William Ross, 12th Lord Ross


William Ross, 12th Lord Ross, was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician.

Origins

Ross was born in about 1656. He was the son and heir of George Ross, 11th Lord Ross, who died in 1682, by Grizel, daughter of William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald. 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.

Military career

Lord Ross began his military career with commissions as lieutenant and captain in Lord Home's troop of horse. Subsequently, he held commissions as captain and major in Claverhouse's regiment of horse, although he resigned the latter position shortly afterward. In 1685, he sustained injuries during an action while pursuing the Earl of Argyll.
Lord Ross maintained a close relationship with Claverhouse, having served as a witness at his wedding in 1684. Despite this bond, he excused himself from participating in the army raised against Claverhouse by citing his Parliamentary duties.

Political career

In 1689 Ross was present at the first Parliament of King William and was chosen by the Convention of Estates to go to London to give the King an account of their proceedings. He was also appointed as a commissioner to consider the question of union with England. On 18 May 1689, he was appointed a member of the Privy Council.
Disaffected perhaps by the lack of reward for his services, Ross became closely involved with the Earl of Annandale in the dissident "Club" of Sir James Montgomerie of Skelmorlie. However, he recanted and, although sent to the Tower of London in July 1690, was eventually released without prosecution. The disparaging comment of Ross's contemporary, George Lockhart of Carnwath, was that:
Lord Ross was a great persecutor of the Whigs; then he joined them at the Revolution; then plotted to restore King James; then did turn tail, and did accuse all he knew of that party

On 29 February 1704 Ross was appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. A later attempt in about 1707 to secure for himself the ancient Earldom of Ross aroused the genealogical indignation of the Earl of Cromartie, who memorably wrote that Ross had no more relation to the old Earls of Ross "than the miller of Carstairs has to the Prince of Parma".
Ross died at Edinburgh on 15 March 1738.

Family

Ross married no fewer than four times:
By his first wife, Lord Ross had: