Samuel Cornelius Ferguson
Samuel C. Ferguson was born in 1864 in Melbourne,
Australia to John Ferguson and a woman of Scotch parentage. Samuel was a homesteader,
farmer, real estate agent, rifleman and solder. He married Alice Emma Heale in 1883 in
Melbourne, Australia. In 1890 Samuel represented Australia in the Bisley Cup Rifle Matches
in England. He locked the door of his real estate office in Melbourne, left for the
matches and returned after six months. His wife and two children lived with his parents
during his absence.He was quite deaf, believed to be from the rifle shooting. He wanted to
join the British forces during the Boer War, but was declined due to the deafness. He
managed to get to South Africa and was taken on as quartermaster of the Veteran's Hospital
in Transvaal. After the war, his family joined him in South Africa where he worked in the
gold mines in Johannesburg, South Africa. Samuel died in South Africa* of fever in 1918 at
the age of 54. Samuel and Emma had two children:
Donald b. 1889 d. 1916
Elsie Marguerite b. April 3, 1886 d. October 5, 1981
Alice Emma Heale
Alice Emma Heale was born in 1864 to Albert Heale and Alice (unknown maiden
name) in Australia. Her parents came from Wales and married in Australia. Mr. Heale was a
banker from London Chartered Bank. He operated a branch bank in Victoria Territory,
Australia. Alice Emma's mother was engaged to a jeweler, but married Albert, the banker
instead. The former suitor made a brooch from a gold nugget found in the Victoria Gold
Mine and gave it as a wedding gift. The brooch was given to Alice Emma and then passed on
to her daughter Elsie Ferguson, who wore it on her dresses up until her death in 1981. the
brooch no belongs to Janet Dearing, granddaughter of Elsie. Alice Emma's mother died early
and Alice was raised by her father and sisters. Alice married Samuel Cornelius Ferguson in
Australia in 1883 and died in 1913 in South Africa.
Elsie M. Ferguson
(Married William Crozier Harbour) Elsie was born April 3, 1886 to Samuel
Cornelius Ferguson and Alice Emma Heale in Melbourne, Australia. Elsie went to school in
Black Flat, Australia, 17 miles North from Melbourne. The area in 1999 is called Whttlesea
and has a street named Black Flat At age 14, Elsie went to live with Jean Bennett and her
father in Stawell, Australia, which is located approximately 250 miles North Northwest of
Melbourne in the Victoria Territory. Mr. Bennett was partially blind. Elsie read to him
and acted as companion. Sometime after the Boer War, Elsie and her mother joined Samuel in
Johannesburg, South Africa. Elsie's brother Donald followed shortly after. She met William
Crozier Harbour there. They were married April 9, 1908 in South Africa. She bore two
children in Germiston, South Africa. Elsie, William and their two children left South
Africa in August or September 1913. The voyage was from Capetown, South Africa to England
aboard the Gloucester Castle (sunk by Germans in World War I). They spent one week in
London before sailing to New York on the Olympic, Cunard Lines (sister ship to the
Titanic). She then resided in St. Louis until 1947 when she moved to Kansas City, Missouri
and resided with her daughter Doreen Durlacher and family. Elsie past away on October 5,
1981. The children of William Crozier Harbour and Elsie Ferguson are:
William Clayton b. July 9, 1911, Germiston, South Africa
Francis Rex b. July 1, 1914, St. Louis, Missouri
Copyright © 2001 Harbour-Holst Genealogy. All rights reserved.
Revised:
March 12, 2006
.