Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 18.djvu/353

 Besides the works already mentioned he wrote: 1. ‘An Idea of the Material Universe deduced from a Survey of the Solar System,’ London, 1754. 2. ‘Astronomical Tables and Precepts for Calculating the true Times of New and Full Moons,’ &c., 1763. 3. ‘Analysis of a Course of Lectures on Mechanics, Pneumatics, Hydrostatics, Spherics, and Astronomy,’ 1763, 8th ed. 1774. 4. ‘Supplement to Lectures on Select Subjects,’ 1767. 5. ‘Tables and Tracts relative to several Arts and Sciences,’ 1767. 6. ‘Introduction to Electricity,’ 1770. 7. ‘An Account of a Remarkable Fish, taken in the King Road, near Bristol’ (Phil. Trans. liii. 170). 8. ‘The Description of a New and Safe Crane’ (ib. liv. 24). 9. ‘Short and Easy Methods for Finding the Quantity of Time contained in any given number of Mean Lunations,’ &c. (ib. lv. 61). He wrote the astronomical part of Guthrie's ‘Geographical Grammar’ in 1771 (3rd edition), and reprinted in 1775, with the addition of a third, two ‘Letters to the Rev. John Kennedy,’ originally published as a critique of Kennedy's ‘Astronomical Chronology’ in the ‘Critical Review’ for May and June 1763. The greater part of Ferguson's miscellaneous writings were collected and republished by Brewster in 1823, with the title ‘Ferguson's Essays.’ His ‘Commonplace Book,’ discovered at Edinburgh in 1865, includes, with a copious record of mechanical contrivances and calculations, his drawings of remarkable sun-spots in 1768 and 1769.

[Life of James Ferguson, F.R.S., by Ebenezer Henderson, LL.D., 1867; 2nd ed. 1870. Ferguson's ‘Short Account’ of his earlier years (1710–43), here reprinted with notes and illustrations, is supplemented with an ‘Extended Memoir,’ giving all available details of his circumstances and inventions down to the time of his death. See also Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, ii. 422; Hutton's Mathematical Dict. 1815; R. Chambers's Eminent Scotsmen; Brewster's Edinb. Encycl. ix. 297 (biography), xvi. 626, 629 (planetary machines); Gent. Mag. xlvi. 531, xlvii. passim; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Delambre's Hist. de l'Astr., p. 639. Mayhew's Story of the Peasant Boy Philosopher (1854) is founded on the early life of Ferguson.]  FERGUSON, JAMES FREDERIC (1807–1855), Irish antiquary, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1807. He was of French descent, his father having been one Jacques Frédéric Jaquemain, a native of Cambrai. During the time of the revolution Jaquemain left France and settled in London, assuming the name of Ferguson in 1793. Six years later he went to America, and in 1800 became deputy-postmaster of Beaufort in South Carolina, where he resided till 1812. After the death of his wife, an English lady, Jaquemain went to London, where he became a teacher of languages. Subsequently he established a school in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin. In 1823 he published a volume of Italian translations from the classic poets. James Frederic Ferguson the younger accompanied his father to Dublin in 1820, and some years later was engaged on behalf of Lord Kingsland in endeavouring to recover for that nobleman the Kingsland estates. His efforts were partially successful, and he next became a collaborator with Lynch, author of ‘Feudal Dignities in Ireland,’ in arranging the voluminous series of ‘Irish Records.’ Valuable and extensive collections of documents were formed, some of which afterwards passed into the library of Sir William Betham. Ferguson's most important work was the indexing of the entire body of ‘Exchequer Records’ in Ireland, which he completed unassisted. The indexes were purchased by the government in order to be permanently deposited in the court of exchequer. In 1850 Ferguson was appointed clerk and secretary to a commission for arranging the records of the Irish courts, and this office he held until its abolition two years later. By direction of the chief baron, he continued in charge of the records from the time of the cessation of the commission until his death. On one occasion he undertook at his own expense a journey to Switzerland, in order to recover some Irish records in the collection of a Suabian baron. These records proved to belong to the Irish court of king's bench in the reign of Edward I, and it was surmised that they had been purloined in the reign of George I when Addison was keeper of the records in the Bermingham Tower. Ferguson purchased them at his own cost, and restored them to the Irish Record Office. In 1843 Ferguson published ‘Remarks on the Limitations of Actions Bill intended for Ireland; together with short extracts from Ancient Records relating to Advowsons of Churches in Ireland.’ To the ‘Transactions of the Kilkenny Archæological Society’ he communicated a calendar of the contents of the ‘Red Book’ of the Irish exchequer; and to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ (January 1855) he communicated a description of the ancient drawing of the court of exchequer, contained in the above manuscript calendar. To the ‘Topographer and Genealogist’ he communicated the account of Sir Toby Caulfeild relative to the Earl of Tyrone and other fugitives from Ulster in 1616; a curious series of notes on the exactions anciently incident to tenures in Ireland; a list of the castles, &c., in Ireland in 1676, with a note on hearth-