Col. James Ross ^851,1330

  General Notes:

James born Lancaster, Pa., November 28, 1753, died, Natchez, Miss., August 24, 1808 in 55th year (E. H. Bell says, died August 20, 1809), married Maria Sabina Kuhn. Mary born Lancaster, Pa., December 23, 1765, died, Lancaster, Pa., December 20, 1838, married, William Bird, (E.H. Bell says she married first ....Willitts. Married, second, William Bird. Married, third, Joshua Scott. Had children only by second husband.)

James Ross, son of "Signer"
James Ross, b. Lancaster, Pa., Nov. 28, 1753, d. Natchez, Miss, Aug. 20, 1809*, m. Maria Sabina Kuhn** , daughter of Adam Simon and Maria Sabina (***Schrack) Kuhn. She was b. Lancaster, Pa., Sept. 18, 1755, d. Columbia, Pa. ("the headstone time has destroyed"). Col. Ross was appointed, June 25, 1775, Captain of one of the Companies in Thompson's Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion, which arrived in camp at Cambridge, Mass., Aug 18, 1775, being the first Pennsylvania Troops to actively participate in the Revolutionary War. He was commissioned Captain, 1st Continental Infantry, Jan. 1, 1776; Major, 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, Continental Line, Sept. 25, 1776; Lieutenant-Colonel, March 12, 1777, to rank from Sept. 27, 1776; transferred to 8th Pennsylvania, June 11, 1777; resigned, Sept. 22, 1777. He was chosen by the Supreme Executive Council, Nov. 17, 1783, Lieutenant of Lancaster Co. In October, 1789, he was elected Sheriff of Lancaster County, and was re-elected in October 1790.

Issue (surname Ross): (Do not know order of birth)
George Thompson, b. Lancaster, Pa. 1776, d. Lancaster, Pa., June 5, 1816, m. Henrietta Catharine Thompson, b. Lancaster, Pa., d. Columbia, Pa., m. March 5, 1807, Richard Claiborne *****Maria Sabina, b. Lancaster, Pa., died, unmarried, Lancaster, Pa., 1803 ****James, b. Lancaster Pa., died, unmarried, near New York, N.Y.

Notes - as to James Ross, and immediate family.
For military record of James Ross, see Heitmans Register, pg. 43 and 46, also 351, also Penna. Archives, 2nd Series, Vol. X, pg. 320 and 648
*Date of death of James Ross is given in the family bible of his brother, George Ross, now in possession of Mrs. Eshleman, as Aug. 20, 1809.
**Date of marriage of James Ross and Maria Sabina Kuhn not given in the record of St. James P.E. Church, or Trinity Lutheran Church. Assembly list of 1780 shows they were married then. ***Maria Sabina Kuhn's mother was Maria Sabina Schrack, daughter of Johann Jacob and Eva Rosina Schrack. She was b. at sea Oct 26, 1717, and bap. Swedish Church, Philadelphia, Jan 12, 1718; she died 1799. See record the Trappe church. She married Adam Simon Kuhn Dec. 11, 1740; record aforesaid says: Johan Adam Simon Kuhn and Anna Maria Sarina Schrackin, daughter of Hans Jacob and Euphrosina Schrackin. Adam Simon Kuhn was born Dec. 26, 1713, d. Jan 23, 1780.

****James Ross, son of James: Am not sure this son's name was James. There was a James Ross appointed Midshipman, U.S.N. March 2, 1799, resigned Oct 8, 1800. Navy Department writes Jan. 6, 1898, "The letter appointing James Ross a midshipman in the U.S.N. was addressed to him at Lancaster. No further information appears on the records." R.R. Claiborne writes: "I remember well of hearing my grandmother speak of her brother who had been lost from a vessell whilst at sea." Mr. Claiborne sends me a letter written from New York, March 24, 1806, by John Sturtevant, to Frederick Kuhn, of Lancaster, Pa., brother of Mrs. Ross, saying: "Your nephew, Captain Ross, supported a very good character and discharged his duties with fidelity and ability....All of Captain Ross' trunks, charts and papers were put on Captain Ransom's vessel." Mr. Claiborne has a poem, dated Feb. 16, 1805, "To Miss Catharine T. Ross, on the sudden death of her brother who was drowned from an open boat oversetting among the breakers near New York." From Sturtevant's letter it seems that Captain Ross took passage from Washington, N.C. (sic) for New York, in a ship commanded by Captain Ransom.
*****Maria Ross (not sure what her middle name was) died about 1803. Mr. R.R. Claiborne has a clipping headed "the following is a translation of the Latin Elegy which appeared in the Lancaster Journal of the 27th ult." probably March 27th possibly February 27th. It is upon the death of Maria Ross, daughter of Col. James Ross.

Col. James Ross is said to have been a Judge in the Territory of Louisiana. The U.S. Attorney General writes June 10, 1897: "The records of this Department do not show James Ross as having been a Federal Judge in any District within the U.S., at any time, the old District of Orleans was only organized in 1804, and was succeeded by the District of Louisiana in 1812.

James ROSS was born on 28 NOV 1753 in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. He died on 24 AUG 1808 in Natchez, Adams Co., MS. James was appointed 25 Jun 1775 Captain of one of the companies in his uncle William Thompson's Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion Regiment which arrived in camp at Cambridge, MA 18 Aug 1775. These were the first Pennsylvania troops to actively participate in the Revolutionary War. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment under General Edward Hunt and was in the battles of Long Island, Trenton, Germantown, Princeton, Brandywine, and Yorktown.

In October 1789 he was elected Sheriff of Lancaster Co., PA, and was re-elected the next year.

James is said to have been a Judge in the Territory of Louisiana. However a letter dated 10 Jun 1897 from the U. S. Attorney General says: "The records of this department do not show James Ross as having been a Federal Judge in any district within the U.S. at any time. The old District of Orleans was only organized in 1804 and was succeeded by the District of Louisiana in 1812."

Indeed, records of Civil Appointments made in Orleans Territory (LA) during 1807 and 1808 shows that James was actually appointed County Judge for Concordia Co., LA, in both years. The appointment was made by Gov. W. C. C. Claiborne, uncle to Richard Claiborne, the husband of James' daughter Catharine T.
He was married to Anna Maria Sabina KUHN (daughter of Dr. Adam Simon KUHN and Anna Maria Sabina SCHRACK) about 1769 in Lancaster Co., PA. The date of marriage of James Ross and Maria Sabina Kuhn is not given in the records of the churches attended by their respective families-St. James P.E. Church and Trinity Lutheran Church. Nor is there a notice in the files of the Lancaster Intelligencer, Journal or Examiner. Anna Maria Sabina KUHN was born on 18 SEP 1752 in Lancaster Co., PA. She was baptized on 5 OCT 1752 in Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. She died on 30 DEC 1826 in Columbia, Lancaster Co., PA.20 She was called "Polly" by family and friends. ¹⁵²⁸

  Research Notes:

James ROSS and Anna Maria Sabina KUHN had the following children:
+75 i. Rebecca ROSS.
76 ii. William ROSS was born on 14 OCT 1772 in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. He died on 9 FEB 1818. I have found no records proving his connection to this family.
77 iii. George Thompson ROSS19 was born about 1776 in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. He died on 7 JUN 1816 in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. He was buried in St. James Church Cemetery, Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. George was appointed Lieutenant of Artillerists and Engineers, U. S. Army, 19 Dec 1796, and resigned 20 May 1801. He became an Ensign and 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry, 3 May 1803 and resigned 6 Oct 1804. On the first of Aug 1813, he was appointed Colonel in the 44th Regiment, and fought in the War of 1812. He was discharged 15 Jun 1815 under the act reducing the Army to a peace establishment.
George resided in New Orleans and visited Lancaster Co., PA for the benefit of his health which was impaired by severe privations in the army.
He was married about 1796 to Henrietta, last name unknown. Her last name may have been Copperthwaite. She is thought to have been a Catholic and a woman of great wealth.
George's will dated 28 May 1816 was probated 31 Mar 1817 in Lancaster Co., PA. It lists his children Alonzo and George, wife Henrietta Ross, father Col. James Ross, aunt Susanna and husband John Kuhn, nieces Maria and Sarah Kuhn and Polly Bird. Either Alonzo or George (or both) died before 1854.
Among other things, his will recites: "I request my friend John Dick to use every means in his power with the officers and all concerned in the land and naval force under my command and that of Capt. Daniel Patterson, in capturing the vessels and cargo near the Island of Barataria, and which the Honorable Congress have relinquished in favor of the said George T. Ross and Capt. Daniel Patterson and their officers."
It further says: "I order and direct that my friend and physician Dr. Eberly prepare my body to be immersed in a hogshead of strong Rye Brandy and that said hogshead, containing my body, shall be conveyed from Lancaster to New Orleans in care of Messrs. Boyle and Hand, merchants at Baltimore, and it is my request that they receive the same and ship it off in the first vessels sailing for New Orleans." This request was not honored as George is buried in St. James Church Cemetery.
78 iv. Maria Sabina ROSS was born on 12 APR 1779 in Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA.21 She was baptized on 11 MAY 1779 in Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA. She died in 1803 in Lancaster Co., PA. Maria was unmarried.
79 v. James ROSS died in 1805 in New York. R. R. Claiborne wrote in a letter to Frank Willing Leach, Ross researcher at the turn of the century, "I remember well of hearing my grandmother speak of her brother who had been lost from a vessel whilst at sea." Mr. Claiborne also possessed a letter written from New York, 24 Mar 1806, by John Sturtevant, to Frederick Kuhn, of Lancaster, PA, brother of Maria Sabina Kuhn Ross, saying: "Your nephew, Captain Ross, supported a very good character and discharged his duties with fidelity and ability...All of Captain Ross' trunks, charts and papers were put on Captain Ransom's vessel."
Mr. Claiborne also had a poem, dated 16 Feb 1805, headed, "To Miss Catharine T. Ross, on the sudden death of her brother who was drowned from an open boat oversetting among the breakers near New York." There was a James Ross appointed Midshipman, U. S. Navy, 2 Mar 1799, and who resigned 8 Oct 1800. In a letter from the Navy Department dates 6 Jan 1898, it is written, "The letter appointing James Ross a midshipman in the U.S.N. was addressed to him at Lancaster. No further information appears on the records."
+80 vi. Catherine Thompson ROSS.

James married Anna Maria Sabina Kuhn about 1769 in Conestoga, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.⁸⁵¹ (Anna Maria Sabina Kuhn was born on 18 Sep 1752 in Conestoga, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA ^851,1330, christened on 5 Oct 1752 in Trinity Lutheran Church (Lancaster, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA) ¹²¹⁷ and died on 30 Dec 1826 in Columbia, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA ^851,1330.)