Hugh Ferguson

Who was Hugh Ferguson?

Hugh Ferguson was a Unionist politician.

After a career as a soldier, Ferguson became involved in the Orange Order, a Protestant Unionist organisation based in Ireland. Believing that there was a base for his politics in the west of Scotland, he stood for the Motherwell constituency in several Parliamentary elections.

In the 1918 general election, Ferguson won only 10.7% of the vote. However, in the 1922 election, there was no official Unionist candidate, and standing as an "Independent Unionist", Ferguson came a close second with 29.1%. By the 1923 election, he was able to secure his adoption as the official Unionist candidate, and narrowly took the seat. However, he held it for only a year, losing by an equally slim margin.

Ferguson then faded from public view. In 1933, he was convicted of receiving stolen goods, namely iron plates and railway chairs. He died on 4 November 1937.