John Ros of Halkhead, Constable of Renfrew Castle

Sir John Ross of Halkhead

• Gender: Male
• Birth: about 1391 Halkhead, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Death: August 06, 1447 (55-56) Halkhead, Renfrewshire, Scotland:
• Son of Sir John Ross of Halkhead, Kt.
• wife unknown
• his son was Sir John Ross, 1st Lord Ross of Halkhead, Sheriff of Linlithgow, b. Abt 1426, Halkhead, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

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• Seen as child of Donald MacDonald, of Harlaw, 8th Lord of the Isles without supporting evidence
• Family Note: The Ross of Halkhead were a Lowland Scottish family, likely originating from Yorkshire, and not related to the Highland Ross family of either the Earls of Ross or of Ross of Balnagown.

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Pedigree

From https://digital.nls.uk/histories-of-scottish-families/archive/95255...

John de Ross, of Halkhead, presumed to be the son of G idfrey, had, under the designation of Johannes do Ros, a safe-conduct to come iuto England, cum duobus equitibus, 25 Oct. 1357. Johannes Ros had a safe conduct iuto England, 20 March, 1359 ; again, 26 Oct. 1362, to pay his devotions at the shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury; also, for the same purpose, on 26 April, 1363.

His son, Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who, uuder the designation of Dominus Johannes de Ross, miles, Dominus de Halk- head, witnessed donatious to the Monastery of Paisley in 1392 and 1397. He m. Agues, dau. aud heiress of Sir John Melville, of Melville, with whom he got that fair barony on the bauks of the North Esk, iu the co. of Edinburgh. By her he had a son,

[NOTE: did not marry Agnes Melville, that was his descendant]

Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who had a charter of the barouy of Melville, as heir of his mother, iu 1401, and quar- tered the arms of Melville with his own. He was appointed heritable constable of the Castle of Renfrew, with a grant of the customs at the principal fairs of that borough. His son,

Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, was, along with James Dou- glas, brother of the Earl of Douglas, and Junes Douglas, brother of Lochleven, the combat ints against three Burgun- dian knights, 1449, in presence of James II. and his court. He had a charter, Johauni le Ross, de Hawkhede, militi, of the lauds of Tarbart, iu Ayrshire, and Aucheubok, in Ren- frewshire, on the resignation of Robert Ross, of Tarbart, 17 Jan. 1450-1. He had a writ of safe convoy, under the designation of "John Ross, Knight," to pass through Eng- land aloug with William, Earl of Douglas, dated 12 May, 1451; another, as " John de Ross, Dominus de Halkhead," dated 27 May, 1459 ; also charters of Lochtilluw, in the barony of Bathgate, Starlaw, and Denys, dated 16 July, 1468 ; aud a commission, under the great seal, of the office of sheriff of Linlithgow, for life, dated 9 March, 1472-3. Sir John Ross de Halkheid, miles, was one of the ambassadors to Eugland, to whom a writ of Bafe convoy was granted, 24 Aug. 1473, and dying soon afterwards, was s. by his son, Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who eventually became John, 1st Lord Ross, aud one of the conservators of a treaty with the English, 20 Sept. 1484, uuder the designation of "John Rosse de Halkhede, miles."

Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Ross Lord Ross, p 581, VIII, Sir John. link

VIII. Sir JOHN, who, in a donation of A∣dam Fullerton of Crosby to the monastery of Paisley,* is designed Johannes Ross, dominus de Halkhead, anno 1392. In a donation of sir John Blair of Adam∣ston to the same monastery,*dominus Johannes de Ross, miles, dominus de Halkhead, is a wit∣ness, anno 1397. He married Agnes, daughter and sole heir∣ess of sir John Melvile of that ilk,* by whom he got a great accession to his estate, particu∣larly the lands, barony, and castle of Melvile, in Mid Lothian, &c. By her he had a son,

IX. Sir JOHN Ross of Halkhead, who succeeded him, and was appointed heretable constable of the castle of Renfrew,* with pow∣er to uplift the customs at the principal fairs of the burgh; which office continued long in the family. He got a charter under the great seal,* of the lands and barony of Melvile, as heir to his mother, anno 1401; and the family, in consequence of this marriage, have continued to quarter the arms of Melvile with those of Ross ever since.

He died in the beginning of the reign of king James II. and was succeeded by his son,

X. Sir JOHN ROSS of Halkhead,* who hav∣ing acquired the lands of Tarbat and Auchen∣bath from Robert Ross of Tarbat, upon his resignation, he got a charter of confirmation, under the great seal,* of these lands, anno 1450.

References

• Balfour Paul, Sir James. The Scots Peerage (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904-1914); in 9 Volumes; Volume 7 for Ross of Halkhead, page 248. Archive.Org
• Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Ross Lord Ross, p 581, VIII, Sir John. link
• https://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getpe... cites
• Stirnet Genealogy, Peter Barns-Graham, Ross01
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p17248.htm#i172479
• “ Halkhead Castle“ By Simon Forder, Historical Consultant and Author. “The lands of Halkhead were held by the Stewart family until 1367, when Sir John Ross acquired them from the future Robert II in return for a nominal payment of either a pair of gloves or two silver pennies payable to the king. Sir John was the first in a long line of Rosses to hold Halkhead lasting some 400 years. The first few of these were all called John, and remained of fairly local importance. By the late 15th century, however, the then John Ross had increased his holdings and influence to draw the attention of King James IV, and in about 1492 he was elevated to the peerage, becoming the first Lord Ross of Halkhead. ...”
• The Melvilles, Earls of Melville, and the Leslies, Earls of Leven. Memoirs. (Correspondence. - Charters.) [With plates, including portraits and facsimiles, and genealogical tables.] by Fraser, William, Sir, 1816-1898. Page 22. Archive.Org “Some peerage-writers state that the heiress of Melville married Sir John Ross of Halkhead, knight, who lived in the years 1392 and 1397, and also that their son, Sir John Ross, received a charter of the barony of Melville as early as the year 1401. Both these statements are entirely erroneous. ...”