Northern Ireland farmer champions Harry Ferguson’s enduring legacy with museum campaign

Castlederg farmer Stevan Patterson with his Ford-Ferguson tractor.

As the 156th Balmoral Show takes centre stage this week, farming in Northern Ireland is once again in the national spotlight.

This year’s show holds special significance, marking the centenary of a world-changing agricultural innovation — the modern tractor — invented by Harry Ferguson, a pioneering engineer from Northern Ireland.

On 12 February 1925, Ferguson filed his groundbreaking patent titled “Apparatus for Coupling Agricultural Implements to Tractors and Automatically Regulating the Depth of Work”.

Known today as the Ferguson Master Patent, it laid the foundations for what would become the modern tractor. The document stands as testament to Ferguson’s visionary thinking and technical genius — an innovation that transformed farming not only in Northern Ireland, but across the globe.

“This document now known as the Ferguson Master Patent is the invention of the modern tractor on paper and points to the brilliance of the man who without doubt was a genius,” said Stevan Patterson of Castlederg, County Tyrone.

“The idea of a tractor and quickly interchangeable implements acting as a single unit may seem common sense now, but Harry Ferguson was the first person in history to have that vision.”

A Legacy That Changed the World

Ferguson’s vision came to life with the introduction of the Ford-Ferguson tractor in 1939, a result of his landmark “Gentleman’s Agreement” with Henry Ford.

It was the first mass-produced tractor to incorporate the full Ferguson System — a revolutionary integration of machine and implement.

Castlederg farmer Stevan Patterson with his 1944 Ford-Ferguson tractor.

Stevan Patterson, who recently took his 1944 Ford-Ferguson tractor to work on his potato crop, expressed deep admiration for the machine’s durability and the legacy it represents.

“For a tractor at 81 years old it’s amazing what this little grey Ford-Ferguson can still do. In fact, this tractor could still be doing a day’s work long after I’m gone,” he said. “Basically every tractor today is based on technology pioneered by Harry Ferguson and his engineers from Northern Ireland in the mechanised farming solution that is the Ferguson System.”

As he drove through the Derg Valley, Stevan reflected on Ferguson’s lasting impact.

“A wave of emotion, euphoria and pride came over me… None of what I see would be possible without Harry Ferguson. Our country as a full and equal part of our great United Kingdom has achieved something so magnificent from Harry Ferguson’s vision a century ago.”

Campaign for a Harry Ferguson Museum

Stevan Patterson with The Ferguson Museum of Innovation flag

To commemorate Ferguson’s centenary and further recognise his contribution, Stevan has launched a campaign for a dedicated Harry Ferguson Museum.

He is calling on the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities to support the founding and funding of such a site to honour “all the great innovators and achievers Northern Ireland has produced over the years.”

A petition in support of the museum has been launched and can be found at: https://chng.it/jtxyrGXbt4

A dedicated Facebook page for the campaign, titled Ferguson Belfast Black Tractor, has been set up to share updates and resources, including submissions made to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State.

Stevan has also written to all party leaders both in Northern Ireland and at Westminster. To date, the campaign has received expressions of support from the TUV and Alliance Party.

A Proud Heritage

Ferguson’s post-war return to Northern Ireland sparked hopes of local tractor production, though ultimately manufacturing was established in Coventry by the Standard Motor Company.

The resulting TE-20 model — based closely on the Ford-Ferguson — began production in 1946 and went on to sell over half a million units, further cementing Ferguson’s status as a titan of agricultural engineering.

During the Second World War, the Ford-Ferguson tractor gained considerable popularity in Northern Ireland, with over 3,000 in operation. Patterson noted that farmers here understood and embraced the Ferguson System’s value early on.

To mark the centenary, Patterson unveiled a special Ferguson Master Patent Centenary plaque and produced a commemorative booklet telling the story of the patent and its impact.

As Northern Ireland reflects on a century of agricultural transformation, there is growing recognition that Harry Ferguson’s contribution extends far beyond farming. His invention helped reduce hunger, lifted communities out of poverty, and shaped the modern rural landscape — achievements that continue to benefit millions today.