Thomas Ross, son of James Ross, son of Thomas Ross of Fort William, Gent.

[carey341]

Hi,
First ever request for a bit of help.
I am really struggling to move backwards on Major Thomas Ross, Royal Artillery. Born 3rd Sept 1739 in Perth, Scotland and died of wounds following the siege of Seringapatam in 1794. Buried at St Thomas' Mount, Madras.
I have a lot about his life, marriage, career and descendants but can't identify his Scottish family. His grant of arms for service in the field says "Thomas Ross, son of James Ross, son of Thomas Ross of Fort William, Gent, descended by tradition from the ancient family of Ross of Balnagowan". His will, written at Berwick on Tweed in 1789, indicates a living sister Margary who appears to have married a William Mountain originally from Norwich "now in the city of London; and another sister Katherine Ross who married a McNicol (possibly John McNicol on 6th February 1760 at Stirling). The will also indicates an uncle, John Ross who would have been a brother to is father James Ross.
My Major (by brevet) Thomas Ross joined the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a Matross, at Woolwich, in March 1756. He married Isobella Macleod, ninth child of Macleod of Raasay, on 7th August 1788, in Edinburgh.
Given the link back through the family of Ross of Balnagowan I was hoping someone with good access to records north of the border might be able to help take me further back on the Ross side with a little more certainty.
Thank you.

[GR2]

Might be worth searching the on-line catalogue of the National Archives of Scotland to see if it throws up anything.

[Jolee]

I found the following
Perth September 3rd 1739 was born Thomas Ross lawfully procreat betwixt James Ross Brewer and Elspeth Foord his spouse and baptised September 9th by Mr William Wilson minister of the Gospel in Perth
The only one in Perth on that day, comparing against other entries, brewer was his occupation not name

[Jolee]

James and Elspeth were married 23/11/1732 at Kingfauns her name has two ff,s on this

[jim1]

2 other children:
John Ross
birth: 13 October 1733 
christening: 14 October 1733 PERTH
 
Hugh Ross
birth: 12 July 1737 
christening: 14 July 1737 PERTH,
father: James Ross
mother: Elspeth Foord

& possibly this one:
James Ross
birth: 23 September 1735 
christening: 28 September 1735 PERTH
father: James

Can't see Katherine or Margary.
 

 

[GR2]

Re "ffoord".

What looks like ff at the beginning of a name is actually just a way of writing a capital F. There are some people today who put "double f" at the start of their name, but it is just a misunderstanding of the original letter. A "foord" (or in the North East "fyoord") is a ford, so the name might be found with that Anglicised spelling too.

[carey341]

Thank you for this. James and Elspeth are a good possibility but I can't understand why I can't find the two daughters Catherine (or Katherine) and Margary.

[trish1120]

Margary may have been a Margaret ?;
MARIA Mountain Christened 30 Jan 1774, Norwich, Norfolk, England
Parents WILLIAM/MARGARET
+
MARY Mountain, 23 May 1779, Norwich, Norfolk, same Parents
(Source Familysearch.Org)

[Castlepoint]

I have an ancestor called Thomas Ross b 1731 in Kinfauns, Perthshire d between 1771-1822
married one Margaret Bell between 1748 - 1782.
I would be interested to know if this could be your one? I don't have his parents names as yet.. he had a son (Thomas Ross b 1768)

Thank You