Kenneth Bethune FERGUSON (1876-1961)

Kenneth Bethune Ferguson (1876-1961) was the husband of Clementina Hope Brown Constable, who was the cousin of Mela Brown Constable (the fiancée of Cyril Sladden).

Kenneth Ferguson was born on 15th November 1876 on the island of Mauritius, the fifth of six children of John Alexander Ferguson and his wife, Harriette Martha.

He was gazetted as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 26th May 1900 and as Lieutenant on 8th March 1902.  From January 1904 to July 1906 he was ADC to Major-General, Northern China; from November 1911 to January 1912 he was Adjutant, Territorial Force.

He was gazetted Captain on 18th August 1913.  From 12th August 1914 to 30th September 1914 he was temporarily in the General Staff Office, War Office, based in Ostend.  From 1st October 1914 to 15th March 1915 he was Brigade Major, 9th Division, New Armies, based at Aldershot, transferring to 23rd Division from 20th March 1915 to 24th July 1915.  Kenneth was in England for the birth of his daughter, Evelyn, on 21st May 1915, but was then sent to the front at the end of July.

Kenneth was gazetted as Major on 30th December 1915.  From 6th April 1916 to 1st May 1917 he was Brigade Major, Heavy Artillery, 17th Army Corps, British Armies in France.

From 19th August 1920 to 14th February 1921 he was employed under the Foreign Office.  It was on 26th October 1920 that his only child, Evelyn, died at Treloars Cripples Hospital.

After leaving the army, Kenneth described himself as a professor giving private lessons, and emigrated to America in 1926.  He they both and Hope set sail from Southampton, bound for New York; the USA was given as their intended future residence.  The 1930 US Federal Census shows them renting a house on 12th Street NE, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia. 

In 1946 they were living at Macon, Georgia, where Kenneth was acting professor at Mercer University.

Kenneth and Hope returned to England in the 1950s.  Kenneth died in hospital in Dartford, Kent, in 1961, his residence at the time being The Marlborough Hotel, Tunbridge Wells.  Hope died at Tunbridge Wells in 1967.