The new DNA Museum
After several years of trying to make contact with the Derry-Londonderry on the North Atlantic Museum I finally managed to do so. The reason was that as a local historian I wished to feed in ideas with regard to Harry Ferguson (1884-1960) for the new multimillion-pound museum at Londonderry's Ebrington Square that is due to open in 2027.
After making contact it allowed me to suggest to the DNA Museum of the need to have a section on Innovator and pioneer Harry Ferguson of modern tractor fame, which I understand by conversations the museum had not even considered, hopefully that will now be addressed as it will add to the museum by including a world famous local pioneer in powered flight.
Harry Ferguson had important links to the city of Londonderry and Lough Foyle. After making the first heavier than air flight on this island on the 31st December, 1909 at Hillsborough County Down he would move his plane testing and development in June, 1910 to Magilligan Point and Strand a short distance from the city on Lough Foyle as his primary flying ground, often flying daily. The open sandy, long and level site was ideal for this purpose. He often flew distances of up to 10 miles at Magilligan on his old plane and in 1911 after building a new plane achieved flights of up to 20 miles along the beach and over Lough Foyle. Achieving a number of world firsts.
Some of his notable achievements at Magilligan included the first woman air passenger in Ireland, Rita Marr from Liverpool who took a trip along with Harry Ferguson in his plane on the 23rd August, 1910. Harry Ferguson often flew up and down Lough Foyle and was the first person to make a heavier than air flight over the city of Londonderry.
Crashes were inevitable because no guides or manuals existed and as well as designing and building planes, aviators like Harry Ferguson had to learn how to control and fly their own planes by trial and error. Errors often proving fatal.
Harry Ferguson would also suffer his most serious crash on Monday, 10th October, 1910 when his plane was destroyed and he was knocked unconscious at Magilligan. Previously that Monday afternoon Harry Ferguson agreed to take a Mr. Clarke as a passenger to Bellarena train station to catch a train as no car was available. Clarke was a well-known aeronautical engineer who was from England and had been observing Harry Ferguson’s plane along with crowds of spectators on test flights. The flight was the world’s first recorded journey of a passenger taking a plane to catch a train. Harry Ferguson and his passenger proceeded to fly the distance of 5 miles along the strand to Bellarena. Flying at a height of 40 feet without any problems until a petrol blockage at almost journey’s end meant he had to descend and land. Due to increased wind conditions the plane was unable to then take off with the passenger because of the extra weight. Mr. Clarke completed the remaining short distance to the train station by foot.
After repairs, Harry Ferguson flew back the 5 miles to Magilligan Point rising to 200 feet his greatest height at one stage and landing without any problems. Happy how the plane was now working he took off again and that is where disaster struck as the JAP engine of his plane stalled after being hit by a freak gust of wind and he crashed heavily destroying his plane, a crash that could have easily killed him if he had landed in the water.
Later as he moved from plane to the plough he would demonstrate his ploughs and later Ferguson System tractors on farmland around the city of Londonderry and importantly on the 8th October, 1936 at Campsie he attended a demonstration of his new Ferguson tractor and Ferguson Farm Machinery. One of the directors of the Ferguson-Brown Company that manufactured the Ferguson-Brown Type A and Ferguson Farm Machinery was Earnest DE Silly Hamilton Browne from Comber House, Claudy, County Londonderry. He was a famous tennis player who contributed considerably to early lawn tennis in the British Isles. Comber House and surrounding lands was used by Allied troops during World War II often traveling to Londonderry a few miles away supporting forces taking part in the crucial Battle of the Atlantic.
The DNA Museum will be another great tourist attraction and centre for learning in Northern Ireland that I want to wish well and know it will be a great success. Hopefully these and other important historic events linked to Harry Ferguson and his innovations will now be included in the DNA Museum as they most certainly will add to the museum and attract even more tourists.
Stevan Patterson, Castlederg, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.