Actaeon 16, employed in the North Sea, the White Sea, and on the coast of Ireland – 22 Aug. 1815, to the Driver 18, attached to the force in the North Sea and on the coast of Scotland – and 14 Jan. 1818, to the Isabella hired sloop. In the latter vessel he proceeded, in company with the Alexander brig, commanded by the present Sir Wm. Edw. Parry, for the purpose of exploring Baffin Bay, and inquiring into the probability of a north-west passage. Shortly after his return to England he was advanced, 7 Dec. 1818, to Post-rank. The results of his investigations are detailed by Capt. Ross in his ‘Voyage of Discovery,’ published in 1819 in two volumes 8vo., with map and plates. He was afterwards, from May, 1829, until Oct. 1833, employed, in the Victory steamer, on a fresh expedition to the Arctic regions, equipped at the expense of the present Sir Felix Booth, Bart.[1] He received the honour of Knighthood, together with the Companionship of the Bath, 24 Dec. 1834. On 8 March, 1839, he was appointed Consul at Stockholm, where he remained several years.
During the war Sir John Ross, in three different actions, was 13 times wounded. In consideration of his sufferings he was presented by the Patriotic Society with a sword valued at 100l.; and for services performed by him in the Baltic he was nominated a Knight Commander of the Swedish Order of the Sword, and presented by the King of Sweden with a sword worth 200l. He is also a Knight of the Second Class of St. Anne of Russia (in diamonds); of the Second Class of the Legion of Honour; of the Second Class of the Red Eagle of Prussia; and of the Second Class of Leopold of Belgium. In compliment to his services in the Arctic Seas, Sir John has received gold medals from the Geographical Society of London, the Geographical Institute of Paris, and the Royal Societies of Sweden, Austria, and Denmark; the freedom of the cities of London, Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, &c.; and six gold snuff-boxes from Russia, Holland, Denmark, Austria, London, and Baden. He is the author, among other works, of ‘Letters to Young Sea Officers,’ ‘Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord De Saumarez,’ and ‘A Treatise on Navigation by Steam.’ He married, first, in 1816, Christian, daughter of Thos. Adair, Esq., W.S., Edinburgh; and that lady dying in 1822, secondly, 21 Oct. 1834, Mary, only daughter of Retired Commander Thos. Jones, R.N. By his first marriage he has issue one son, a Magistrate at Cawnpore. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
ROSS. (Lieutenant, 1846.)
John Francis Ross served on shore, while Midshipman of the Benbow 72, Capt. Houston Stewart, in the attack upon Tortosa 2.5 Sept. 1840,[2] and assisted, as Mate of the same ship, at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre 3 Nov. following. He was subsequently, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 19 Feb. 1846, employed, on the Mediterranean and African stations, in the Devastation steamer, Capt. Hastings Reginald Henry, Penelope steam-frigate, Commodore Wm. Jones, Tortoise store-ship, Capt. Arthur Morrell, and Espoir 10, Capt. Geo. Sumner Hand. He was re-appointed to the Penelope, in the capacity of Additional-Lieutenant, 21 Feb. 1846; he became First, in the course of the same year, of the Rolla 10, Capts. John Simpson and Hugh Myddleton Ellicombe, also on the coast of Africa; and since 31 March, 1848, he has been serving, again as Additional, in the Hibernia 104, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker in the Mediterranean.
ROSS. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Melville George Hope Warrender Ross passed his examination 18 Dec. 1837; and on his return from the North America and West India station, where he had been serving as Mate in the Cleopatra 26, Capt. Christ. Wyvill, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 6 June, 1842. On the following day he was appointed to the Columbia steamer of 100-horse power, Lieut.-Commanders Alfred Kortright, John Harding, and Peter Fred. Shortland, under whom he continued employed on surveying service on the coast of North America until the early part of 1848. Since 2 March in that year he has been First of the Investigator discovery-ship, Capt. Edw. Joseph Bird. Agent – J. Hinxman.
ROSS. (Lieutenant, 1812.)
Richard Colmer Ross entered the Navy, about 1789, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Carnatic 74, Capt. Robt. Fanshawe, guard-ship at Plymouth. He served next in the Channel and West Indies in the Bombay Castle and Orion 74’s, both commanded by Capt. John Thos. Duckworth; and during the French revolutionary war he was employed on the Home and East India stations, chiefly in the capacity of Midshipman, in the Cambridge 74, Capt. Boger, Impérieuse 38, Capts. Lord Aug. FitzRoy and Josias Rowley, and Intrepid 64, Capt. Wm. Hargood. After cruizing in the Channel as Acting-Master in the Sea Flower cutter, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, and as Midshipman in the Téméraire 98, Capt. Elias Harvey, he was nominated, 21 March, 1805, Sub-Lieutenant of the Woodlark 10, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Innes, under whom, in the following Nov., he was wrecked and taken prisoner on the coast of France. Although promised further promotion, he did not in consequence attain his present rank until 20 Nov. 1812. His last appointment was, 3 Dec. 1828, to the Coast Blockade, in which service he continued for about two years as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
ROSS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 11; h-p., 33.)
Robert Ross (whose name had been borne on the books of the Cambridge 74, guard-ship at Plymouth) embarked, 16 July, 1803, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Sea Flower 14, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, attached to the fleet in the Channel; where, from Aug. 1804 (seven months after he had left that vessel) until Feb. 1808, he served, the greater part of the time with the rating of Midshipman, in the Prince George 98, Capts. Joseph Sydney Yorke and Geo. Losack, Barfleur 98, Capt. Sir J. S. Yorke, and Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Albemarle Bertie. After he had been further employed on the Lisbon and North Sea stations in the Minotaur 74, Capt. Norborne Thompson, and Christian VII. 80, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew, he joined, in Oct. 1810, the Galatea 42, Capt. Woodley Losack; under whom, while cruizing off Madagascar, in company with the Astraea and Phoebe, frigates about equal in force to the Galatea, and 18-gun brig Racehorse, we find him, 20 May, 1811, participating in a long and trying action with the French 40-gun frigates Rénommée, Clorinde, and Néréide, in which the Galatea, besides being much damaged in her hull, masts, and rigging, sustained a loss of 16 men killed and 46 wounded. Quitting her in Jan. 1813, Mr. Ross was next, until Sept. 1815, employed on the American and Home stations in the Saturn 56, Capts. Jas. Nash and Thos. Brown, Bittern sloop, Capt. Geo. Augustus Hire, and Superb 74, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Hotham. He then took up a commission bearing date 10 March, 1815; and has not been since afloat.
ROSS, Kt. (Commander, 1833.)
Sir Thomas Ross, born 5 May, 1797, is second son of Thos. Ross, Esq., of Rossford, co. Cork, by the third daughter of the late John Attridge, Esq. of Green Mount, co. Cork.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 July, 1812, as Fst.-cl, Vol., on board the Beaver 10, Capt. Edw.
