Harry Ferguson: Mechanical Genius Part I

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Recognized all over the world, the Ferguson TE-20 tractor is a lasting memorial to the inventive spirit of Harry Ferguson.

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Mechanic, racecar driver and aviator – Harry Ferguson’s mechanical genius was endless. Inventor of the “Little Grey Fergie,” among the world’s most famous tractors, he was a workaholic with an almost childlike streak of idealism. Writer Jane Brooks looks at the life of Harry Ferguson, a man who was so much more than just a builder of tractors.

Although small in stature, Harry Ferguson was a giant in terms of mechanical genius. The fourth of James and Mary Ferguson’s 11 children, he was born at Lake House in the village of Growell in County Down, Ireland, 16 miles south of Belfast on Nov. 4, 1884, and christened Henry George.

James Ferguson ruled his family with a rod of iron. A member of the Plymouth Brethren, he held strong religious views. Although Harry and his sisters routinely smuggled in books and magazines, the only reading material officially allowed in the house was the Bible. Harry left school at 14 and worked on the family farm, but he was physically ill-suited to the rigorous demands of farm work. Regular clashes with his father over religious matters led to his decision to immigrate to Canada in 1902.

That plan, however, was derailed by his elder brother, Joe, who hired Harry as an apprentice at his car and cycle shop on Belfast’s Shankill Road. Harry’s natural aptitude for servicing, tuning and repairing car engines helped expand his brother’s business. But it didn’t all come naturally to the young Ferguson. The first time Harry drove a motorcar, he crashed, car and owner, through a shop window.

A need for speed

A talented sales promoter, Harry successfully entered Irish motorcycle racing events to publicize his brother’s business, earning him the nickname “The Mad Mechanic.” He was a prominent figure in the establishment of the Ulster Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcar races – the Ards TT – that ran from 1928 to 1936 on a 13-1/2-mile course linking Dundonald, Newtownards and Comber in County Down. The races ended tragically on Sept. 5, 1936, when a driver lost control of his car on a wet road and crashed into the crowd, killing eight spectators.

Fascinated by powered flight, Ferguson flew 130 yards on Dec. 31, 1909, the first Briton to design and build his own plane, and the first to fly a plane in Ireland. On one of his early attempts, a gust of wind caught the aircraft, causing it to somersault, resulting in both Ferguson and the engine falling out. He made the first Irish flight with a passenger on Aug. 23, 1910, but his flying days ended when he married Maureen Watson in 1913.

Also of the Plymouth Brethren faith, Ferguson’s in-laws were cool to their daughter’s new husband. Harry’s agnostic views were unpopular with the family, who saw his support of the Ulster Volunteer Force (where he assisted in gun-running activities) as his only redeeming feature.

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