James Ferguson (1st Laird of Pitfour)

James Ferguson (29 September 1672 – 1 January 1734) was a Scottish lawyer and was also the 1st Laird of Pitfour, a large estate in the Buchan area of north-east Scotland, which became known as 'The Blenheim of the North'. Prior to the purchase of the Pitfour estate, he had the honorific 'James Ferguson of Badifurrow', the estate he eventually inherited after his grandfather cut all ties with Ferguson's uncle, Robert Ferguson, who was in hiding to attempt to avoid treachery charges.

Ferguson was later known as the 'Sheriff', a reference to the post he held in Aberdeenshire from 1710. This helps differentiate him from men of subsequent generations bearing the same name.

Ferguson's surname is sometimes spelt as Fergusson, and he was initially known as James Ferguson of Badifurrow. He was born at Crichie, Garioch and was the son of William Ferguson, Laird of Badifurrow, who in turn was the younger brother of Robert Ferguson, who became known as 'the Plotter', and elder brother of Major General James Ferguson, who served at the Battle of Blenheim with the Duke of Marlborough.

Ferguson's mother was William's first wife, Jean Elphinstone. Ferguson's grandfather disinherited his eldest son, the Plotter, in favour of Ferguson's father. However, Ferguson's father died in 1694 while Old Ferguson was still alive, so Ferguson only became the heir apparent to the Badifurrow lands. By the time Old Ferguson died in 1699, Ferguson was already practising law and he raised a court action requiring his uncle, the conspirator Robert Ferguson, to appear at court if he wished to challenge the inheritance; the Plotter was already in hiding because of his treachery against the crown so did not appear, consequently the court confirmed Ferguson's inheritance in mid June 1700.

In 1697 Ferguson married Ann Stuart. Their first child, a daughter who they named Elizabeth, was born at Badifurrow in 1698. Ferguson's grandfather was still alive and lived with Ferguson and his family. In 1699 after his grandfather's death and on receipt of the court's confirmation of his inheritance, Ferguson promptly sold the lands at Badifurrow.

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