James Ross (1786 - 1868)

Born 25 May 1786 in Cork,Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 16 Apr 1868 at age 81 in Newmarket, Upper Canada [uncertain]

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James Ross served in the War of 1812
Service started:
Unit(s): 3rd Regiment of York Militia, Canada
Service ended:

Biography

James was born on board ship en route to Canada in 1786.

In March, 1812, a James Ross was recorded as the head of a household of 10 in the Town of York. ^[1]

During the War of 1812, James Ross served as a private and a corporal in the 3rd York Militia. He served as a private until July 25, 1814.

James Ross may have volunteered to serve in a flank company in the spring of 1812. Members of the flank company were later asked to volunteer to accompany Major General Isaac Brock on his expedition across Lake Ontario to Detroit. On Aug. 16, 1812, Brock captured Fort Detroit. James may or may not have been on that expedition. The militia rolls for that event have not been found.

On Sept. 11, 1812, he was recorded in Captain Samuel Ridout’s muster roll as a transfer from Captain Stephen Heward’s Flank Company. ^[2]

From Oct. 25 to Nov. 24, 1812, he served in a detachment at York ^[3]

From Nov. 25 to Dec. 24, 1812, he served in Capt. Heward’s Flank Co. ^[4]

In March, 1813, he was recorded in a household of 7 in the Town of York. ^[5]

There were probably additional records of James in Mosser's book.

On Apr. 27, 1813, he was captured at Fort York while serving in Capt. Duncan Cameron’s Company. Most men were paroled and released on the 27th or 28th. ^[6]

From June 30 to July 18, 1813, he served in Capt. Hamilton’s Detachment.^[7]

From Sept. 25 to Oct. 3, 1813, he was absent without leave from Capt. Thomas Hamilton’s Co. ^[8]

From Feb. 25 to Mar. 21, 1814, James Wells served as his substitute.^[9]

From July 7 to 27, 1814, he served in Capt. Heward’s Co. and was promoted to corporal on July 25th. ^[10]

On Jan. 15, 1816, James Ross, a tailor of the Town of York, made a land petition. He was the son of the late Sgt. John Ross and was born in Kinsale, Ireland. He was nearly 30 years old and had resided in Upper Canada for over 29 years. Capt. Heward certified that James had served in his flank company in 1812. ^[11]

On Oct. 14, 1818, James Ross, an inn keeper in the Town of York, made a land petition. He was the son of Sgt. John Ross who died in 1804. There were documents and details of John’s service. James was 32 years old and married with 4 boys and a girl. He had received 100 acres earlier and requested additional land. ^[12]

On March 10, 1820, he received a militia land grant, as a tailor in York Twp. and a former private in Capt. Heward’s Flank Co., of 100 acres on the south half of Lot 20, Con. 5, Tecumseth Twp., Simcoe County. ^[13]

Most militia veterans sold their land grant because they were well settled elsewhere.

He passed away in 1868.

Sources

1. ↑ Christine Mosser, York, Upper Canada Minutes of Town Meetings and Lists of Inhabitants, 1793-1823, Metropolitan Toronto Library Board, Toronto, 1984, page 88 accessed June 23, 2020 at https://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/229901.pdf
2. ↑ Capt. Samuel Ridout’s Order Book, 3rd York Militia, Collections Canada, Microfilm C-3519, Page 66
3. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 719-722 & 1036-1039
4. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 395-397
5. ↑ Christine Mosser, York, Upper Canada Minutes of Town Meetings and Lists of Inhabitants, 1793-1823, Metropolitan Toronto Library Board, Toronto, 1984, page 96 accessed June 23, 2020 at https://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/229901.pdf
6. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, pages 1148-1155
7. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 512-513
8. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 644-646
9. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 563-565
10. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 1187-1189 & Microfilm t-10385, pages 10-12
11. ↑ Collections Canada, Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865), at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-110.02-e.php?&q2=29&interval=50&sk=0&&PHPSESSID=npfo6qij0n1rpue06msk2mqnj1, Microfilm c-2742, pages 996-999
12. ↑ Collections Canada, Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865), at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-110.02-e.php?&q2=29&interval=50&sk=0&&PHPSESSID=npfo6qij0n1rpue06msk2mqnj1, Microfilm c-2743, pages 93-97
13. ↑ Ontario Archives, Militia Land Grants Register, Microfilm MS693, Reel 140, Volume 132, Grant #36

• Ross/Scott family tree ancestry.com
• The War of 1812 Militia Rolls and Payrolls can be accessed online
• "Ontario, Toronto Trust Cemeteries, 1826-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3GG-N3B : 11 March 2018), James Ross, 23 May 1868; citing Toronto, Ontario, Canada, section and lot L 121, line 7500, volume Volume 03, 1864-1869, Toronto Trust Cemeteris, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,617,040.