Hercules Ross of Rossie

Owner of an estate called Bushy Park in St Andrew (yet to be traced in the compensation records) and builder of Rossie Castle in Angus.

1. 'Born in 1745, one of thirteen children of an impoverished Johnshaven Excise officer.' Left at 15 to Kingston as a clerk in the Naval Office, coming to own a general merchant store and two trading sloops, 'while dealing in slaves and acting as the Prize agent for the island in the American War of Independence. Acquired the 200 acres Bushy Park estate in St Andrew's, where he installed his 'quadroon' mistress Elizabeth Foord and their seven children. Left Jamaica at the age of 38 [i.e. 1782], and two years later bought the Rossie estate in Angus for £33,250, demolishing the old mansion and commissioning Richard Crichton to build a new country house, Rossie Castle, completed in 1805. Died 1816, having disposed of most of his Jamaican assets.

2. Hercules Ross's son Horatio (1801-1886) was godson of Nelson, and became MP for Aberdeen Burghs 1831-1832 and Montrose Burghs 1832-1834.

3. Hercules Ross contributed £10 to the University of Pennsylvania following Dr John Morgan's fundraising tour of the West Indies in 1772-1773.

4. Hercules Ross gave evidence in favour of the abolition of the slave-trade in 1790. He is named at the end of Thomas Clarkson's History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the Slave-Trade by the British Parliament: 'Having now mentioned the principal facts contained in the evidence offered to Parliament by the petitioners of Great Britain, in behalf of the abolition of the slave trade, we cannot close this compilation better than in the words of Mr Hercules Ross: he says, “finally, as the result of his observations and most serious reflection, he hesitates not to say, that the trade for slaves ought to be abolished, not only as contrary to sound policy, but to the laws of God and nature; and were it possible, by the present inquiry, to convey a just knowledge of the extensive misery it occasions, every Kingdom of Europe must unite in calling on their legislatures to abolish the human traffic…”'

5. Jane, the daughter of Elizabeth Foord "a free quadroon woman" by Hercules Ross Esquire, born [blank] and baptised in Kingston 23/11/1778. Margaret, same parents, born [blank] and baptised in Kingston 23/11/1778. Hercules, same parents, born 13/09/1779 and baptised in Kingston 07/01/1781. Daniel, same parents, born 11/11/1780 and baptised in Kingston 07/01/1781. David, same parents, born 19/12/1781 and baptised in Kingston 12/10/1782.

1. Eric J. Graham, 'Hercules Ross of Rossie and Jamaica', Scottish Local History Issue 94 Spring-Summer 2016 p. 61

2. William Smith, Joseph Hopkinson, and Plunket Fleeson Glentworth, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Minute Books, Volume 2, 1768-1779 p. 74, entry for 13/12/1773. Note amounts are in Jamaican currency.

3. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/ross-horatio-1801-1886 [accessed 09/04/2016].

4. Thomas Clarkson's History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the Slave-Trade by the British Parliament (1808) Vol. II.

5. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].