Parish : St Paul
This grave was not found by CFHS during their survey of the Cemetery
Relationship: Siblings
Kate and Alfred (known as Toney) were two of the six children born to Frederick Augustine (1858-1937) and Alice Maria (née Talbot) (1859-1922). Frederick was from Hilgay, Norfolk and Alice was from Linton and the two had married in Linton in October 1880. In 1891 they were living at the Gate House, Mill Road where Frederick was working as a railway signalman. They later lived at 15 Russell Street (at least 1898-1901) and then 6 Derby Street, off Cherry Hinton Road [at least 1911 onwards). Both Frederick and Alice are buried at Cherry Hinton.
Kate Marion Ferguson (1881 – 18 February 1898)
Kate was born in Linton and died at Russell Street aged 16 years old. Her funeral was held on 24 February.
Signaller Alfred Augustine Ferguson (c.August 1896 – 7 January 1918)
Known as Toney (sic) he was born in Cambridge, and baptised at St. Paul’s Church on 18 March 1898. By the age of 14 he was working as an ‘office lad’ at the Cambridge Daily News. He enlisted in the Cambridge Regiment in January 1914, at a time when the regiment was starting to increase its numbers. He was mobilised at the start of the war, and did further training in England before being sent to France in March 1917. Whilst in France he caught TB and was invalided home in June 1917.
He was sent to Scotland for a few weeks to convalesce, before being discharged in August 1917. Toney died of TB at home a few months later. The Cambridge Daily News reported ‘he was a keen and intelligent youth, concientious in the discharge of his duties and was much liked by his fellow workers, who have learned with regret of his untimely end’.
The funeral was held on 12 January with full military honours, starting with the cortege leaving Derby Road at 2.15pm. A bearer party and two bugers from the 2nd Officer Cadet Battalion carried the coffin from the hearse to the Cemetery Chapel, and from the chapel to the graveside. Captain the Rev. Gleave, Chaplain to the Foreces conducted the service, at the close of which the buglers sounded the ‘Last Post’. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack ‘upon which were placed amid the floral tributes, a soldier’s cap and bayonet’.
Sources:
Ancestry
Parish bural records
Newspaper archives
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any further information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]