John Ferguson

John Ferguson CMG (1 December 1842 – 17 October 1913) was a British newspaper proprietor, journalist and writer in British Ceylon.

Early life and education Ferguson was born on 1 December 1842 in Tain, Scotland. He was educated at Tain Royal Academy and won the Matheson Gold Medal for mathematics at the age of 13.

Career Ferguson began his journalistic career at Inverness. In 1861, he went to Colombo, Ceylon to join his uncle, J.M. Ferguson, who was the proprietor of The Ceylon Observer newspaper. In 1879 he was taken into partnership and the management of the newspaper devolved almost entirely on him. On the death of his uncle in 1892 he became sole proprietor. He was known for his promotion of education, and for his agitation against licensed opium shops and the spirit monopoly.