George Ross, 11th Lord Ross


George Ross, 11th Lord Ross of Halkhead, was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.

Origins

Ross was the son and heir of William Ross, 10th Lord Ross, who died in 1656, by Margaret, daughter of Sir James Forrester of Torwoodhead. The Rosses of Halkhead, or Hawkhead, in Renfrewshire, were a Lowland family, not apparently related to the Earls of Ross or the Highland family of Ross of Balnagown.

Career

Ross was present at the first Parliament of Charles II, which passed the Rescissory Act 1661, and thereafter attended Parliament regularly.
He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Ayrshire and Renfrewshire on 9 October 1663, a Commissioner for the Collection of the Excise on 23 January 1667 and a Commissioner of Militia for Ayrshire and Renfrewshire on 3 September 1668.
In 1674, together with the Marquess of Douglas and the Earl of Erroll, Ross raised three troops of horse, which were subsequently disbanded in 1676. On 1 November 1677, he was lieutenant-colonel of the Scots Guards. He was in command at Glasgow during the Battle of Drumclog on 1 June 1679, when Claverhouse was defeated by the Covenanters. He provided support to him in the aftermath of that battle. Shortly afterwards, he succeeded in beating off a determined attack by the Covenanters on Glasgow itself.
He died at Halkhead in April 1682.

Family

Lord Ross married first Grizel Cochrane, daughter of William Cochrane and Euphemia Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald. By her he had:
  • William, who succeeded him, and
  • Grizel.
Lord Ross's first wife died in 1665 and he soon after married, secondly, Jean Ramsay, eldest daughter of George Ramsay, 2nd Earl of Dalhousie. She survived him and married Robert Makgill, 2nd Viscount of Oxfuird, before dying in November 1696. By her, Lord Ross had: