Frederic Sutherland Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Frederic Sutherland Ferguson (26 December 1878, Stoke Newington
, London
– 4 May 1967, Isle of Wight
) was an English
bibliographer
.
He was educated at the Grocers' Company's School, Hackney Downs, and at King's College London
, but did not take a degree. Ferguson joined the firm of Bernard Quaritch
in 1897. He contributed to Pollard
and Redgrave's A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (the STC), and was joint editor of a later edition of the STC. He also compiled Title-page borders used in England & Scotland 1435-1640 (with R. B. McKerrow), 1932; and A bibliography of the works of Sir George MacKenzie, lord advocate, founder of the Advocates' Library, 1936.
From 1928 to 1943 he was managing director of Bernard Quaritch Ltd. He retired in 1947, to work in the British Museum
on a comprehensive catalogue of early English books. He left his cards and slips to the British Museum, and a collection of 220 Scottish books to the Bodleian Library
. In 1954 he had presented 241 early Scottish books to the National Library of Scotland
, and other portions of his library are held by the John Rylands Library
and the University of Illinois.
Ferguson was President of the Bibliographical Society
(1950–1952) and received the Society's Gold Medal in 1951.
Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– 4 May 1967, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
.
He was educated at the Grocers' Company's School, Hackney Downs, and at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, but did not take a degree. Ferguson joined the firm of Bernard Quaritch
Bernard Quaritch
Bernard Quaritch, full name Bernard Alexander Christian Quaritch, was a German-born British bookseller and collector....
in 1897. He contributed to Pollard
Alfred W. Pollard
Alfred William Pollard was an English bibliographer, widely credited for bringing a higher level of scholarly rigor to the study of Shakespearean texts....
and Redgrave's A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (the STC), and was joint editor of a later edition of the STC. He also compiled Title-page borders used in England & Scotland 1435-1640 (with R. B. McKerrow), 1932; and A bibliography of the works of Sir George MacKenzie, lord advocate, founder of the Advocates' Library, 1936.
From 1928 to 1943 he was managing director of Bernard Quaritch Ltd. He retired in 1947, to work in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
on a comprehensive catalogue of early English books. He left his cards and slips to the British Museum, and a collection of 220 Scottish books to the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. In 1954 he had presented 241 early Scottish books to the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
, and other portions of his library are held by the John Rylands Library
John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library is a Victorian Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Mrs Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her late husband, John Rylands...
and the University of Illinois.
Ferguson was President of the Bibliographical Society
Bibliographical Society
Founded in 1892, the Bibliographical Society is the senior learned society dealing with the study of the book and its history, based in London, England....
(1950–1952) and received the Society's Gold Medal in 1951.