The Ferguson Club – 25th Anniversary – 1986-2011
“Special Anniversary Badge – free to all who were paid up members during 2011, our Silver Anniversary year.”
Formed in the Autumn of 1986 ,the Club had only 180 members by the end of that year. Officially recognised by Massey Ferguson(UK) Ltd., the Club was administered by David Bates ( Editor ), Ken Goodwin ( Membership Secretary ) and Geoffrey Smith (General Secretary). The principal objective was to promote interest in the late Harry Ferguson, his designs for the mechanisation of agriculture and in particular “the Ferguson System”.
The Club covered – Ferguson A (Ferguson Brown), Ford –Ferguson 2N,8N & 9N, TE20, TO20,, TO30, USA & UK implements, and by agreement with Massey Ferguson the MF35 & MF65.
Right at the beginning they decided to issue 4 Quarterly Journals per year, to the Membership, who paid the princely sum of £10 per year.
The Journal ( Volume 1 No 1 ) promised to give Members the opportunity to advertise Sales & Wants, help other members with technical queries, and publish Member’s articles on their Tractors with Photographs.
Membership at this early stage included Members from USA, Australia & Ireland.
The first Technical Article gave valuable data on the TYPE TE-F20 (1951/2), this being a Diesel engined version of the TA-20 petrol Tractor, and listed the Special tools from V.L. Churchill & Co Ltd.
This Journal included the recipe for TVO ( Tractor Vapourising Oil ) as :
5 Gallons of 28 second Central Heating Oil /1 Gallon Petrol /½ Pint Universal Engine Oil. (TVO–25 litres @£8.50)
It also gave the costs of a TE-A @ £ 395, and many more items.
The Club has a very privileged and proud connection with the Ferguson Family, and in 1989, Mrs Elizabeth Sheldon (daughter of the late Harry Ferguson) became the Patron, and followed later by her son Jamie Sheldon,our first President under the new Constitution.
Recently the Club announced that Mrs Sally Fleming & Mrs Caroline Blest ( Mrs Sheldon’s daughters ) had accepted the invitation to become Vice-Presidents.
Publication of the Journal continued without any missed years and currently Journal No 68 is much improved , and has a current circulation of approx. 1500. Colour pictures having been introduced in 1996, by the then Editor Alan Dunderdale.
In 1994, the Club became, as it is now, a totally independent Members Club, and income relying mainly on annual subscription . Some income is also derived from advertising in the Journal and Sales of Merchandise
The Club is enjoying probably the best years now, since formation in 1986, with a high level of interest by the Members of all ages and the Exec Committee.
Interesting Ferguson/Vintage Tractor Videos online:-
Anyone with any particular interesting links please let us know:-
1. NEW TRACTOR DEMONSTRATED – British Pathé
2. Photographs are being loaded into the Gallery of this website all the time. Please keep looking………………..
Ferguson Club at Onslow Park – Shrewsbury – August Bank Holiday
The Ferguson Club was in attendance at Onslow Park and hosting the first Ferguson Baler with demonstrations.
Bought in the USA by Peter Smith and Julie Brownings this rare Detroit built FO35 and FERGUSON SIDE MOUNTED BALER was on the the Ferguson club stand at Onslow This was the first outing for this unique piece of equipment in this country.
Photos show Peter and Julie baling on the field at Onslow.
The Ferguson Club would like to thank Peter and Julie with Steve Kirk and Dave Lory(assisted in transporting and assembly of baler )for bringing this to Onslow Park and allowing the Ferguson Club to display it over the weekend.
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Brecon Agricultural Show – 6th August – Gwent & East Wales Branch
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The Gwent and East Wales branch of the Ferguson Club attended the Brecon Agricultural Show on 6th August 2011 and were very fortunate to be awarded 1st prize and overall champion of all the stands that were on display at the show.
The judge was particularly impressed by the display of local Fergies, the information boards relating to each of these tractors and the friendly welcome he received from members as he entered the stand!
Photographs show Peter Aston receiving rosettes from the judge. Photographs taken by Andy Ford.
Scotland NE Branch Broomhill Station Near Aviemore
Courtesy of Henry Pirie 16/17th July 2011
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The Scotland N.E, branch of the Club were asked once again to put on a display at Broomhill Station, near Aviemore to support “Steamfest”, an event to publicise the Strathspey Steam Railway. The passengers dismount at this station and sample the delights the Ferguson Club has to offer and have a chat over a cuppa.and take pictures of the tractors. The members manning the stand really enjoy meeting a different section of people from both home and abroad.
75 th Anniversary of Type A Ferguson Brown Tractor
Massey Ferguson celebrates the
75th Anniversary of the Type A – Ferguson Brown Tractor and
the introduction to commercial manufacture of the Three – Point Linkage System in June 1936.
MF Press Release-June 2011
Massey Ferguson is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the introduction of the legendary Type A – Ferguson Brown – tractor, which went into production in June 1936. The first ever series production tractor to feature the Ferguson three-point linkage system, it’s the tractor that began the power farming revolution.
“Massey Ferguson is immensely proud of our heritage, which encompasses virtually every major innovation in tractor technology from the three-point linkage, which went into production on the Ferguson Brown, right through to the launch of the first ever Selective Catalytic Reduction system to be used in agriculture on the MF 8600 Series,” says Campbell Scott, Massey Ferguson Manager, Brand Development and
Sales Engineering.
“We feel it is important to acknowledge the enormous and significant contribution our founding fathers – Daniel Massey, Alanson Harris and Harry Ferguson – have made to mechanize and change the face of farming across the globe. We continue to honour these pioneers every day by striving to develop further innovative ideas for the up to date, high quality farm machinery that still proudly bears their names,” he adds.
To commemorate this important anniversary a display area has been created in the Massey Ferguson Technology Centre at AGCO’s Beauvais Manufacturing Facility in France. Star of the show is the first production model, the Type A, No 1 which was sold to Thomas McGregor Greer for use on his farm at the Tullylagan Estate, near Cookstown, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
Although its official name is the Ferguson Type A, it is now more affectionally known as the Ferguson Brown. Harry Ferguson is purported to have always referred to it as the ‘Irish Tractor’, maybe because the first Type A tractor made its public debut in April 1936 at Ballyclare, County Antrim, in Harry Ferguson’s home country of Northern Ireland.
The tractor, however, was first produced at David Brown’s Park Gear Works in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. About 500 of the tractors were built there, all powered by 20hp, Coventry Climax Type E engines. Later on production shifted to David Brown’s Meltham Mills tractor factory, also in the English county of Yorkshire. About 1,350 Type A or Ferguson Browns were built here and in about 1937 these began to be fitted with a David Brown-built engine, which was based very closely on the original.
As well as being the tractor that introduced the first ever three-point linkage system, the Type A also presented many of Harry Ferguson’s other ingenious manufacturing and marketing ideas. On the engineering front he insisted on using high tensile bolts with specially hardened heads of only two sizes, so the single ‘Ferguson Spanner’ would fit all nuts and bolts. The tractor was also offered with four different implements. It also began Ferguson’s promotion of a light and agile tractor that was easy use and, as he said, “not merely a tractor but mechanisation which entirely supersedes horses!”
Photographs have been uploaded from the Ferguson Club Annual Members Weekend (AMW) and AGM 2011.
They are in the Gallery Section of this website, under the relevant folder.
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***The Ferguson Club 2011 Chiltern Vintage tractor Run has completed and raised a huge sum of £2,028.31 for the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance.
Thank you to all concerned. Photographs are in the Gallery Section under Tractor Runs, plus click on this link to see more photos of the Chiltern Tractor Run….Chiltern Tractor Run
New Massey Ferguson Book
“INSIDE MASSEY FERGUSON – A story of Service” By former MF employee – David Walker.
Inside Massey Ferguson Release v3 – Click here
Farm Power Publishing.
1st Rally of 2011 (MAY)- Forres, Moray, Scotland
– Photos Courtesy of Henry Pirie
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The Ferguson Club was at the Tractor World Malvern Show
weekend of 5 & 6th March 2011.
**************Fergie Club scoops seven awards at Malvern Including best club stand………photos below………………..
Many thanks to the team led by Ferguson Area Rep; Gary Downes……………………..
….The winning stand under the title “Hedgerow Harry”
Show winners left to right Gary Pepper TED-20 (Best Masey Harris/Ferguson FOFH award) Gary Downes (Best Club stand) Peter Rash FE-35(3rd place 1900-57 Veteran to Vintage )Austin Carroll TEF-20 +2 Furrow Plough (Tractor with Implement attached 1st) Geoff Dunn MF-135(Post vintage to Classic 1st and Best Massey Ferguson FOFH award) Kneeling down are Wendy Downes and John Reece (Best Club Stand)
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Brent Thomas TE-20 Continental (Unrestored Veteran to Vintage 1st)This tractor is No 69 !
A very successful show for the Ferguson Club and I would like to thank all who took part and brought tractors of which we had a total of 18 Ferguson related tractors – Gary Downes HSW Ferguson Rep.
