In 1912, Mabel Manning (Charles Manning's elder sister) was married to Alexander Ferguson. Sadly, her husband died from influenza on 7th December 1918. The Woodbridge Reporter and Wickham Market Gazette reported his death in the 19th December 1918 edition of their paper:

Death of Corporal A Ferguson

Mrs Ferguson (née Manning) of Ivydene, Melton Road, has sustained a sad bereavement by the death of her husband Cpl A Ferguson, who died from influenza on 7th December. He had been four years abroad serving at the General Headquarters as motor transport. He had the honour of acting in this capacity to Field Marshall Lord French and other notable and distinguished officers. He was 32 years of age. During the past 2 years he had been a chauffeur to Brigadier General E L Spears, in Paris, and among letters of condolence his young widow has received is one from the Brigadier written from the Mission Militaire Britannique, Boulevard Des Invalides, Paris:

 

DEAR MRS FERGUSON–

I cannot sufficiently express to you my sorrow at the sad death of your husband. I was personally very attached to him, as he had been so long with me both here and at the front, and it is only recently that I asked him if he would like to remain with me as a civilian driver after the war. He was very popular with all the officers and men of this mission, for he was ever willing and cheerful.

He often came to my house, and everyone there, my wife and all the servants mourn him. On the morning of the day he died the doctor thought he would live, but it got worse at noon, and passed away peacefully at 2.45pm. He was buried with military honours yesterday at the cemetery of Pantin, Paris and we have done what we could to make his grave look nice covering it with flowers. Allow me to express to you my sorrow and heartfelt sympathy. I feel I have lost a friend.