Francis Ross

  General Notes:

Walker Family Genealogy Forum

In Reply to: Sarah Ross married to James Walker, daughter Celia Walker & Matthew Cole by Nancy Lopez

Sara Ross was the daughter of Francis Ross, a farmer near Meadsville, PA, which is in Crawford Co, just north of Erie. He later moved to West Virginia, where he died.

This is per the Genealogical and Personal History of Western PA; Vol III, edited by John W. Jordan in 1915.

Another lead:
Posted by: Annette Lynch (ID *****5329)Date: June 17, 2007 at 14:14:56
In Reply to: Sarah Ross born around 1802 in Meadville, Father Francis Ross by Nancy López

It appears that Francis Ross was among the earliest of the settlers of Crawford Co. He purchased 50 acres of a tract named Rothwell, on 23 June 1797, and received a "bounty" of 100 additional acres for settling here. He is possibly the Francois Ross listed in Mead Twp. (just outside of the city of Meadville) in 1800, with a household of 2 males 16-25, one female under ten, and one female 16-25. By 1810, Francis Ross is living in the northern part of the county, in Cussewago Twp., and by now has a household of one male under ten, and one male 26-44, four females under ten, and one female 26-44. Certainly could be the father of your Sarah Ross.

  Information about this person:

• Information. ¹¹⁵⁰
Francis Ross and his wife Rachel were living in Meadsville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania in 1831. From the History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, p. 395:

"Finally, on Saturday, September 27, 1831, representatives of four churches -- Randolph, Carmel, Allegheny and Rockdate - met in the academy building and formed the Baptist Church of Meadville. The membership then embraced fourteen persons, viz: Francis Ross, Samuel Harroun, Justin Dewey, Stillman Dewey, John Goodwill, Thomas Sails, Samuel Kirkpatrick, Rachel Ross, Maria Harroun, Mary Dewey, Susan Dewey, Lucy Goodwill, Jan Van Horne and Julia Weller.

Description of Francis Ross from the History of Crawford County, p. 530:

"Francis Ross was an Irishman of peculiar manners. He was in his earlier life an inveterate swearer, and seemed unable to enunciate a sentence without appending to it several strong oaths. In due course of time he experienced religion and united with the Baptist Church. It was with extreme difficulty that he overcame his besetting sin. He was often seen and heard, when plowing, to utter the most shocking profanity, and the next moment fall upon his knees in the furrow and in fervent prayer implore forgiveness."

• Background Information. ^543a
James Walker married 1826, Sarah Ross, born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1803, died 30 Mar 1866, daughter of Francis Ross, a farmer near Meadville, later moved to West Virginia where he died. Children of James Walker and Sarah, Rachel, Francis R., Cecelia A., Joseph, Judson, Nancy M. Amos A, and Sarah.

~Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania, Vol. III, pg. 1493

• Background Information. ¹¹⁵⁶
The Ross family was originally from Scotland and came to Ireland at the time when emigration was being tempted by offers of land and other advantages.

Francis Ross, emigrant ancestor, was born near Londonderry, Ireland, in 1768, and died in America in 1859. He was the son of James Ross, a well-to-do farmer of Londonderry, whose entire life was passed in that section of Ireland. When Francis was a small boy, his older brother William left Ireland for the Americas. No trace of him was communicated to his friends in Ireland. He came to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and there settled and married. When Francis heard his father say of his younger brother James, that James it is and James it should be, he decided there was nothing left for him to do but emigrate, so he too stole his way for America.

Not having any fixed station of place in mind, Francis drifted from place to place, finally coming into Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Hearing of a blacksmith by the name of William Ross, he decided to go and see if it was his brother. He approached the big burly smith saying, "I reckon you do not know me;" he took a careful look at him and replied that he looked much like a little white-haired brother he had left in Ireland many years before.

Francis settled there and later married a sister of his brother's wife. Subsequently he removed to Crawford county, in the same state, where he remained until 1837. He then migrated to Monogalia County, West Virginia, where he purchased and cultivated a farm, exchanging it two years later for the one on which he passed the remainder of his days. This latter place was known as the Ross homestead, lay near Stewartston, West Virginia, and remained in the pos secession of the family until about 1902. Francis Ross was a tanner by trade, but he never followed his vocation in this country. In politics he gave his support to the Democratic party, and his religious affiliations were the Baptist church.

Francis Ross married Rachel Evans of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. They had eleven children, of whom ten attained maturity.

~Genealogical and Personal History of the Upper Monongahela Valley, West Virginia, pp. 1065-1066

• Web Reference: From Interment.net.
Forks of Cheat Cemetery, Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia
3001 Stewartstown Rd, Morgantown, WV 26508
Lat: 39° 42' 32"N, Lon: 79° 53' 01"W
Ross, Francis, d. Nov 28, 1857, age: 91y

• Grave Stone: Photo taken by William Grieb.

Francis married Rachel Evans.¹¹⁵⁶ (Rachel Evans was born in Jan 1787 in Fayette, Pennsylvania, died on 27 Jul 1867 in Monongalia, West Virginia and was buried in 1867 in Forks of Cheat Cemetery, Monongalia, Stewartstown, West Virgina.)