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Rev. William Harold Ferguson (1874-1950) was an early 20th century clergyman and composer.

Life and Education

William Harold Ferguson was born on 11 March, 1874 at 25 Albion Street, Leeds,Yorkshire to Emma and William Ferguson, a bank manager. He had six siblings including Arthur Foxton Ferguson (1866-1920).

1891Age: 17 Das königliche Konservatorium der Musik zu Leipzig.

Magdalen College School, where he was a chorister

1892 Keble College Oxford

KEBLE, matric. 15 Oct., 92, aged 18, from Magdalen coll. school.

1896 graduated Keble College Oxford

1896 Assistant master St. Edward's School, Oxford.

1899 Bilton Grange [near] Rugby.

1901 Occupation: officer. Walter Earle, 62; his wife Charlotte Mary, 55; & their daughters Dorothy Charlotte (24) and Evelyn Lucy (20) Earle were there too.

1901 Cuddesdon College, Oxford - Began study with a view to taking Orders (Obituary: The Times, Oct. 19th. 1950.)

1902 Ordained deacon

1902 Assistant Master at Lancinc College

1903 Ordained Priest

1911 - Single, aged 37, occupation: schoolmaster in Holy Orders (Established Church), born Leeds, Yorkshire; he was a visitor at the home of James Dodson Hessey, a medical practitioner, and his wife.

1913 - Appointed Warded of St. Edwards School, Oxford

1919 - Publiation of Hymntunes The public school hymn book. New ed. (London : Novello and Company) The tunes: Cuddesdon (nos. 323 & 406), Frilford (no. 354i), Hominum amator (no. 46), Ladywell (no. 258i + addendum), St. Valentine (no. 193), Wolvercote (nos. 189 & 364), published anonymously; attrib. to W. H. Ferguson in later hymnals.

1925 appointed Warden of Radley College

1926 arrival in London Ship: Rawalpindi, P. & O. S. N. Co., the manifest is not entirely clear but it looks as though William H. Ferguson, Headmaster, Radley College, Abingdon, travelling 1st. class, had embarked at GIBRALTAR, the ship having sailed from Bombay.

1929 arrival South Hampton Ship: P.C. Hooft, S.N.C. Nederland; William Harold Ferguson, Shoolmaster [sic], Radley College, Abingdon, Berks. arriving at Southampton having embarked at GENOA, the ship had sailed from Algiers [in 1929, Easter Day seems to have been 31st March].

Marriage of Walter Kendall Stanton to Edith Monica Leslie Wood 1931 8 Aug Age: 57 The Chapel of Wellington College, [Berkshire] Married by Rev. W.H. Ferguson, Warden of Radley College, assisted by Ven. the Archdeacon of Sarum and Rev. C.W. Hampton Weekes, Vicar of Brading, I. of W., WALTER K. STANTON, to EDITH MONICA LESLIE, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. BENINGTON WOOD.

Marriage to Mabel Doreen Earle 1933 3 Aug Age: 59 Radley College Chapel Marriage reported in The Times: Friday, August 4th., 1933

1933AugAge: 59Warden of Radley College: occupation as reported by The Times in its account of his marriage.

1937Age: 63Retired after over 40 years as a schoolmaster, 24 of them as head master (Obituary notice in The Times, Thursday, October 19th. 1950)

Occupation1937Age: 63Salisbury Cathedral. On retirement, he was appointed Canon and Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral.

1939Age: 65North Canonry, The Close, Salisbury.

1942Age: 68The Hungerford Chantry, The Close, Salisbury.

Memorial Service for Julian Dowager Countess of Radnor.19469 JanAge: 72Salisbury Cathedral. Memorial Service conducted by the Bishop of Sherborne assisted by the Dean of Salisbury and Canon W. H. Ferguson. Sir Walter Alcock was at the organ. Reported in The Times.

1947Age: 73Retired from his position as Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral (Obituary: The Times, Oct. 19th. 1950.

Residence1948Age: 74Farleigh, St. Winefride’s Rd., Littlehampton.

195018 OctAge: 76Farleigh, Littlehampton, Sussex, England. 2 source citations

195023 OctSalisbury Cathedral. Funeral at 2:30 p.m.

Obituary Times Oct. 19th 1950

Career

he taught at various schools

became Warden of Radley.

(St Peter’s College, Radley is now Radley College: http://www.radley.org.uk/Home.aspx) where they still award a Ferguson Singing Prize.

became Canon and Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral (1937-47)

Publications

Ferguson was a composer of many hymns, several of which are still sung today including the well known "O Jesus, I have promised."

He was joint editor of The Public School Hymn Book (1919) with Geoffrey Shaw.

There is a reasonably good link here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/f/e/r/ferguson_wh.htm.

Family

His brother was a baritone, lecturer, and German translator who founded The Folk-Song Quartet. On January 19, 1906, he accompanied a duo recital for Beatrice Spencer and Foxton Feguson inAlexandra Hall on Cookridge St. in Leeds. Leipzig training. An Academic Clerkship at Magdalen College, Oxford. Important collaborations with Sir Henry Walford Davies, Ernest Walker, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Lucy Broadwood. He also contributed to the English Hymnal (1933) by collecting the tune Southill which he notated in 1905.

Death

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References

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