4th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps (Canadian Army)
Date Of Birth:
04/09/1889
Died:
01/10/1918 (Killed in Action)
Age:
28
Summary
James Ferson was a son of William Ferson of Drumnacross, Cookstown and was born on 4th September 1889. He emigrated to Canada as a teenager and found work as a tramway conductor in Toronto. He enlisted in Toronto on 10th April 1916 and was described as being five feet four and three quarter inches tall, with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. He was not married. James was attached to the Canadian Machine-Gun Corps. At Easter 1918 he was home on leave in Cookstown recovering from being gassed in an attack by the enemy. He was killed in action on 1st October 1918 by a machine gun bullet through the heart as he was getting his own machine gun into action.
Further Information
James Ferson was a son of William and Maria Ferson. William Ferson married Maria Acheson (various spellings) on 3rd June 1884 in the district of Cookstown, probably in Drumnacross.
James Ferson was born on 2nd October 1889 in the Cookstown area. He was one of thirteen children, eleven surviving.
Family: William Ferson, Maria Ferson, Thomas Ferson (born 1st April 1885), William Ferson (born 25th May 1886), James Ferson (born 2nd October 1889), Robert Ferson (born 20th March 1891), John Ferson (born 14th December 1892), Andrew Ferson (born 30th September 1894), Hugh Ferson (born 13th March 1896), George Ferson (born 16th January 1898), Elizabeth Maria Ferson (born 9th November 1899), Margaret Ferson (born 3rd June 1904), Maria Ferson (born 10th March 1907).
It should be noted that until 1894, all GRONI records spell the surname as Pherson.
The 1901 census lists James as age 11, living with the family at house 2 in Drumnacross Lower, Oaklands, County Tyrone. He was still at school. They were a farming family.
The 1911 census lists James as age 21, living with the family at house 7 in Drumnacross Lower, Oaklands. He was a farmer.
James Ferson emigrated to Canada.
Prior to enlisting, James lived at 6 Chesley Avenue, Toronto and was working as a tramway conductor.
James Ferson enlisted in Toronto on 10th April 1916 and was described as being five feet four and three quarter inches tall, with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. He was not married. He listed his mother as his next-of-kin.
At Easter 1918, Private Ferson was home on leave in Cookstown recovering from being gassed in an attack by the enemy.
Private James Ferson was serving with the 4th Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps when he was killed in action on 1st October 1918 by a machine gun bullet through the heart as he was getting his own machine gun into action.
Lieutenant Parsons was with him at the time of his death and later wrote a very touching letter to the family in Cookstown. In it he said:-
“I was with him during all of the recent fighting and he did splendid work, and he will be missed by all of the battery. He did his duty nobly”.
The Canadian Circumstances of Death Register records that Private Ferson was killed in action on 1st October 1918. Whilst operating a machine gun, during military operations in the vicinity of Inchy-en-Artois, he was killed by an enemy bullet.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 31st October 1918: Private James Ferson
Private James Ferson, son of Mr William Ferson, Drumnacross, Cookstown, killed by a machine gun bullet through the heart when getting his gun into action in 1st October. Lieutenant Parsons, writing to his father, says the deceased was with him during all the recent fighting and did splendid work, and will be missed by all the battery. He did his duty nobly. The deceased was a tramway conductor in Toronto when he joined up, and was attached to the Machine Gun Corps. He was previously gassed, and last Easter he was home on furlough. Another brother is on active service.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 31st October 1918:
At the meeting of the Hope of Cookstown Lodge, I.O.G.T., on Monday, Brother J H Donaghey presided, and there was a good attendance. Arrangements were made for a social meeting on Halloweve night. A resolution of sympathy was passed with Brother George Ferson, Drumnacross, on the recent death in action of his brother, a silent standing vote. A similar resolution was passed to Sister Lily Usher, Oldtown, Cookstown, who also lost a brother, killed in action a few days previously.
James Ferson is buried in Canada Cemetery, Tilloy les Cambrai, France.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 6th July 1940: Nurse Moira Ferson (niece of Private James Ferson)
Miss Moira Ferson (daughter of Mr and Mrs William Ferson of Ballymena, and grand-daughter of the late Mr William Ferson and Mrs Ferson of Drumnacross, Cookstown), has passed her final examination in nursing. She is at present employed in the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital.
