Local Greenock Post Office Directories list several studio photographers from the early days of photography. It is interesting to note that from 1855 until 1865 they are listed either under Sculptors or Miscellaneous. Some studios were developed and run by local photographers while others were branches of larger businesses usually based in Glasgow.

Here are several photographs of local people taken in Greenock.

The studio of W. McLennans was in Nicolson Street

Turnbulls were based in Hamilton Street and later in Cathcart Street while Uries were also based there at various times as well as Westburn Street and West Blackhall Street.

Crawford Hamiltons was in Westburn Street.

Fergus the photographers were in West Blackhall Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a list of names and addresses of studios as well as home addresses – if known and where possible some census references:

Surname	Christian Name	Address	Home	Census	P O Directory
Anderson	Peter	44 West Blackhall Street			1863-64
Brown	George A	2 Grey Place	46 Newton Street	1891, 1901	1889-1915
Brown	George A	4 Grey Place	3 Ford Place
Cook	Joseph	37 Hamilton Street	Gateside Cottage		1903-15
Coutts & Booth		29 Nicolson Street	Coutts at 23 Brougham Street		1896-97
Dufaur	Charles	29 Nicolson Street		1901(London)	1897-98
Dufaur & Co	Charles	34 Brougham Street			1900-02		1911 census in Rowton House London(hostel)
Eadie	W & B	17 Hamilton Street	5 Kelly Street		1904-11
Eadie	B & R	17 Hamilton Street			1912-15
Empire Manufacturing Co		30 Cathcart Street			1909-10
Fergus	Charles	36 West Blackhall Street			1875-82
Fergus	C&C	36 West Blackhall Street			1883-90
Fergus	William	36 West Blackhall Street			1897-1903
Fergus	William Reid	36 West Blackhall Street			1904-07
Fergus & McKim		36 West Blackhall Street			1896-97
Fergus & Sons		36 West Blackhall Street			1891-95
Fergus Brothers		5 Albert Place, West Blackhall Street			1864-68		John and Charles
Fergus Brothers		36 West Blackhall Street			1869-74
Gothard	William	37 Rue End Street	37 Rue End Street	1881,1891	1883-94		Died 1.2.1909, wife Mary McKean
Greenock Photographic Co		29 Westburn Street			1889-91
Greenock Photographic Co		15 Cathcart Street			1864-66
Hamilton	Crawford	29 Westburn Street	34 Brougham Street	1901	1892-1911
Hamilton	Mrs	29 Westburn Street			1912-15
Hamilton	John	City Bank Buildings, 32 Cathcart Street	14 Brisbane Street		1866-68
Hamilton	Mrs I	16 Charles Street			1913-14
Hamilton	Mrs J	18 Charles Street	Greeenbank 50 Kelly Street		1914-16
Henry	James	11 Ann Street	11 Ann Stret	1861	1862-64
Howie	Thomas	32 Cathcart Street			1871-2
Howie	David Lamont	Campbell Street	1 Steel Street Gourock		1909-13
Howie	David Lamont	1 Campbell Street			1914-15
Jones	Harry W	29 Nicolson Street			1909-15
Lorimer	Mary	16 Charles Street	Gateside Inverkip Road		1910-11
Lorimer	M R	16 Charles Street			1911-12
Lorimer	M R	18 Charles Street			1912-13
MacFee	Neil	4 Albert Place, West Blackhall Street	1 Argyle Street		1862-64
MacFee	H & N	23 Cathcart Street	23 Charles Street		1864-67, 1878-1903
Mack & Co	W J	18 Charles Street	52 Eldon Street	1891	1897-98
MacKirdy	John	15 Cathcart Street	7 Boyd Street	1861	1866-67
McLennan	William	Nicolson Street/West Blackhall Street			1883-84
McLennan	William	29 Nicolson Street			1884-95
McLintock	James	33 Hamilton Street	30 West Blackhall Street	1861	1862-63
Miller	A E	17 Hamilton Street			1911-12
Mitchell	Charles	18 Charles Street			1889-1901		internet material
Naismith & Co		2 Grey Place			1886-87
Paton	James	Western Cottage, Esplanade	59 Esplanade	1871, 1881, 1891, 1901	1868-96,
Paton	James	39 Esplanade			1874-91
Paton	James	59 Eldon Street	116 Eldon Street		1874-1901
Pratt	John G	7 Caddlehill Terrace			1914-15		internet material
Pratt & Co	John	32 Cathcart Street	34 Bank Street	1901	1888-1909
Rennie	Thomas	36 West Blackhall Street	36 Brougham Street		1911-15
Roberts	P & E	36 West Blackhall Street			1909-10
Robinson	Robert	32 Cathcart Street			1874-75
Seafield Photographic Co		34 Brougham Street			1903-04
Smith	Thomas	22 Roxburgh Street	22 Roxburgh Street		1865-66
Stevenson	Charles	Cemetery Gate & 8 Hamilton Street	8 Hamilton Street & 45 Inverkip Street	1851, 1861, 1871	1855-72
Story	W G	2 Grey Place	Tweedside Kilmacolm		1887-88
Straiton	David	8 Hamilton Street	34 Ann Street	1861, 1871, 1881 1891	1862-85
Straiton	David	1 Grey Place	65 Rue End
Straiton	David	2 Grey Place	1 Grey Place				1901 census in Smithston
Taylor	A & G	17 Hamilton Street			1881-84, 1901-06
Taylor	A & G	29 Nicolson Street			1899-1900
Turnbull	Robert	32 Cathcart Street			1913-15
Turnbull & Sons		City Buildings			1881-84		internet material
Turnbull & Sons		37 Hamilton Street			1885-1901
Urie	Robert	8 West Blackhall Street		1881	1857-1896		internet material, died 8.9.1895
Urie	Robert	29 Westburn Street
Urie	Robert	21 Cathcart Street
Urie	R D	29 Westburn Street			1896-97
Urie	Robert	32 Hamilton Street	32 Hamilton Street
Walker	John	18 Charles Street	16 Robertson Street	1901	1902-07
Weir	James	Princes Pier	1 Steel Street Gourock		1909-11

John Fergus (1840 – 1908)

John Fergus was born in Paisley in 1840 to Walter Fergus and Elizabeth Thom, their fifth child. He was apprenticed to McKenzie the photographers of Paisley but was ambitious and soon set up his own businesses in Greenock and Largs. The Greenock business was in partnership with his brother Charles, who latterly took over and expanded this side of the business to Millport and Dunoon. These enterprises involved various member of the extended family and his son Walter later having a studio in Blyth, Northumberland.

Meanwhile John had had several studios in Largs before buying Blackdales, a mansion in Charles Street. This became the family home of his parents and the rest of the family until they married. John built on to the house several very grand studios each furnished in different styles and he had several employees to work for him. John became well known in the photographic world and several of his photographs of well know people of the day can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery in London. He also photographed King Edward VIIth when he was Prince of Wales.

Blackdales

In the summer months he had a studio in the South of France at La Tourelle,South of France.

In 1883 he married Maria McLean at a double wedding at Highbury Church, London with his sister Mary who married their cousin Dr Charles Stirling. John and Maria had one son, Walter who married Mary Christina Allen but they had no family.

Mary died in 1833 and Walter in 1935 in Greenock.

Sadly, John’s wife Maria died in 1899 and after this John seemed to lose heart for his business and later sold out.

The family are remembered in a splendid memorial in Largs Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two of John’s sisters married photographers, Janet to George McKenzie and Elizabeth to David Alexander.

Blackdales, Charles Street, Largs, the Fergus family home and studios

Photographs taken by John Fergus in 1870 to celebrate the wedding of his cousin William Dickson Stirling to Mary Smith. The older man is his Uncle James Stirling, William’s father.