Roll of Honour

Information from Census records shows that Harry (Henry) Ferguson was born in West Hartlepool in 1856/57. His father Henry was a Mason. On June 15th, 1885, at St. Hilda's Parish Church, Henry (aged 28), married Annie Wilson (aged 23). Annie was born in East Hartlepool and her father was a Blacksmith.

At the time of their marriage they are both recorded as living at No.20, Wood Street, Hartlepool, however, at the time of Henry's death in 1916, they were living at No.21 Freville Street, West Hartlepool.

On March 7th, 1916, when in the southern French port of Cette, 61-year old West Hartlepool-born Harry [Henry] Ferguson, a Donkeyman on board the steamship Dorington Court, died of a seizure and was buried in the town.
The local newspaper, the Northern Daily Mail, ran the following article on Tuesday, March 21^st, 1916:
Local Seaman’s death in France.
The death has occurred in France, suddenly, of Harry [Henry] Ferguson, donkeyman on board of the Dorington Court, whose widow resides at 21, Freville Street, West Hartlepool. It appears that the vessel was at Cette when Ferguson had a seizure and expired three hours later. He was buried in France on March 9^th. The widow has received a sympathetic letter from Capt. Barcham,the Master of the ship, who with Commander Russell, RN and the British Consul, attended the funeral. Very beautiful wreaths were sent by the above named, other floral tributes being also received from the ships’ crew, and the crews of other British ships in port. The cortege was headed by the apprentice of the ship, who carried the British flag.