Hercules Ross
Encyclopedia
Hercules Ross was a Scottish merchant, who made a fortune in Jamaica
, became an intimate friend of Horatio Nelson and figured prominently, if briefly, in the campaign for the abolition of the slave trade.
of narrow means and a probable descendant (via the Rosses of Kirkland and Tartraven) from Ninian Ross, 3rd Lord Ross
.
slave whom he later freed and by whom he had several children. One of their sons, Daniel Ross (1780-1849), later became a leading marine surveyor with the Indian navy
and President of the Bombay Geographical Society.
, where he was elected an Honorary Burgess of Glasgow
and purchased an estate at Rossie, near Montrose, on which he later built a large house, Rossie Castle. In 1785, he married Henrietta Parish, the daughter of John Parish, a banker with extensive interests in Hamburg.
, which led to his giving evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons
in support of the abolition of the slave trade. Thomas Clarkson
ended his History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade by the British Parliament in this manner:
"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…”
The evidence of Ross, as a former member of the planter society whose basis he now condemned, was considered of particular benefit and he was in consequence made an honorary and corresponding member of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
. Horatio (1801-1886) subsequently became a celebrated sportsman, being the best rifle shot of his day, and a pioneer photographer.
Hercules Ross died on 25 December 1816, his wife having predeceased him by five years.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, became an intimate friend of Horatio Nelson and figured prominently, if briefly, in the campaign for the abolition of the slave trade.
Origins
He was the ninth son of John Ross (fifth son to a second wife, Elizabeth Fullarton), an excise officer in Port GlasgowPort Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
of narrow means and a probable descendant (via the Rosses of Kirkland and Tartraven) from Ninian Ross, 3rd Lord Ross
Ninian Ross, 3rd Lord Ross
-Origins:Ross was the son and heir of John Ross, 2nd Lord Ross and Christian, the daughter of Sir Archibald Edmonstone. 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...
.
Career in the West Indies
In 1761 he travelled to Jamaica, where he established himself successfully as a trader, naval prize agent and privateer shipowner and made the acquaintance of Nelson. He acquired a Jamaican mistress, Elizabeth Foord, a quadroonQuadroon
Quadroon, and the associated words octoroon and quintroon are terms that, historically, were applied to define the ancestry of people of mixed-race, generally of African and Caucasian ancestry, but also, within Australia, to those of Aboriginal and Caucasian ancestry...
slave whom he later freed and by whom he had several children. One of their sons, Daniel Ross (1780-1849), later became a leading marine surveyor with the Indian navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
and President of the Bombay Geographical Society.
Return to Scotland
In 1782, with his fortune made, Ross returned to ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where he was elected an Honorary Burgess of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and purchased an estate at Rossie, near Montrose, on which he later built a large house, Rossie Castle. In 1785, he married Henrietta Parish, the daughter of John Parish, a banker with extensive interests in Hamburg.
Evidence against the slave trade
In 1790, Ross embarked on a correspondence with William WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
, which led to his giving evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in support of the abolition of the slave trade. Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves...
ended his History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade by the British Parliament in this manner:
"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…”
The evidence of Ross, as a former member of the planter society whose basis he now condemned, was considered of particular benefit and he was in consequence made an honorary and corresponding member of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
Personal and family life
Ross unsurprisingly found that he was no longer persona grata with a number of acquaintances from his former Kingston days, but he no doubt drew consolation from his continuing friendship with Lord Nelson, who stood godfather to his son HoratioHoratio Ross
Horatio Ross was a celebrated sportsman and a pioneer amateur photographer.-Background and early life:Ross was born at Rossie Castle, near Montrose, Angus on 5 September 1801, the son of Hercules Ross, a rich landowner who had acquired a substantial fortune in Jamaica...
. Horatio (1801-1886) subsequently became a celebrated sportsman, being the best rifle shot of his day, and a pioneer photographer.
Hercules Ross died on 25 December 1816, his wife having predeceased him by five years.
Sources
- Hercules Ross of Kingston, Jamaica and Rossie, Forfar (1745-1816) with a sketch of the career of Captain Daniel Ross F.R.S., Bombay Marine, later Indian Navy (1780-1849) - Unpublished thesis [1982] by Agnes Butterfield, M.A. Oxford and Manchester. 128 pages; copy available in Montrose Public Library.
- Thomas Clarkson's History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade by the British Parliament (1808)
- See also Dictionary of National Biography entry on Horatio Ross.