Robert Ferguson of Raith
Encyclopedia
Robert Ferguson of Raith, was at various times a Whig
Member of Parliament for Fifeshire, Haddingtonshire
and Kirkcaldy Burghs
, and at the time of his death he was Lord Lieutenant
of the county of Fife.
was his brother.
Robert Ferguson was elected to the Whig parliament of 1806 for Fifeshire, but was not afterwards elected until the time of the Reform bill, upon which he represented the Kirkcaldy district of Burghs from 1831 to 1835, and in the latter year was returned for Haddingtonshire, defeating Mr. Hope, the Tory candidate, by 268 to 231 votes. At the general election of 1837 he was in turn defeated by Lord Ramsay, who polled 299 votes to 205. He then returned to the representation of the Kirkcaldy division of Burghs. He was a cordial supporter of the measures of the Whig government.
, only daughter of William Hamilton Nisbet, esq. of Dirleton, co. Haddington, the divorced wife (in 1808) of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
, and mother of Lord Bruce(1800–1840), (who died unmarried two days before Mr. Ferguson,) and three daughters. Ferguson had no children.
Whig
-In the British Isles:* A faction of the Scottish Covenanters during the 17th-century Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and the original Whigs....
Member of Parliament for Fifeshire, Haddingtonshire
Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Haddingtonshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1918.-Boundaries:...
and Kirkcaldy Burghs
Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Kirkcaldy Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
, and at the time of his death he was Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of the county of Fife.
Biography
Robert Ferguson was the eldest son of William Ferguson of Raith, Fifeshire, and Jane, daughter of Ronald Craufurd of Restalrig, (sister to Margaret, countess of Dumfries). General Sir Ronald Craufurd FergusonRonald Craufurd Ferguson
General Sir Ronald Craufurd Ferguson , was a Scottish officer in the British Army and a Member of Parliament for the constituencies of Kirkcaldy and Nottingham.-Biography:...
was his brother.
Robert Ferguson was elected to the Whig parliament of 1806 for Fifeshire, but was not afterwards elected until the time of the Reform bill, upon which he represented the Kirkcaldy district of Burghs from 1831 to 1835, and in the latter year was returned for Haddingtonshire, defeating Mr. Hope, the Tory candidate, by 268 to 231 votes. At the general election of 1837 he was in turn defeated by Lord Ramsay, who polled 299 votes to 205. He then returned to the representation of the Kirkcaldy division of Burghs. He was a cordial supporter of the measures of the Whig government.
Family
Mr. Ferguson married MaryMary Nisbet
Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin was the first wife of British diplomat Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin during his term as Ambassador Extraodinare to the Ottoman Empire and one of the most influential and wealthiest heiresses of the late 18th and early 19th century.-Early life:Mary Hamilton Nisbet...
, only daughter of William Hamilton Nisbet, esq. of Dirleton, co. Haddington, the divorced wife (in 1808) of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat, known for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. Elgin was the second son of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and his wife Martha Whyte...
, and mother of Lord Bruce(1800–1840), (who died unmarried two days before Mr. Ferguson,) and three daughters. Ferguson had no children.