Laura Clarissa Gladys Strange-Fergus (1889 – 1970)

The gift of a painting of Mrs. William Fergus was made to Glasgow in 1952 by Miss. Gladys Strange-Fergus, who was the niece of the sitter.

     Fig. 1 Mrs. William Fergus (nee. Frances Mary-Jane Ingram)
1889
Sir James Guthrie (1859 – 1930)
Accession No. 2938
 (© CSG GIC Glasgow Museums/ ArtUK)

The Sitter

Frances Mary-Jane Ingram was christened in St. Mary’s, Cardiff on 24 December 1856. Her parents were James Oliver Ingram, a watchmaker and jeweller, and Mary Anne Robotham¹ who married in Cardiff in 1848.² Frances had an older brother and sister; John was born in 1850 and Laura in 1854 and a younger brother Frederick was born in 1859.³ Both their parents died within two years of each other, James in 1867 and Mary Ann in 1869.⁴ By 1871, John, aged 21, was now head of the family.⁵ On 1 February 1876, in Cardiff, Frances married the Rev. William Fergus.^6,7
William Fergus was born in Glasgow on 19 June 1839.⁸ He attended the Free Church Training College and the University of Glasgow and was licensed by the Free Presbyterian Church of Glasgow on 1 July 1868. He applied to become the minister of the Presbyterian Church in Cardiff on 25 May 1871⁹ and officiated at the wedding of his sister Mary there in 1873.¹⁰ In January 1876 he resigned his charge at a meeting of the Birmingham Presbytery with a view to seeking admission to the ministry of the Established Church of Scotland.¹¹ He moved to Glasgow with his new bride and on 4 February he was inducted into the Church of Scotland at a meeting of the Presbytery of Glasgow in Blythswood Parish Church.¹² In the census of 1881, William and Frances were living at 227 Bath Street in Glasgow. He was listed as the Minister of Blythswood Church. The couple employed a cook and table maid.¹³

      The painting of Mrs. William Fergus was completed in 1889 when she was thirty-three.

In the second quarter of 1889, Thomas Robert Strange married Laura Ann Ingram at St. Saviour Church, Southwark. London.¹⁴ Laura was the sister of Frances Fergus. On the third of August 1889, Laura gave birth to twins, Gladys and Hugh. They were baptized on 11 October 1889 in St. Giles, Camberwell, Southwark. Gladys was named Laura Clarissa Gladys Strange.¹⁵ In the census of 1891 the family was at Camberwell with the twins aged 1, Laura 37 and Thomas who was a greengrocer, aged 35. At the age of six, Gladys was enrolled at Comber Grove School.¹⁶

In the 1891 Scottish census, William and Frances were now at 67 Ann Street in the Hillhead area of Glasgow. They remained there until 1895 ¹⁷ and then moved to 17 Kensington Gate, Hyndland, Glasgow.¹⁸ However, they do not appear in the 1901 census.

Fig.2, 17 Kensington Gate, Hillhead
(Google Maps)

By 1901, Gladys, her brother Hugh and her parents had moved to 173 Camberwell New Road in Brixton, London.¹⁹ Ten years later, Gladys was living with her aunt and uncle at 17 Kensington Gate. She was now twenty-one with ‘no occupation’.²⁰ On 23 August 1912, William Fergus died aged seventy-two. Frances reported his death.²¹ He was buried in Sighthill Cemetery in Glasgow.²²

Gladys and her aunt continued to live at 17 Kensington Gate with Frances now the proprietor.²³ In the census of 1921, Gladys was occupied in ‘home duties’. Her name also appears on the electoral register.²⁴ Gladys’ father Thomas Stange died in London in 1927. Her mother died four years later.

            Frances Mary-Jane Fergus died aged seventy-eight on 30 May 1935 at 17 Kensington Gate. Gladys reported her death.²⁵ Gladys lived on at Kensington Gate as the proprietor until 1940 when she moved to 26 Colchester Drive, Glasgow.²⁶

          Fig. 3, 26 Colchester Drive
(Google Maps)

 During WW2, Gladys was a billeting officer in Glasgow for the WVS. The main problem she seemed to have was finding accommodation for couples with babies.

‘There are landladies who seem to think that children are bundles of rags, to be dumped anywhere’ said Miss Strange-Fergus, ‘It is terrible the things that are happening.’ ²⁷

However, she was apparently very successful in her role so-much-so that she was mentioned in the Birthday Honours of 1948 where she was awarded the British Empire Medal.

‘B.E.M. Miss Gladys Laura Clarissa Strange-Fergus, Billeting Officer, Glasgow’. ²⁸

Laura Clarissa Gladys Strange-Fergus died on 1 April 1970 at 26 Colchester Drive. She was eighty years old. Her death was reported by Ian walker, a friend. Her funeral took place at Glasgow Crematorium. ^29,30

The Painting

The painting was first exhibited at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts in 1889. Then in Paris and Munich in 1890 and in Edinburgh the following year. It was exhibited in London in 1893 and at the 110^th Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of Art in Edinburgh in 1936. It returned to Kelvingrove Art Galleries where it was on show in the Glasgow Room in 1956. ³¹

References

1. England and Wales Births and Baptisms, 1541-1907, familysearch
2. England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005, familysearch
3. ancestry.co.uk Wales Census, 1861
4. England and Wales Death Reg Index 1837-2007, familysearch
5. ancestry.co.uk Wales Census, 1871
6. ancestry.co.uk England and Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
7. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, Vol 3, p. 402
8. Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, familysearch
9. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, Vol 3, p. 402
10. South Wales Daily News, 13 June 1873
11. Staffordshire Advertiser 8 January 1876
12. North British Agriculturalist 9 February 1876
13. Scotland’s People, Census 1881
14. England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005, familysearch
15. ancestry.com, London, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924
16. ancestry.com London, Schools Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
17. Scotland’s People, Valuation Roll, 1895, Govan
18. West End Addresses https://projects.glasgow.social 
19. ancestry.co.uk England and Wales Census, 1901
20. Scotland’s People Census 1911
21. Scotland’s People, Death Certificate
22. Find-a-grave Index, familysearch
23. Scotland’s People, Valuation Roll, 1920, Govan
24. ancestry.co.uk, Glasgow Electoral Registers, 1857-1962
25. Scotland’s People, Death Certificate
26. Scotland’s People, Valuation Roll, 1940, Govan
27. Sunday Post 23 January 1944
28. WVS/WRVS Bulletin/Magazine, 1948, catalogue.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
29. Scotland’s People, Death Certificate
30. Glasgow Herald, 2 April 1970
31. Edinburgh Evening News, 3 September 1956