William D. Ross (1809 - abt. 1875)

Born 6 Apr 1809 in Augusta County Virginia, USA

Died about 22 Oct 1875 at about age 66 in Clay, Missouri, United States

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Biography

there are two Find A Grave Memorials for Willam Ross this doesn't appear to belong to the Ross Family of Craig County

click here for his Find A Grave Memorial: [1]

Accurate Find A Grave Memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63480366/william-ross

From "Portrait and Biographical Record" for Clay County, Missouri:

Thomas K. Ross was born in Madison Co. KY in 1834, and is the son of WILLIAM AND NANCY (HAWKINS) ROSS. William Ross was born in 1809, and his wife, a native of Madison County, KY was born in 1814. The father of our subject, William Ross, was a native Virginian, and came with his parents to Kentucky in a very early day. His father died when he was about 14 years of age, and from that time he made his own way in the world. His first employment was running an engine in a mill. In 1841 he came to Clay County, and bought land near where our subject (Thomas Ross) now lives. Here he ambitiously engaged in the double avocation of a farmer and miller, running both a flour and saw mill. He dammed Smith Fork of the Platte River and re-built upon an old mill-site. Living a life of busy usefulness he gained the respect and good-will of all who knew him.

A gang of horse thieves and desperate characters infested Clay County at that time, and were known as the Schacklford and Callaway gang. In the fall of 1854, William Ross and son with several neighbors met these brutal men in Smithville, and in the encounter Mr. Ross was shot several times, and his son and a young named Douglas were killed. Three of the murderers were seized by the enraged citizens of the country, and were all hung upon one tree in Smithville.

The parents of our subject were married in 1831, the mother being a daughter of Phillip and Nancy (Brooks) Hawkins. To them were born nine children, as follows:

1. Squire J. who was killed 2. Thomas K. our subject 3. Eveline, wife of B.F. Rollins 4. Andrew B. 5. Catherine, wife of H.J. Hawkins 6. Mattie H., wife of Samuel Moore 7. James M. 8. William D. 9. Elizabeth W., wife of J.D. Maggot.

The father (William Ross) was a member of the Masonic order in good and regular standing, and politically was a democrat. He died in 1876, of paralysis, his wife having passed away five years before him. <From the genealogical research of RJ Sadlon>

Sources

• From the genealogical research of RJ Sadlon