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John Ross

John "James" [uncertain] Ross
Born [date unknown] in Scotlandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1756 in Irelandmap
Descendants descendants
Died about in Rawdon Township, Hants, Nova Scotiamap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Ross private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 4 Feb 2017
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Contents

Biography

John/James Ross, native of Scotland and his wife Jane emigrated to Nova Scotia, where they received a land grant in the Rawdon Township area. They had four sons - James, William, Edmond, and David. The last two were born in Nova Scotia. All four sons eventually relocated to Margaree, Cape Breton.

Notes

I took over this profile as it was abandoned. Some of the details are different than in the History of Inverness County. JL MacDougall states that the 4 Ross brothers of Margaree were Scottish in origin, this rootsweb information would lead me to believe some were born in Ireland and others in Hants county where their father John Ross received a land grant.

I have no reason to distrust this information, but I will not be going to any lengths to verify it. I just wanted parents to join the 4 brothers together when I found these already created profiles. I will leave it intact.

James Ross (61) appears on the 1818 census of Margarie. He had been on the island for 35 years and states his birthplace as Ireland, but that his parents were from Scotland (this verifies some of the information below). He is married at this time and has 2 children living with him.

Deed Information

The Deed for John Ross' land was found by Gloria Blanchard, Windsor, Hants County (Hants County was created in 1781):

The actual land grant document to John Ross of 1772 indicates that the land was granted to John under the authority of King George III and Lord William Campbell, Governor of Nova Scotia - 600 acres - pursuant to his majesty's proclamation - bearing the date October 7, 1763, for granting lands to reduced officers, soldiers and seamen. This amount of land would suggest that John Ross was a military officer - perhaps sub officer to a captain (who generally would receive 1000 acres). Perhaps a Sergeant of the Black Watch.

(Note: by Greg Ross, 9 May 2021: The land grant in question, found by Gloria Blanchard and given to me by her prior to the Margaree Ross reunion in 2000, originally led us to believe John Ross had served in the Black Watch. We made that conclusion because of the 11 year gap between the births of JRemoved birth date and placeames and William in Ireland; the Black Watch was the only Scottish regiment which had left from Ireland and was in America for 11 years. A recently discovered letter, written in 1897 by the great grandson of John Ross (Joseph Ross Jr), raises questions about the regiment and locations of John Ross. I hope to provide additional information in the near future.)

Dated March 14, 1793

Know all men by these present, that the undernamed John Ross, yeoman in the County of Hants and Province of Ontario, have by virtue of a patent or grant given unto me by government, given unto my two sons David Ross and Edmund Ross, (in 1793, the other two brothers James Ross and William Ross were in Cape Breton) their heirs and assigns forever, a tract of land situate on the road between Halifax and Windsor, containing 600 acres be it more or less, the aforesaid patent or grant bearing date the 23rd of December 1772, and beginneth at the northeastern bound of lot number 3 on Windsor Road, beyond Piggot's Farm, thence to run southwest by the compass 204 chains of 4 rods on said lot number 3 thence north 51 degrees west, 24 chains on ungranted lands, thence northeast to Windsor Road aforesaid, thence to be bounded by the several courses of the said road to the bound first mentioned., being lot number 4 as by the aforesaid grant will ore fully appear, and I the said John Ross do give unto the said David Ross and Edmund Ross my rights, title, and interest, together with all of the buildings, erections, rights, members and appurtenances on the said tract of land. And I Jane Ross, the wife of John Ross does hereby freely and voluntarily release and forever quit claim all rights to the said tract of land and premises. In witness wherever I the said John Ross and Jane Ross my wife, have hereunto set our hands and seals this 14th day of March 1793. Both signed by their names "x"

Excerpt Ross Family - Ned MacDonald: Four unmarried Ross brothers came to settle in NE Margaree - James, WIlliam, David and Edmund Ross. They took their wives of four different nationalities - French, Scottish, Irish and Dutch repectively.[Comment by Andrew Payzant - this "family lore" is inaccurate- David Ross' wife Elizabeth Mason was the daughter of immigrants from Yorkshire, so was English not Irish.] The families laid the foundation for a thriving community and were known for their energy, determination and hospitality. In Northeast Margaree - stands the Ross-Vance-Ethbridge House, probably built by John Ross - pioneer son of Edmund Ross.

Sources






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Comments: 2

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Some of this information appears now to be incorrect, based on anecdotal information in MacDougall's book, and should be noted as such, for example: "Excerpt Ross Family - Ned MacDonald: Four unmarried Ross brothers came to settle in NE Margaree - James, WIlliam, David and Edmund Ross. They took their wives of four different nationalities - French, Scottish, Irish and Dutch repectively."

Firstly, David Ross' wife was Elizabeth Mason, whose parents Francis Mason and Jane Harrison had emigrated in 1774 to Rawdon, Nova Scotia, from Yorkshire, England (i.e., she is English - not French, Scottish, Irish, or Dutch).

Second, most sources indicate that David arrived in Margaree around 1803, and at that point he was already married to Elizabeth and they had several young children. No question that James, the oldest brother came to Cape Breton a single man around 1783, as he married in 1793.

Also this " (in 1793, the other two brothers James Ross and William Ross were in Sydney)" - I think it would be correct to say they were in Cape Breton, as opposed to Sydney. We have documentation of James' wedding at St George's Church in Sydney, but it seems more likely that James was at Margaree, and only came to Sydney to be married (there was no church or minister or much else in Margaree in 1793). Similar issue with William, who married Esther Mowatt in Nov 1792 - he would have been living at Margaree, not Sydney.

posted by Andrew Payzant
edited by Andrew Payzant
Feel free to edit the profiles Andrew, I have no issues. I've seen you around NS profiles quite a bit on here, I trust you!
posted by Keenan Sutherland