Genealogy In general family tree George Ross (1820-1903) family tree William Ross (ca. 1740-ca. 1785) family tree Jacobus Ros family tree Huijbert Ross family tree Ross (Kempen.Heinsberg) In general Our interest for genealogy in fact already started in the early 60's of last century. The "family history" which told that we descended from Scotland made us curious. After some collecting of information within the family and about the quest for your family tree we went to the national archive in The Hague.

Mary Willeamena Ross (1860-1938) en George Ross (1820-1903)

 A helpful archive official conjured up the marriage certificates of George Spalding Ross and Anna Margaretha Sutherland, from which turned out that he (a brother of my great-grandfather) was born in Scotland.

In a primitive way these data were committed to paper. The British Library in Amsterdam did have some publications about the Scottish Clans etc. and by way of the British Embassy we found the address of the chief of Clan Ross at that time, Miss Rosa Ross of Pitcalnie.

A lively contact back and forth originated, in spite of the fact that Miss Rosa was in her 90's.
On a certain moment we didn't get an answer to our letters. Later on it turned out that she died.
Because of the pressure of work we weren't able to do more research.

That opportunity came again in the early 80's. Because the story of our own family soon became clear we started with looking into everything named "Ross" in the Netherlands. Very soon it proved that if you are looking for ROSS you also have to look at ROS because even within one family both notations were and are used.

Visits to all the national archives in the Netherlands, the C.B.G. and the society centre of the N.G.V. at Naarden and many municipal and county archives resulted in a collection of at least 10.000 persons with the name Ross, Ros, Rosch etc.

From these data family trees of about 40 different families are put together, varying in size from very extensive (sometimes with more then 10 generations) till small with only some generations. Genealogical research is never "finished". Data about the younger generations won't be found in the archives. You are dependent from all kind of other information. An important source is a death notice that gives a clue for ordering a "persoonskaart" with the C.B.G.
By way of our Ross-Newsletter we also come into contact with many namesakes who deliver us information.

In spite of the fact that not all data is complete we want to start to publish the family trees that we have on the Web. If visitors can help us with finding data, we then accept them with thanks and add them to the collection.

On our links-page you also can find a number of links to genealogical sites that can be of importance to you.

 

Family tree George Ross (1820-1903) (to top)

This is the family tree of our own family. Unfortunately we can't go further back then 1820.

My great-great-grandfather himself writes on a copy of a Dutch form for a census that he is born in Arbroath in Scotland on the 10th of March 1820. In spite of this detailed information we aren't able to find his birth in the register of births (the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages by the Goverment starts in 1855). Through his death certificate from Alblasserdam (Netherlands) we were able to get on to his parents. Also from this couple their marriage can't be found. By a detour we are now trying to prove that David Ross and Margaret Balfour indeed are his parents. If we can prove that, we possibly can continue searching back in time.

We keep on looking on the bright side!!

Shortly after the move of the family from Arbroath to Alblassserdam, the eldest son, Alexander, went to New Zealand. Descendants of him still live there. Even the contacts with them are lively.



Family tree William Ross (ca. 1740 - ca. 1785) (to top)

William was one of many Scots who in the 18th century served in one of the regiments of the so-called Scots Brigade.

In 1744 he was a corporal in the company of General Mackay of the first regiment.

Her married in Maastricht in 1766 in the Walloon Church and the children were born in typical garrison places like Doornik, Ypres and Nijmegen. After Williams's death his widow and children continued travelling with the regiment. She died in Goes (1785). The children are admitted in the local orphanage.

The prove of his Scottish origin we find in the archives of the Goes' orphanage where we find the verbatim text "They are both (Dutch) Reformed religion and from a Scottish family".

The family lived in Goes for many years, where some generations managed a printing business. Also the Ross firm "'t Wijnhuis" (the Wine House) was a well-known small business in Goes.

The present offspring in the meantime is spread all over the central parts of the Netherlands.

Family tree Jacobus Ros  (to top)

The oldest known members of this Ross/Ross family did we met in Heeswijk, when Jacobus Ross and Joanna de Moes have their son Gerrardus Johannes baptised in the local Roman Catholic Church. It was stated that his father was "a soldier".

Son Gerrardus married in 1776 in Geertruidenberg. He too is a soldier and is being described as "soldier in the second battalion of lieutenant-general Prince of Holstein Gottorf, in the Company of captain Roveroy, garrisoned in this city".

If the family is of Scottish origin, it can't be determined with certainty. The regiment doesn't indicate it in a direct way, but the way the familyname ROSS is written does.

Initially the family lives in Geertruidenberg but later on moves toe Gorinchem.

Between 1850 and 1900 we come across family members in Gorinchem, Leerdam, Delft, Nieuweramstel (the present Amstelveen), Amsterdam, Breda, Rotterdam etc.

A great number of males from this family worked in a "manual"-profession.
We encounter professions like smith, shoemaker, tailor, servant in a coffee house/lodging, driver/coachman, farmer, carpenter/joiner, engine driver, coppersmith, typewriter-mechanic and (bench) fitter.
A part of the family ends up in the shipping industry: (assistant) boss with the Koninklijke Stoomboot Maatschappij (Royal Steamboat Company), master mariner with the same company and controller with the K.N.S.M.
Barend Adrianus (born 15-03-1901) in 1958 was a branch manager of the leerdam branch of Albert Heijn (nowadays al large grocery multinational) and received the silver medal connected to the Order of Oranje-Nassau.

A real exception was Bernardus Adrianus (1930-1975), who became a member of the congregation of the Priests of the Holy Heart and suddenly died on may the 19th, 1975 in London, Ontario (Canada).

Although we don't have contact with them, nowadays there still must be offspring of Jacobus and Joanna walking around.

Family tree Huijbert Ross  (to top)

The story of the offspring of Huijbert Ross and Maria de Moor begins in Gorinchem when they marry in 1751.
Huijbert, sergeant in the Scottish Regiment under captain Mackensie, is garrisoned at Brielle. This is also the reason for the publishing of the banns both in Gorinchem and Brielle.

Huijbert possibly met Maria when he was garrisoned there. It isn't clear if he stayed in the army or not. But at least it is clear that all the children that spring from the marriage are born in Gorinchem (or at least baptised).

The children from this family started to leave Gorinchem quite soon, except for David who in 1786 is mentioned as a "master wig-maker". In this year he becomes owner of a house and yard situated at the south side of the Gasthuisstraat.

His son Carel leaves for Dordrecht after he married and son Johannes leaves by Hoogblokland and Hoornaar to the big city: Rotterdam.

Around 1800 the family spreads over a great part of the Netherlands. Besides the earlier mentioned places we find: Maassluis, Nijmegen, Haarlem, Delft, Harlingen, and Amsterdam.

Part of the family maintains the original name ROSS. But after a while, probably also by way of mistakes by the registrars the second "s" gets lost.

Years ago we did have contact with the youngest member of this family, but because of several times moving we lost sight of him.

Family tree Ross (Kempen/Heinsberg) (to top)

THE MAASTRICHT FAMILY ROSS, by  Mr. E.A Engelbrecht.

This is the title of an article published in "De Nederlandsche Leeuw" (The Dutch Lyon), volume 1961, col. 65-74 and col. 360-380.

The following genealogy is based on this article, filled up with data we found ourselves.

Mr. Wijnaents van Resand who started the research in the years 20 of the 20th century because one could read that this family was from the German "Graven van Ross" (Earls of Ross).
He proved this was not true. We think he was disappointed, because the genealogists in that time were proud to find relations with earldom etc.
The family delivered several famous members (ministers, doctors and lawyers but noble blood................. No!.

Anywhere is stated that the family was died out. Indeed we too can not find living people nowadays, but as long as there are open ends (and there are) we doubt.