| Activity | Brigadier Bernard Edward Fergusson was born in 1911 the son of Sir Charles Edward Fergusson of Kilkerran, Ayrshire. Educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he joined the Black Watch in 1931 rising to the rank of Brigadier in a long and varied career. He was appointed governor-general of New Zealand in 1962 and following his return to the UK in 1967 held a succession of high profile appointments including: Chairman of the British Council (1972-1976), Chancellor of St. Andrews University (1973-1980) and Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (1974). He frequently wrote about his experiences, publishing histories and analysis as well as light verse. Fergusson was created a life peer in 1972 and a KT in 1974; other honours included the DSO (1943), OBE (1950), GCMG (1962), and GCVO (1963) as well as honorary degrees from a number of institutions. He died in 1980 soon after the death of his wife Laura Margaret Fergusson (née Grenfell) in 1979. |