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John W Fergusson
SRoH : No obvious mention although there is a J. Fergusson from Kirkcudbright with no details. We know of this man from the 1918 article in the Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser.
Medal Index Card : J. W Fergusson Pt. 55 9/R. Scots. 2Lt. Seaf. High. (Seaforth Highlanders) Note added - 'see Fergusson John W. 1916 List' Went to France 24/2/1915. Awarded 15 Star Medal.
Medal Index Card : John W. Ferguson 55 C.S.M. (Company Sergeant Major). Comm. 2nd Seaforths 28/8/1915
9th Battalion, The Royal Scots - Roll of Individuals : 55 Pte. Ferguson J. W. Embarkation 24th February 1915. Disc. to Comm. 28/08/1915.
RF Roll D/101BP3 : Fergusson, John W. (on 1916 Army List)
The above records may not refer to the same man as the 1918 newspaper article, as the latter says he is a private. Maybe none of the above records refer to J W Fergusson from Gatehouse. Alternatively, the above all refer to 1915-16 whilst the newspaper report is dated 1918. The soldier could have returned to action after convalescence and accepted a demotion to private in order to get back to the front line.
Census : Not found in Girthon or Anwoth in 1901 and 1911.
Not in 1911 Manchester census. Interestingly 2 other Gatehouse soldiers ( Arthur T. Jardine & William Raphael) were living in Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester in 1911. Both worked for Affleck & Brown, a large drapers owned by the Brown family from Knockbrex, Borgue)
Kirkcudbright Advertiser 19th April 1918 : Private J W Fergusson, Royal Scots, 12 Maskell St., Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester has sustained gunshot wounds and is in hospital in Birmingham. This is the third time Private Fergusson has been wounded. He is a native of Gatehouse and his family are also known in Kirkcudbright.
Scotlands People Index : No births of a John William Fergusson or Ferguson anywhere in Kirkcudbrightshire anytime.
Mary Blair Ferries
SRoH. Nurse Mary B Ferries. Home: Ornockenoch, Gatehouse. Served in Military Hospitals at Home.
1901 Anwoth Census, at Killeron Mill, Ornockenoch Road : May Ferries (age 6, born Minnigaff) with father George (rabbit trapper) and mother Hannah J. + 1 sister.
1911 Anwoth Census, at Ornockenoch Cottage : Mary Blair Ferries (age 16, born Minnigaff) with father George (rabbit catcher), mother Hannah J. + sister Georgina.
Note: Ornockenoch and Killeron Mill are close to one another.
ScotlandsPeople: Mary's parents George Ferries and Hannah J. married at Minnigaff in 1894.
Ancestry.co.uk death record : Mary Blair Ferries died Q2 1984, aged 89. Date of birth 6/3/1895. Registered at Worthing, West Sussex.
Probate Record - Mary Blair Ferries of Littlehampton, West Sussex. Died 2/6/1984.
Gatehouse link : Lived in the Ornockenoch area.
George Alfred Fisher
SRoH. Gunner George Fisher. Home: Gatehouse.
Mobilised 4th August 1914 R.F.A. (Royal Field Artillery)
Served in Western Front. Killed in action April 1916.
Anwoth & Girthon War Memorial, Gatehouse inscription : George Fisher R.F.A.
Ayr War memorial, inscription :under Royal Field Art'y - Fisher, George Albert (N.B. not Alfred)
Memorial to men of Glasgow & South West Railway, at Ayr Railway Station inscription : Fisher, George A.
Girthon Gravestone : ..... also Gunner G.A. Fisher, killed in France 18th April 1916, and buried in Bruay Communal Cemetery, aged 31 years.
CWGC : George Alfred Fisher, Gunner 33393 Royal Field Artillery (71st Battalion). Died 18/4/1916 (aged 30).
Buried Bruay Communal Cemetery Extension Pas de Calais, France Grave: A.3
Wife: Jean Fisher of 68 Mill Street, Ayr Parents: John & Margaret Fisher.
Military Records : Enlisted 04/02/1904 in Glasgow. 33393 RFA
Aged 18 years 4 months, born Gatehouse of Fleet. He was a railway servant.
He was 5’ 8’’ tall, fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.
He had a tattoo on a finger of his left hand. He was a Presbyterian.
Transferred to Army Reserve 11/02/1907.
He worked as a waiter at the Glasgow and South West Railway’s Station Hotel, Ayr. He was recalled to his regiment in August 1914.
Mobilised August 1914. Served at home 04/02/1904 until 17/08/1914 & in France 18/08/1914 until 18/04/1916. 15/11/1914 ‘Tried by FGCM and sentenced to be reduced to the ranks and 42 days Field Punishment No 2’ 26/11/1914 Returned to duty as a Gunner. Killed accidentally, and then buried at Bruay (after serving for 12 years and 3 days).
Had elder brothers Henry and James at 18 Rosehall Street, Glasgow.
Married Jeannie Brown 03/11/1911 in Ayr. They had 2 children: Mary Margaret Fisher (born 11/04/1912) and George Alfred Fisher (born 15/02/1914), both born Ayr.
1891 Girthon Census, High Street, Gatehouse : George Fisher, age 5, born Girthon), with grandparents John (tailor, born c.1842 Ireland) and Margaret Fisher (born c.1836 Tongland) + siblings and aunts & uncles.
1901 Girthon Census, Catherine Street, Gatehouse : with widowed grandmother Margaret Fisher. George, baker’s apprentice, age 15 born Gatehouse.
Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser 28th April 1916: Gunner George Fisher, Gatehouse R.F.A.
On Saturday last, word came to Mr Patterson, Catherine Street, Gatehouse, that Gunner George Fisher, R.F.A., had been killed in action. He went out with his battery at the commencement of the war, and had been on active service since then, having been in several hard fought battles. Gunner Fisher was a native of Gatehouse, being well known in the district, although for a number of years, he had been away from the locality. His wife and family live at Ayr
Scotlands People – 1911 : George married Jeannie Brown in Ayr.
Note: There may be some confusion between George’s parents and grandparents.
George Alfred Fisher’s mother is probably Margaret Anne Patterson, daughter of John Patterson and Margaret Robertson. The Patterson family were from Gatehouse but lived in Liverpool for some years. It was while the family were there that John Patterson was lost at sea in 1867. Margaret and John Patterson had at least 5 children, and Margaret returned to Gatehouse with her family where she married John Fisher in 1869, and had at least 5 more children. Her daughter Margaret Anne Patterson was unmarried when she had George Alfred Patterson in about 1885 in Gatehouse. Grandmother Margaret and her husband John Fisher seem to have adopted George Alfred into their own family and he sometimes goes by the surname Patterson and sometimes Fisher.
George Fisher is therefore a cousin of all the Pattersons who were the children of either Robert and Violet Patterson or John and either Elizabeth or Mary Patterson.
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Gatehouse.
Dennis Fitzpatrick
SRoH. Not in Stewartry Roll of Honour. Identified as a soldier from Gatehouse ex Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser “First Instalment of Stewartry Roll of Honour” 25th December 1914.
Private Dennis Fitzpatrick Cameron Highlanders.
Army Records - Medal Index Card - (Possibly) : Dennis Fitzpatrick, Pte. S/10983 Cameron Highrs. Sent to France 18/01/1915. Transferred to R. E. (Royal Engineers) no. 79446.
Medal Roll of Royal Engineers : Dennis Fitzpatrick 1/Cameron High's Pte. S/13364 & 79444 Royal Engineers.
1891 Girthon Census in Church Street : Dennis Fitzpatrick (age 3, born Girthon) with father John Fitzpatrick, general labourer (age 52, born Ireland) & mother Agnes (age 48, born Kirkcudbright) + 4 siblings including Mary (age 10, born Girthon) and John (age 6, born Girthon)
1901 Old Monkland Census at Coatbridge : Dennis Fitzpatrick (14, born Gatehouse), painter's apprentice, visiting John & Mary Carson. Mary Carson (age 20, born Gatehouse) is possibly Dennis' sister. (Mary Fitzpatrick married John Carson at Coatbridge in 1900 ex Scotlands People Index)
1911 Girthon Census, Digby Street : Dennis Fitzpatrick, (age 23, labourer in copper mine, born Gatehouse) with widowed mother Agnes (age 70, born Kirkcudbright) and brother Edward, baker (age 29, born Gatehouse)
Kirkcudbright Advertiser 3rd July 1915 : There is at present being exhibited in an office in Gatehouse interesting souvenirs of the war in the form of a shell case of the famour 75mm French gun, also the steel nose of a German shrapnel shell which landed on the bed of the Gatehouse soldier Private Dennis Fitzpatrick, who brought the mementoes home. Private Fitzpatrick has been in the trenches since the middle of January and is now having a few days of well earned rest in his native town.
Ancestry.co.uk : A family tree for the Fitzpatrick family gives Dennis' parents as John Fitzpatrick and Agnes Johnstone or Hannah. Agnes Johnstone had married Robert Hannah in 1860 at Girthon. Robert died in 1863.
Marriage of John Fitzpatrick and Agnes Hannah 1882 at Kelton. (His parents).
Girthon OPR Banns : 16th July 1882 John Fitzpatrick to marry Agnes Hannah or Johnstone, both of Girthon.
Scotlands People Index : Birth of Dennis Fitzpatrick in Girthon 1887.
His brother John was a driver with the Royal Field Artillery.
Gatehouse link : Born and raised in Gatehouse.
Gatehouse link : Newspaper SRoH reference on Christmas Day 1914 says he was from Gatehouse. Born and raised in Gatehouse.
John Fitzpatrick
SRoH. Driver John Fitzpatrick. Home: Catherine Street, Gatehouse.
Enlisted Febuary 1915, 25th Division, Royal Field Artillery.
Transferred to 25th Division, Trench Mortars.
Served on Western Front (Vimy Ridge, Somme, Messines, Westhoek, Ypres, Bois Dubiex, Ploegsteert, Kemmell Hill, Aisne, Marne, Beaurevoir, Bois L’Eveque & Landreies).
Military Records : enlisted 26 Feb 1915, married, aged 30y 2m, was a carter, lived at Digby St, Gatehouse. Reg.No. L6543.
Married Priscilla Dickinson 03/08/1910, address Digby St., Gatehouse. Had a son William born 25/09/1910. John was 5’ 5¼’’ tall with brown hair & grey eyes. He had a tattoo of a busty lady on his right forearm. He was Presbyterian, and a Town Carter by trade.
He deserted on 23/09/1915 from Bulford Camp, Salisbury. He was apprehended in London & rejoined 30/10/1915. Charged with desertion & loss of kit worth £1–19-0¾. Found guilty – detained for 28 days + pay deducted to cover cost of lost kit.
Absent without leave in March 1919. Transferred to Army Reserves. Awarded BWM & VM of 1919.
1891 Girthon Census, Church Street : John (6, born Girthon) with father John (general labourer) and mother Agnes + 4 siblings
1901 Girthon Census, Catherine Street : John (16, groom, born Kirkcudbright), with widowed mother Agnes (agricultural labourer) and brother Edward.
1911 Girthon Census, Catherine Street : Priscilla Fitzpatrick (born c.1886, Girthon), married with son William S. Fitzpatrick (born c. 1910, Girthon), living with parents William T. and Elizabeth Dickinson. William was a basketmaker. Priscilla's husband John not at home.
Ancestry.co.uk : A family tree for the Fitzpatrick family gives John's parents as John Fitzpatrick and Agnes Johnstone or Hannah. Agnes Johnstone had married Robert Hannah in 1860 at Girthon. Robert died in 1863.
Marriage of John Fitzpatrick and Agnes Hannah 1882 at Kelton. (His parents).
Girthon OPR Banns : 16th July 1882 John Fitzpatrick to marry Agnes Hannah or Johnstone, both of Girthon.
Scotlands People Index : Birth of John Fitzpatrick in Girthon 1884.
Scotlands People Marriage Index : at Girthon, 1910 John Fitzpatrick & Priscilla Dickinson.
Girthon OPR Banns : 31/7/1910 Banns for John Fitzpatrick & Priscilla Dickenson. Married at Catherine Street.
His brother Dennis was a private with the Cameron Highlanders and later Royal Engineers.
Gatehouse link : Born and lived in Gatehouse.
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