Hugh Rose of Glastullich, later Hugh Rose Ross

Slave-owner in Berbice, and then landowner in Scotland.

1. Son of Rev. Hugh Rose (1730-1744), minister of Tain in Rossshire, and his wife Mary, daughter of David McCulloch of Glastullich. Hugh was their fifth son, who "made a fortune in the West Indies, purchased the estates of Calrossie, Glastullich, Arabella, Tarlogie, Morangie, and others in Easter Ross, succeeded to the Cromarty estates on his marriage with Miss Munro of Culcairn, and was represented by Brig. General Sir Walter Charteris Ross of Cromarty... born 31st Oct. 1767..."

2. The Petition to HM King George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy in 1807 lists Hugh Rose of Glastullich as being a subscriber of £50 and upwards towards "defraying the expense of erecting building and endowing an Academy". A portrait of Rose Ross is held at Tain Royal Academy.

3. Rose Ross named a village in Ross-shire after his first wife Arabella nee Phipps. Local legend has it that she was murdered by her husband's mistress, a woman he had brought back to Scotland to live with from the West Indies.

4. Living at Calrossie House, Logie Easter, in the census of 1841, age 73, of independent means, with his wife Catherine age 70, children Catherine age 20, Arabella age 15 and George age 15 and also Jane Munro and Rebecca Rose, both age 30 of independent means, John Wallace age 20, a student in divinity, Duncan Grant age 20, "Army", 5 female servants and 2 male servants.

5. Memorial inscription at Tain St Duthus Old Church: To the memory/of/HUGH ROSE ROSS Esq./of Glastulich and Cromarty/who departed this life/at Inverness/on the 20th September 1846/in the 79th year of his age. This tablet is placed here by his/afflicted widow. He died deeply lamented by his own family/and universally regretted, having devoted/his long and useful life to the improvement of/his County and benefit of all around him. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy/the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.

David Alston, 'Roderick, Hugh and William Baillie Rose', Slaves and Highlanders, http://www.spanglefish.com/slavesandhighlanders/index.asp?pageid=226578 [accessed 25/06/2018].

1. Hew Scott, Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation... (1928) vol. 7 pp. 72, 82.

2. Petition to George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy in 1807, facsimile of the Petition in the possession of Councillor Derek Louden.

3. http://womenofscotland.org.uk/women/arabella-phipps [accessed 17/06/2020].

4. 1841 census online.

5. Photograph of tablet: http://gravestones.rosscromartyroots.co.uk/picture/number16437.asp [accessed 17/06/2020].

We are grateful to Derek Louden for his assistance with compiling this entry.