Origin of the VERGUSON Surname

I have found that the surname of VERGUSON existed in England from the late 1700's. It does not appear to have been derived from FERGUSON. A DNA test undertaken for Clan FERGUSON revealed that there is no link with VERGUSONs.

It has been suggested that this surname is of Scandinavian or Dutch origin.

Various records show the surname spelled as VARGARSON, VERGERSON, VERGESON, VERGISON or VIRGERSON. It is rarely found in England today. Some descendants adopted as their surname due to early records recording surnames phonetically. On New Zealand records, it appears that the spelling of the surname changed, from about 1905 onwards, from VERGUSON to VERGURSON. This is evident among civil registration records, although no reason to support the change is obvious.

Old directories show that the VERGUSONs initially lived in the Kings Lynn and Downham Market areas of Norfolk. There they worked mostly as agricultural labourers. 1851-1861 Census records show the sons in the family working from as young as the age of 10 years.

As agricultural work became scarce in the 1860-70's, the VERGUSONs started moving to West Ham and Edmonton in London. Today, phone books show no VERGUSONs in Norfolk, appearing to have all settled in Greater London.

VERGUSON Family

My ancestral line traces back to William VERGISON and Elizabeth GREEN. They married at Wimbotsham, Norfolk, on 23 Nov 1795.

The earliest baptisms and marriages for this family were conducted in the Holy Trinity Church at Stow Bardolph , and the St Mary the Virgin Church in Wimbotsham.

There are some VERGUSONs that were living in places like Landbeach, Saham Toney, and Wisbech. Since they share the same surname they may be related to my line. There is suspicion that they could be descendants of siblings to William. Unfortunately early records are incomplete and thus there is a lack of evidence to support any genealogical connections to these families.

Migration to New Zealand

My great grandfather Jonah, a grandson of William, is the only person that I know of to bring the VERGUSON name to New Zealand shores. Family stories say that Jonah came to New Zealand as crew on a ship which arrived in Dunedin. He later went back to England in the hope of a bride. The woman he planned to marry was no longer waiting for him and so a disappointed Jonah returned to New Zealand.

He came to Christchurch from London on the ship DUKE OF EDINBURGH which departed London on 8 August 1875. He travelled alongside 182 other assisted immigrants. The government paid his share of the cost amounting to ₤14. The ship arrived in Christchurch on 17 November 1875. The Lyttelton Times newspaper reported the following:

Settling in Greymouth, New Zealand

Soon after his arrival in Christchurch, Jonah moved to Greymouth on the West Coast. There he married Emma NOBLE in 1886 and they had a son and two daughters. He lived at 5 Threadneedle St up till his death in 1925.

Jonah was well known in the Greymouth community. He was one of the oldest Druids in New Zealand having obtained signatures for the Greymouth Lodge which opened in January 1881. He occupied the highest position in this Lodge and was a senior trustee.

He was employed for many years at the Greymouth Gas Works, using his knowledge and experience from the Beckton Gas Works in England. He was also employed by the late Edmund Wickes and T.W. Wilson, timber merchants.

He was a keen horticulturalist who was regarded as an authority on the subject. He was also passionate about photography.

The public knew him best in his role for many years as the doorkeeper at the Opera House. Also a familiar figure at Victoria Park where he was the gatekeeper for the Greymouth Trotting Club.

Family Lost Contact

A notice in the Timaru Herald, dated February 1891, suggests that the immediate family back in England lost contact with Jonah. The notice reads: