Sir John Ross.....

[trish1]

Due to some wonderful help on the other forum I have an obit for a relative which says he is related to Sir John Ross (Arctic explorer) and his nephew Sir James Ross (South magnetic pole etc). Being about all things Scottish I was hoping TS folks may have some suggestions/ideas for me to help to prove/disprove this link.

My ancestor was Robert Boyd 1830 Kinghorn, Fife - parents Peter Boyd and Barbara Kilgour (1799 Abbotshall, Fife). Barbara's parents were Robert Kilgour and Janet Ross - and this seems to be the only possible link to the name Ross.

(Sir) John Ross was born June 24 1777 - son of Rev Andrew (according to wikipedia) the Minister of Inch. There is an extracted IGI record of the birth. The only obvious sibling baptised in Inch is Andrew 1773. Submitted IGI records give the mother as Elizabeth Corsane. Unfortunately he died in England (1856), so a death certificate will not name the mother.

Via a submitted IGI record, and a search of SP I think I have a marriage in 1761 of Andrew Ross and Eliz. Corsan - Dumfries, Dumfries. (Whether this is the correct Andrew, I have no idea, but it tallies with the many submitted IGI records).

The nephew (Sir) James Clark Ross was born in London 15 Apr 1800 - an extracted IGI record gives his father as George Ross, mother Christian (there are marriage/banns records(2) for this couple in Scotland 1798).

I would like to be able to prove that George (father of James) and Janet (my ancestor) are siblings of John Ross, son of Andrew. I cannot find them in the same parish on the IGI - and they do not seem to be in the parish of Inch on SP.

My initial search of the Wills on SP - looking for Andrew Ross has also been unsuccessful. I haven't yet checked the census - thinking my folks may be just too early for same.

All and any suggestions much appreciated. Is following up on the fact that Andrew was the Minister of Inch possible?

Trish

[AndrewP]

Is following up on the fact that Andrew was the Minister of Inch possible?

Yes, by looking up Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, which is a "Who's Who" of ministers of the Church of Scotland. (Was he Church of Scotland?)

See viewtopic.php?t=4276

Unfortunately this resource is not online that I have ever heard of. You need to find it on paper in a library. It is a series of books.

All the best,

AndrewP

[trish1]

Many thanks Andrew - Is it likely to be available in Australia?

I have no idea if he was Church of Scotland but the extracted records for the birth of the 2 sons on the IGI specify the Church of Scotland - Parish Church of Inch - so I would think it most likely.

Trish

[DavidWW]

Many thanks Andrew - Is it likely to be available in Australia?

I have no idea if he was Church of Scotland but the extracted records for the birth of the 2 sons on the IGI specify the Church of Scotland - Parish Church of Inch - so I would think it most likely.

Trish

I'd be surprised if the major FHS don't have a copy in their libraries.

The full title is ...... The Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - The succession of Scottish ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation,
by the Rev. Hew Scott, D.D.

Complete transcripts of Vols. I & II are on-line at http://www.dwalker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk ... 0Index.htm
Unfortunately, these don't cover the area of interest.

David


The full list of the volumes of the 3rd edition are:

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. – Vol. l.: Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1915

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. – Vol. II. Synods of Merse and Teviotdale Dumfries & Galloway - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1915

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. – Vol. III. Synod of Glasgow & Ayr - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1915

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. – Vol. IV. Synods of Argyll and of Perth and Stirling - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1915

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. - Vol. V: Synod of Fife, and of Angus and Mearns. - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1925

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. - Vol. VI: Synods of Aberdeen and of Moray. - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1926

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland. - New Edition. - Vol. VII: Synods of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness, Glenelg,. - Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1926

[AndrewP]

Hi Trish,

I was in the Edinburgh Central Library and looked up the Fasti for you.

----------------------------------------------------

Quote from Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ

Inch, in the Presbytery of Stranraer, 1762

ANDREW ROSS of Balsarroch, parish of Kirkcolm, born 1726, son of George Ross of Balsarroch; educated at Univs. of Edinburgh and Glasgow; licen. by the Pres. of Glasgow 27th May 1752; ordained to Loudoun 27th Sep. 1753; pres. by George III 17th Dec. 1761; trans. and adm. 21st Oct. 1762. In 1776 he asked the Presb. to relieve him from subscribing the Confession of Faith, but this was refused. He died 14th Dec. 1787. He marr. (1) 21st July 1761, Elizabeth (died 1st Feb. 1779, aged 35), daugh. of John Corsane of Middleknox, parish of Buittle, and had issue - George, merchant, London, born 4th Oct. 1770; Andrew, who became a general in the army, born 28th Jan. 1773, died at Alicante 1812; Robert of Cargenholm, born 4th March 1775; Sir John of Culgruff, arctic explorer, born 24th June 1777, died 30th Aug. 1856; Jane, (marr. Thomas Adair of Little Genoch, W.S.): (2) 7th Sept. 1784, Mary Kincaid. - [Tombst.; Lands and their Owners in Galloway, i., 416.]

----------------------------------------------------

These names and dates fit in well with some of the information that you found submitted to the IGI, but does it give you enough to find a link to your family?

All the best,

AndrewP

[trish1]

David

Thank you for the information

Andrew

Many thanks for your expert help & the trip to the library. The family detail is wonderful - but unfortunately, as you think, doesn't really link my Janet to the family. Daughter Jane would have been a wonderful link - if her marriage hadn't been to the wrong person. The gap of 10 years marriage before the birth of the first child does give a thought that there may have been a missing child there - but no doubt this is hope rather than reality. Even if the second marriage did result in more children, it was almost too late for my Janet, whose child Barbara was born 1799.

So, it was either a more distant relationship OR, as I seem to disprove many family stories from the past, this may be another piece of folk lore generated because of the famous nature of the name in the given time period that is perhaps not based on too much reality.

Your help is very much appreciated

Trish

[DavidWW]

My feeble excuse is that (a) I wasn't fully awake, and (b) I got the geography wrong somewhere so didn't realise that he is online ....

1762. ANDREW Ross, trans. from Loudoun, pres. by George III. 17th Dec. 1761, and adm. 21st Oct. succeeding; he got a new church built in 1770, and in 1776 he applied to the Presb. to be relieved from his subscription to the Confession of Faith and Formula, but without success. He died 14th Dec. 1787, in 61st age and 35th min. He was proprietor of Balsarroch, and in all the relations of life his conduct was worthy and honourable. He marr. 1st, 21st July 1761, Elizabeth Corsane, who died 1st Feb. 1779, aged 35, and had three sons, General Andrew, George, merchant, London, and Sir John, of Culgruff, the intrepid Arctic navigator ; 2dly, 7th Sept. 1784, Mary Kincaid, who survived him.-[Presb., and Syn. Reg., Tombst., Ranken's Inst. of Theology, New St. Acc. iv., &c.]

David

[trish1]

Thanks David

I did find it there as well but Andrew's library version does contain some more information. Either way - if it is my family - it is a very distant link.

Trish

[DavidWW]

Thanks David

I did find it there as well but Andrew's library version does contain some more information. Either way - if it is my family - it is a very distant link.

Trish

It's a very good example of the fact that one edition of these Fasti often gives more info thatn the other, - my quote is from the on-line transcript of the 3rd edition, while Andrew, I'm sure, has trancribed material from a different, - earlier, I think - edition.

In other words, in such a situation, always worth checking both!

David