About Thomas Ferguson

The Founder Years The Company bears the name of the founder, Thomas Ferguson (27th April 1820- 24th February 1900), who was born in Clare, near the village of Waringstown in Co. Down, where his father John farmed. At that time the locality was a centre of Irish Linen hand weaving and this activity was commonly combined with farming. His father died in 1831, and he was orphaned, when his mother died in 1836. It is believed that the Rev. John Johnston (1786-1862) of Tullylish Presbyterian Church, became the guardian of Thomas, and his brother John. Thomas Ferguson's guardian saw to the completion of his schooling and then arranged for him to be apprenticed to Brice Smyth (1796-1851) of Brookfield, Banbridge. This remarkable man, even though he was blind from smallpox as a child, was a very skilful handloom weaver of fine linens, and a noted teacher of his trade. It was said Brice Smyth was also able to examine the brown webs as they were brought into his warehouse by the weavers, and in doing so he could have formed an accurate judgment as to whether, or not, the cloth had been correctly woven. His apprenticeship completed, Thomas Ferguson left Brookfield sometime around 1845 and set up on his own as a handloom weaver in Banbridge. It is believed he started business in a house in Church Square, in the town. In 1854, by then firmly established, he acquired a lease for 999 years of the site on which the Company operated for 137 years. Read their story