for boys, in which he often effectively embodied studies of natural history and geography. The boys' books met with some success in America, where several were reprinted under the general title of 'The Fenn Books.' Meanwhile in 1870 he succeeded Hugh Reginald Haweis [q. v. Suppl. II] as editor of 'Cassell's Magazine'; and in 1873 he purchased from James Rice [q. v.] 'Once a Week,' which he carried on at a loss until the close of 1879. He never wholly abandoned journalism, and was for some years dramatic critic of the 'Echo' newspaper. In 1887 he produced at the Comedy Theatre a three-act farce, 'The Barrister,' and at Terry's Theatre next year he prepared a like piece, 'The Balloon,' in collaboration with Mr. John Henry Darnley. In 1903 he wrote for the family a privately printed memoir of B. F. Stevens, the American bookseller and man of letters. A lover of the country and of gardening, Fenn resided for some years on a remotely situated farm near Ewhurst, in Sussex; but from 1889 he lived at Syon Lodge, Isle worth, an old house with a large garden, where he amassed a library of some 25,000 volumes and amused his leisure in constructing astronomical telescopes of considerable size. On the day of the completion in 1907 of his last book, a memoir of his friend George Alfred Henty [q. v. Suppl. II], Fenn's health finally broke. He died after a long illness at Syon Lodge on 26 Aug. 1909, and was buried in Isleworth cemetery.
Fenn married in 1855 Susanna, daughter of John Leake, of Alford, Lincolnshire, who survived him. By her he had two sons and six daughters. The eldest son, Frederick, and the second son, Clive, engaged in literary pursuits.
[Personal knowledge; private information; Sketch, 6 Aug. 1902, an 'interview,' with excellent portraits; the Captain, Oct. 1909.]
FERGUSON, MARY CATHERINE, Lady (1823–1905), biographer, born at Stillorgan, co. Dublin, in 1823, was eldest daughter of Robert Rundell Guinness by his wife Mary Anne Seymour. She was educated partly at home and partly at Woodside, Cheshire. Keenly interested from an early age in Irish art and archæology, she made the acquaintance of (Sir) Samuel Ferguson [q. v.], and through him of George Petrie [q. v.], William Reeves [q. v.], and other workers in the same field. On 16 Aug. 1848 she married Ferguson, and thenceforth shared in his archaeological and literary labours, and helped him to entertain in their house at 20 North Great George Street, Dublin, numerous native and foreign guests of like interests. In 1868 she published her popular book 'The Story of the Irish before the Conquest' (2nd edit. 1890), which is still in circulation. After her husband's death in 1886 she chiefly occupied herself in writing 'Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Ireland of his Day,' which appeared in 1896 (Edinburgh and London, 2 vols.), and pleasantly if discursively described the circle of which her husband was the centre. Her 'Life of William Reeves, D.D., Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore,' followed in 1893. Lady Ferguson also prepared for posthumous publication her husT3and's 'Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales and Scotland' (Edinburgh, 1887), 'The Hibernian Nights' Entertainments' (Dublin, 1887; three series), and popular editions of the 'Lays of the Western Gael' (Dublin, 1887; 3rd edit. 1897), 'Confession of St. Patrick' (1888), 'Congal' (Dublin, 1893), and 'Lays of the Red Branch' (1897). She died at her husband's house in Dublin on 5 March 1905, and was buried in her husband's grave at Donegore, co. Antrim. She had no children.
[Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Ireland of his Day, 1896; Life of Willlam Reeves, D.D., 1893; Daily Express, Dublin, 7 March 1905; Who's Who, 1905; personal knowledge.]
FERGUSSON, Sir JAMES (1832–1907), sixth baronet of Kilkerran, governor of Bombay, born on 14 March 1832 in Edinburgh, was eldest of four sons of Sir Charles Dalrymple Fergusson (1800–1849), fifth baronet, of Kilkerran in Ayrshire, by his wife Helen, daughter of David Lord Boyle [q. v.], lord justice-general. Sir David Dalrjrmple, Lord Hailes [q. v.], was father of his father's mother. A younger brother, Charles Dalrymple, who substituted the surname Dalrymple for that of Fergusson, was created a baronet on 19 July 1887. James entered Rugby under Dr. Tait in August 1845, together with George Joachim (afterwards Lord) Goschen, Sir John Stewart, who served with him in the Crimea, and Sir Theodore Hope, afterwards a member of the supreme government in India. At school he gained some reputation in the debating club, and in 1850 he proceeded to University College, Oxford, having in the previous year succeeded his father in the baronetcy. His inclinations turned towards a military career, and leaving Oxford without a degree he entered the grenadier guards. With the 3rd battalion
