Fergus MacCunn
British animal welfare activist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Captain Fergus MacCunn (19 April 1890 – 18 May 1941) was an English animal welfare activist and chief secretary of the RSPCA.
Fergus MacCunn | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | 19 April 1890 |
| Died | 18 May 1941 (aged 51) |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Spouse |
Maude Annie Scott (m. 1918) |
Career
MacCunn was educated at a private school in Cranleigh, Surrey.[1] He served in the London Scottish and King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from 1914 to 1917.[2] He was severely injured in 1917.[2] E. Douglas Hume commented that "a bullet through the head put an end to his soldiering".[3]
MacCunn joined the RSPCA in 1910, became assistant secretary in 1924 and succeeded Edward G. Fairholme as chief secretary of the RSPCA in 1934.[4][3] He attended RSPCA meetings throughout Britain.[5]
In February 1926, MacCunn lectured at Birkbeck College where he requested to form a new animal welfare society.[6] His lecture was influential to C. W. Hume who founded the University of London Animal Welfare Society. He was the British delegate to Humane Association's 1935 convention in Washington.[1] He was an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.[1] He organized the Finnish War Animals Fund during the Winter War in 1940 and re-opened the British Sick and Wounded Horses Fund.[1]
He suffered from heart trouble and died in 1941, aged 51.[4][7]
Family
MacCunn was the son of Hamish MacCunn and Alison Pettie.[1] He married Maude Annie Scott; they had one son, Robin.
Selected publications
- The Royal Family and the R.S.P.C.A. In Crown and Empire (1937)
- Country Friends (1938)
- Pets for Young People (with Wellesley Pain, 1938)
- Cats (1945)