John Ferguson
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John Ferguson was the son of Benjamin Ferguson and Hannah Eliza Phillips who married at Nottingham in 1885. Their children included: Joseph William (b.1893), John Thomas (b.1897) and Laura (b.1899). In 1901 the family was living at 1 Duffin’s Yard, Chapel Street, Radford [C.1901]. Benjamin Ferguson, who was employed as a general carter, died at Nottingham, aged 44, in 1909. This appears to have forced most of the family into the Nottingham Workhouse at Bagthorpe. John and Laura were both listed as being in the workhouse’s training establishment in the 1911 census, while their mother also appears to a resident of the workhouse. Only William Ferguson was not there, he was a boarder, at a house 5 Forster Grove Radford. In John Ferguson’s army records, his mother was now stated to be in Bagthorpe Hospital, while William who was declared to be his next of kin was living at 48 Dulwich Road, Radford [Army records/1919]. His mother eventually died in Nottingham, aged 64, in 1924.
John Ferguson enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) on 13 August 1914. He was listed as 18 years 175 days of age, 5 feet 4 inches in height and occupation - Factory Doubler; His father was listed as deceased. He attested in the Army Reserve for 6 years with colours and 3 reserve; On 14 August he was sent to the Depot in Derby for training and posted to 1st battalion in France on 9 February 1915. A month later, on 13 March, he was killed in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. On 13th March at 2 am, the battalion was ordered to retire to reserve trenches on the Rue de Tilleloy at Sign Post Corner. By 4 am the battalion was occupying the reserve trenches. At some point during these movements, John was killed, probably by shellfire. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. John Morse
On 4th May 1915 the Nottingham Guardians remembered a man who had been formerly in their care. John Ferguson had been killed in action at Neuve Chapelle. “NOTTM. WORKHOUSE BOY. “BRAVE DEATH AT NEUVE CHAPELLE. “Regretful mention was made at the Nottingham Board of Guardians' meeting to-day [4th May 1915] to the death of John Ferguson, who was killed at the battle of Neuve Chapelle. “Ferguson was brought up in the Board's Hartley-road Institute, and was a fine football player. He played for Nottingham in the International Schools Championship. He was also the cornet soloist in the Institute band, and it was due to this fact that he became a soldier. At the time of his death he was only 19. “Concern was also expressed over another of the Board's old boys, who was reported wounded at Neuve Chapelle. Nothing has been heard of him since, but Mr. S. G. Ward said he was making enquiries. The Board expressed its sympathy with the relatives.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
