Ross Family

[mitch601]

Sorry have just written a reply then looked through the comments and saw that I'd already replied a while back! Teach me to to look first. Apologies 😁

[Patty Gazzola]

William Simpson Campbell was my grandfather and Jessie was my grandma (I have two photos of her). My mom was Johanna Macintosh Campbell and she was born in Elgin in 1918 and had a brother Johnny, a brother William and a sister Beth.

[Lena Grant]

Patty: I believe you are my half second cousin.  I would love to see the two photographs you have of your grandmother, Jessie.  I have photographs of Jessie's half-brother, which I can send to you.  This is my second post to RootsChat and I shall make one more in order to be allowed to send a private message.

[balmaintiger]

Hello Alan and others,

I just read this material. One of Alexandrina and John Fraser's 11 chhildren was my grandfather Donald Fraser.  He came to Australia and settled in Balmain working as a seaman (ships cook) on Australian coastal ships. He put his age down in 1915 to be accepted as a cook on a troopship carrying Australian troops to the Great War. He was torpedoed twice and died in Glasgow in 1920 never having returned home. I have lots of detail if it is of interest to anyone - I realise he was not a Ross by name.

Bryce Fraser

[seaweed]

Hello Alan and others,

I just read this material. One of Alexandrina and John Fraser's 11 chhildren was my grandfather Donald Fraser.  He came to Australia and settled in Balmain working as a seaman (ships cook) on Australian coastal ships. He put his age down in 1915 to be accepted as a cook on a troopship carrying Australian troops to the Great War. He was torpedoed twice and died in Glasgow in 1920 never having returned home. I have lots of detail if it is of interest to anyone - I realise he was not a Ross by name.
Bryce Fraser

Was your grandfather born in Inverness? If so he is mentioned couple of online Crew Agreements. One for the Troopship ASCANIUS, the other a merchant vessel named THORNHILL.

[balmaintiger]

Thanks Seaweed,

Yes. He left Australia in the Ascanius, and was aboard Allendale when it was torpedoed near the Lizard in March 1918.

This reply is from memory since it is about 20 years since I last worked on him. I have the records and will pursue them now.

I would be interested in the online records as when I was working on him there were none.

Thanks.
Bryce

[seaweed]

Here is the link to the Crew Agreements.

https://1915crewlists.rmg.co.uk/crew-member?crew_member_search[lastName]=fraser&crew_member_search[firstName]=do
Unfortunately, the images of the original Crew Agreements are failing to load (A weekend glitch?) but you can still see the basic information.

He served on THORNHILL 16/09/1915 - 09/12/15
https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?regtype=MNL&year=1915&name=THORNHILL&steamsail=Steam&page=585

ASCANIUS18/02/15 -22/07/15
https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?regtype=MNL&year=1915&name=ASCANIUS&steamsail=Steam&page=37
   
Before that he served on the Australian Coastal Steamer BLAXLAND
https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?regtype=MNL&year=1915&name=BLAXLAND&steamsail=Steam&page=66

This seems to tie  up with the information you already have.

ALLENDALE O/N 140416.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2480803
Theoretically you could trace all of the vessels he sailed on. Crew Agreements give the name or official number of his previous ship. By backtracking via Crew Agreements. With a little luck you can find details of his entire seagoing career. It's time consuming and can be expensive unless you have easy access to the British National Archive.

[balmaintiger]

Hello again, Seaweed

After the Allendale sinking, Donald on 14 May 1918, signed onto the War African. I found its log in the PRO Kew. He suffered an injury at sea off the US Carolinas on 9 September 1918 and was discharged from the ship into the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn NYC, his personal gear and pay allottments being place in the care of the British Vice Consul. Discharged six weeks later, he arrived back in Glasgow four days after the Armistice.

Taken with your data, his first sinking must have been between the Thornhill and the Allendale.

Bryce Fraser

[scottsinclair]

Hello all
I realise I'm replying to an old topic here. Currently working on this branch of my tree; I'm a descendant of Charles Ross / Amelia Fraser, via their daughter Jane Fraser (who married James Cuthbert).