James P. Ross, II

James P. Ross Jr. was born in 1741 in Antrim, Northern Ireland. [???] He married Mary Mitchell in 1774 in Guilford, North Carolina. He died in October 1809 in Campbellsville, Tennessee, at the age of 68.

He served as a private and corporal in the American Revolutionary War, and was an original settler of Giles County, Tennessee.

Family

• Son of James P Ross, Sr. and Mary Woods
• Brother of Henry Ross; John Ross; Jane Ross; Samuel Ross; Mary Ross
• Half brother of Benjamin (again) Ross, Susannah (Ross) Winkler
• Married Mary Mitchell, daughter of Robert Mitchell and Margaret MacMachen. James Ross is named as "trusty friend" in Margaret Mitchell's will.

From http://www.oktagagent.com/snider/page602.html

1. JAMES ROSS was born about. 1741 in Ireland, and died 1809 in Giles, TN. He married MARY MITCHELL during 1774 in Guilford, North Carolina, daughter of ROBERT MITCHELL and MARGARET (Unknown surname). She died on March 29, 1788, in Davidson Co., TN or NC.

Children of JAMES ROSS and MARY MITCHELL are:

• 1. SAMUEL ROSS, b. About. 1776, Guilford, NC.
• 2. ROBERT ROSS, b. 1777, Guilford, NC; d. April 30, 1849, Pope, Ark.
• 3. MARGARET ROSS, b. About. 1778, Guilford, NC.
• 4. HENRY ROSS, b. 1779, Guilford, NC; d. November 11, 1845.
• 5. REBECCA ROSS, b. About. 1781, Guilford, NC; d. March 11, 1845.
• 6. JANEY PARKER ROSS, b. About. 1783, Davidson, TN
• 7. RACHEL ROSS, b. About. 1785, Davidson, TN
• 8. POLLY ROSS, b. About. 1787, Davidson, TN.
• 9. ADAM ROSS, b. April 13, 1787, Davidson, TN; d. October 31, 1853, Pope Co., Ark.

Speculatively, Abijah Ross (married Elizabeth Jackson) was born 1788 as their last child.

family notes

From http://https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.ross/9929/mb.ashx

Researcher Eunice Young said correctly that another son of Mary Woods, James Ross, Jr. married Mary Mitchell. Rev. Rankin made a mistake she said. But Rev. Rankin gives us a valuable insight by noticing the family relationship of these two Ross groups in Guilford. But it was more extended than he thought, rather as cousins. The Father of Mary Mitchell was Robert Mitchell, probably from Chester County, Pennsylvania. Robert Mitchell deeded land in 1773 to James Ross and also to Henry Ross, next to him in Guilford. Henry was Trustee of Guilford, while James Ross moved to Tennessee where he owned a munitions factory. Mary Mitchell passed away in Tennessee in 1788, according to her descendants.

Biography

James Ross came to America from Ireland about 1750. He lived in Horsepen Creek, Virginia in 1773 and went to Guilford Co. North Carolina about 1774. He moved to Giles Co. Tennessee about 1807 or 08. He was appointed by the Tennessee legislature as a commissioner to select a site for the Giles County seat. The site was selected in 1810 and names Pulaski. ~Janet Newton
Fought in Revolutionary War and was awarded a land grand in Davidson County, Tennessee and the family moved there in the 1780s. Later moved to Logan County, Kentucky. In the fall of 1808 moved to Maury County, Tennessee and then helped form Giles County, Tennessee in 1809.

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Tennessee pioneer

From County History - Giles

At the end of the War, North Carolina was bankrupt and decided to pay her soldiers in western lands. Land offices were set up in Hillsborough and Nashboro as men crossed the mountains to stake out their lands, much of which were purchased for six cents per acre. Although many Revolutionary Soldiers sold their grants, more than sixty settled and died in Giles County. ...
The first men came in 1783 to seek out and mark the 35 degrees North latitude, which was North Carolina's southern boundary. Among them were Absolum Tatum, Isaac Shelby, Anthony Bledsoe, William Bradshaw and James and Elijah Robertson. These men gave names to places and waterways. James Robertson named Richland Creek, Elijah Robertson named Robertson's Fort for himself and the group gave William Bradshaw's name to a creek into which he fell.
In 1783 the Cumberland settlements were organized into Davidson County, embracing in its territory all of Middle Tennessee north of the Duck River. As the population increased, new counties were cut off: Williamson, including all territory south to the 35 degrees North parallel in 1799, Maury from Williamson in 1807, and Giles from Maury in 1809.
Giles County was created in 1810 by an act of the General Assembly November 14, 1809. It was formed out of Maury County and is bounded on the north by the counties of Maury and Marshall, east by the counties of Marshall and Lincoln, south by the State of Alabama, and west by Lawrence County and has an area of 600 square miles. The new county, "Giles," was named for Governor William Branch Giles of Virginia, who, as a Congressman, had manipulated Tennessee's admission into the union in 1796.
Pioneers entered Giles County by two routes, by water coming down the Tennessee and up the Elk Rivers to Richland Creek, and by land through Cumberland Gap and Kentucky. Both Elkton and Prospect claim the distinction of being settled first. Lynn Creek, Campbellsville, Pulaski, Bodenham, Cross Water, Aspen Hill, and Blooming Grove were settled soon afterwards.
It is believed that Lewis Kirk, Alexander Black and his brother Robert Black were the first people to settle in Pulaski and they came early in the fall of 1807. Lewis Kirk was the first tavern keeper in 1810, Richard Scott, the first merchant, opening a small store near Kirk's house in 1809. He sold this store to John G. Talbott and William Ball opened a grocery store in the same vicinity. Records show these were the only houses in the town at that time. Lots were sold in 1811 and businesses moved into the Town Square. The city of Pulaski was named for Count Casimir Pulaski.

From Goodspeed's History of Giles County

James Ross, Hamilton Campbell, Joseph Bozler, James Ashmore and Daniel Allen settled in the Campbellsville neighborhood between 1808 and 1809; ...

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From McCallum's Early History of Giles County

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A COUNTY SOUTH OF MAURY COUNTY, AND NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE STATE

Section 2 provides that James Ross, Nathaniel Moody, Tyree Rhodes, Gabriel Bumpass and Thomas Whitson be appointed commissioners to select a place on Richland Creek, near the center of the county, for a county seat, at which site the commissioners shall procure at least 100 acres of land, upon which they shall cause a town to be laid off, with necessary streets at least eighty feet wide, reserving at least two acres for a public square, on which shall be erected a court house and stocks, also reserving a public lot sufficient to contain a jail, in a convenient part of town, which town shall be known by the name of Pulaski
The Commissioners were judiciously selected as to their location. ROSS lived at the Andrew YOKLEY place; MOODY near Lynnville Station; RODES where his son, Robert RODES lived afterwards; BUMPASS at Cross Water; and WHITSON on Elk River, about a mile above Prospect on what was then Indian territory.

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From CAMPBELLSVILLE, TN HISTORY 1876 from "A Brief Sketch of the Settlement and Early Historyof Giles County Tennessee" by James McCallum Published by The Pulaski Citizen, Pulaski, Tenn. 1928 SEC SIX - CAMPBELLSVILLE AND BIG CREEK

John Dickey, Esquire, father of James R. Dickey, Esquire, moved from Logan County, Kentucky, and first stopped in Maury and thence to this County in 1808 He cut the cane near the Big Spring at Campbellsville and sowed turnips that Fall, and made a crop of corn in 1809 James Ross, the grandfather of Jas R. Dickey, came the same Fall and settled the place old Andrew Yokley lived on until his death.
... James R. Dickey was about twelve years old when his father came to the County; says there were but few houses in Columbia when his father moved through there and but few on the road after he left Columbia Gideon Pillow lived on Little Bigby three miles South of Columbia It was several years after that before he settled the Pillow place in Giles at Wales Station He says the Bumpass trail came down the Eastern branch of Big Creek, by the old man Ross's and by Mack Alexander's or rather between the two thence South leaving Campbellsville about one mile to the right hand; it then left Big Creek and took the Dividing Ridge between that creek and Dry Creek, bearing towards Dry Creek and crossing it where Samuel Wilson now lives, and where old Colonel John Bodenheimer lived and died This trail went rather a zig-zag course to avoid the large cane. Cunnigham, who settled the place now owned by John English on the East branch of Big Creek; Jesse Foster, who settled on Dry Creek where Sam Wilson lived; and Kirkland who settled where Jno I. Morris lived were among the first settlers Isaac Morris, Sr., and his sons, Matthew Benthal, Peter Swanson, John Wright, Andrew Yokley, Walter Locke, the Gibsons, Reas, Caldwells, Englishes, Alexanders and McCutcheons, Hannahs, Brownlowes, Keltners, Wilcoxes, Shulers, Normans and others, were early settlers; all came before 1820, and some of them among the first; but the dates at which they have not been ascertained

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supporting data

James Ross in the North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890

• Name: James Ross
• State: NC
• County: Rowan County
• Township: Early Tax List
• Year: 1768
• Database: NC Early Census Index
• Source Information Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.

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Margaret McMachen died 1788 in Davidson County, Tennessee.She married Robert Mitchell. Children of Margaret McMachen and Robert Mitchell named in will were Adam Mitchell, Margaret Ross, and Mary Ross. Grandson Robert Mitchell.

Last Will & Testament, dated 1788 in Davidson County, NC, which later became Davidson County, TN.

In the Name of God Amen - I Margaret Mitchell of the County of Davidson and State of No. Carolina being very weak of body but of perfect soundness of mind here calling to mind the Mortality of my body do make & ordain this my Last Will and Testament.Vz. here

• first of all I recommend my soul to God who gave it knowing that I shall receive the same at the great day of judgment, and my body to its Earth to be buried with decent Christian burial at the discretion of my heirs & Executors. And am trusting my earthly estate wherewith God has blest me -
• Secondly I bequeath all that Mass_______of land with ye appurtances _______ profits left me by my husband's will in the County of Guilford, to my grandson, Robert Mitchell.
• Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my beloved son Adam Mitchell three shillings.
• Daughter Margret Ross my bed and furniture with my riding saddle and all my pewter except my largest basin.
• Fifthly I bequeath to my beloved daughter Mary Ross all my cattle and property together with my cloathing after my debts and funeral expenses have been paid.
• Sixthly I appoint my trusty friend James Ross to execute this my Last Will and Testament which I now charge with the payment of this my Legacy. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 29th of March 1788.

The execution of which will signed and sealed by the said Mitchell was proved by the oath of Patrick Lyons and John Gibson in joint hand for the County of Davidson July 8th 1788.F. A. Anderson Ewing -From Colonial Records of NC:Revolutionary War Records.

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* http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/o/s/Russell-Ross/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-04...

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 28 2017, 0:09:33 UTC
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 28 2017, 0:47:00 UTC
• page 41 of Spring House: Book 1 in the Westward Sagas By David Bowles

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James was a PVT and a Corporal in the Revolutionary War and an original settler of Giles County Tennessee.