergusson and was created a Baronet in his own right in 1887 (see Dalrymple Baronets

Dalrymple Baronets

There have been several baronetcies created for people with the surname Dalrymple.-Creations:All creations were in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia unless otherwise mentioned.The first creation was on 2 June 1664, for James Dalrymple of Stair...

). Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae

Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae

Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE was a brigadier in the British Army, military historian and the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.- Military service :...

, Governor-General of New Zealand from 1962 to 1967, was the youngest son of the seventh Baronet. His son is George Fergusson

George Fergusson

The Hon. George Duncan Raukawa Fergusson is a British diplomat. He was the British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa, and the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, from 2006 to 2010.-Biography:...

, British High Commissioner to New Zealand.

Fergusson Baronets, of Kilkerran (1703)

• Sir John Fergusson, 1st Baronet (d. 1729)
• Sir James Fergusson, 2nd Baronet (1687–1759)
• Sir Adam Fergusson, 3rd Baronet (1733–1813)
• Sir James Fergusson, 4th Baronet (1765–1838)
• Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet
  Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet
  Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson, 5th Baronet, of Kilkerran, Ayrshire, was a Scottish lawyer.-Life:He was the eldest son of Sir James Fergusson, fourth baronet, by Jean, daughter of Sir David Dalrymple, baronet , was born at Fort George, Inverness-shire, in August 1800.He was educated at Harrow,...
  
   (1800–1849)
• Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
  Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
  Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet GCSI, PC was a British soldier, Conservative politician and colonial administrator.-Background and education:...
  
   (1832–1907)
• Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet (1865–1951)
• Sir James Fergusson, 8th Baronet (1904–1973)
• Sir Charles Fergusson, 9th Baronet (b. 1931)