The plaque, now fixed at the entrance of the Tower, marks the gift of the iconic landmark to the Trust by Percy Ferguson, in memory of his parents, Cecil Blentworth Ferguson and Alice Mathilda Ferguson (nee Mallett), and his grandfather William James Mallett.
All three were closely connected with the rich social and maritime heritage of Fermain Bay.
William James Mallett and Alice Mathilda Ferguson were also the founders of the Fermain Tea Rooms in 1885, which has served generations of Islanders and visitors.
At the ceremony on Saturday, National Trust President Mike Brown said it was better late than never.
‘When Percy Ferguson wrote his will many years ago, leaving the tower to the trust, which was incredibly generous of him, he put a clause in his will saying he’d like us to put a stone plaque on the tower in memory of his family,’ he said.
‘For reasons I can’t explain, we never did it. Thanks to Lance Vaudin and his team, 20 years late, we have a plaque.’
Family member James Willcocks thanked the trust for the long-overdue tribute.
‘This was something Percy Ferguson clearly wished to see happen,’ he said.
‘He made a provision for it in his will, but for reasons unknown it was never carried out 23 years ago. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Mike Brown, the current president of the National Trust in Guernsey, and his committee, for their help in making this happen today. Our family is deeply grateful.’
Members of the family have recently claimed that in 2002 the tearooms were sold to the States against the wishes of Mr Ferguson, the last private owner of the tea rooms, and Mr Willcocks made reference to this in his speech.
‘While today is about honouring Percy, it’s also about reflection. We sincerely hope that the current leadership of the States will now follow the example set by the National Trust and will be willing to sit down with us face-to-face to discuss the questionable circumstances surrounding the 2002 acquisition of the Fermain tea rooms,’ he said.
‘This is not about financial gain. It’s about doing what is right, about addressing unresolved concerns with honesty, fairness and accountability.’
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