John Ross, U.S. Congress

HON. JOHN ROSS, son of Thomas and Jane (Chapman) Ross, was born on the Solebury homestead, February 24, 1770. He received a liberal education, but it appears that his family were averse to his following a professional career. From a number of letters written by him in 1790 to his benefactor, Richard Backhouse, it would seem that by reason of the difference with his parents as to his future career he was cast upon his own resources. These letters are now in the possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. He commenced life as a school teacher at Durham, where he attracted the attention of Richard Backhouse , then proprietor of the furnace. To Mr. Backhouse the youth confided his intention of going South to seek his fortune. Mr. Backhouse urged him to take up the study of law, and generously offered to give him sufficient financial aid to complete his studies and start him in the practice of law. Taking up with this generous offer, the embryo judge began the study of law with his cousin, Thomas Ross, of West Chester, then in the same judicial district as Bucks county, and he was admitted to the bar of the district in 1792. He settled at Easton, Northampton county and began the practice of law, and at once sprang into prominence. Hon Henry P. Ross, his grandson, once said: “No member of the family approached him in ability,” and his brilliant professional career warrants the assertion, superlative though it be. A born politician, he early launched into the arena of politics. He was elected to the state legislature in 1800. In 1804 he was a candidate for congress, but the jealousies aroused by the rival claims of the three counties of Northampton, Bucks and Montgomery, then composing the district, caused his defeat. He renewed the fight in 1808 and was then elected. At the expiration of his term he was appointed prothonotary of Northampton county. Was elected to congress again in 1814 and re-elected in 1816 and resigned to accept the appointment of judge of the seventh judicial district, comprising the counties of Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware, January 25, 1818. He had married November 19, 1795, Mary Jenkins, whose family resided at Jenkintown, and on taking up the duties of his office he located there. The act of March, 1821, placed Montgomery and Bucks in one judicial district and Judge Ross removed to Doylestown, then the county seat of Bucks. He purchased the old tavern stand where the National Bank now stands, and converted it into a residence, and it remained the home of his descendants until 1896. Judge Ross was appointed justice of the supreme court April 16, 1830, after which much of his time was spent in Jenkintown. He died of apoplexy in Philadelphia January 31, 1834, in his sixty-fourth year. While in Northampton county he had purchased a tract of 348 acres near the Wind Gap in what is now Monroe county, and named it Ross Common. He set apart upon this tract a family burying ground. Here his favorite brother Thomas was buried, and here the famous jurist and statesman himself lies buried.

The children of Judge John Ross were: George, a graduate of Princeton, who studied law with his father and was admitted to the bar in 1818; (he became involved in a quarrel which resulted in a duel on the Delaware river, and he was never afterwards heard from) Charles J.; Lord; Camilla, who married General Peter Ihrie, of Easton; Serena; John, an invalid, though he lived until 1886; Thomas; Jesse Jenkins, who was at one time consul to Sicily; Adelaide, who married Dr. Samuel R. Dubbs, and Mary. Of these, George, Thomas, William and Jenkins all were college graduates and all lawyers, though Thomas was the only one who continued to practice. William became a teacher. Mary Jenkins Ross died in December, 1845.

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Feb 19, 1834 West Chester, Pennsylvania Chester VILLAGE RECORD Death Notice Judge ROSS, whose death was recently noticed, was considered a sound Lawyer – and in his early life, he was a zealous advocate – we often witnessed his zeal and heard the thunder of his voice before their 'Honors, and Gentlemen of the Jury: ' But the Judge had some peculiarities of character, (as who has not?) - He owned a favorite Tavern Stand and Farm, just north of the Wind Gap in Northampton county, called ROSS-COMMON, now occupied by Mr. James Ely, a friend of ours who began the business of life with a pretty good resolution – which still continues – and whose Venison, Trout, and Buckwheat cakes, have a peculiar zest when the weary traveller seats himself at his well spread table. On his farm the Judge directed his earthly tabernacle to be deposited – and his body was placed in a leaden coffin – carried thither, and entombed. We imagine he has directed a plain monument to be erected, to tell the enquiring traveller where rests the 'MAN OF ROSS.'

Feb 12, 1834 West Chester, Pa., Chester VILLAGE RECORD newspaper Death Notice In Philadelphia on Friday, the 31st ult. Of Apoplexy, Hon. JOHN ROSS, aged about 64 years, one of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Court, and formerly President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in this district – Judge Ross was several years a member of Congress and at different periods of his life had been selected by the executive of the State, to fill important and responsible offices.

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Ancestry.com U.S., Citizenship Affidavits of US-born Seamen at Select Ports, 1792-1869 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Proofs of Citizenship Used to Apply for Seamen's Certificates for the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1792-1890

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Ancestry.com Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry Family Trees Name: Name: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;;; @R1@

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Record for John Ross

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Ancestry Family Trees Name: Name: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;;; @R1@

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Record for John Ross

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=6594356317&ind...

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Ancestry.com Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry.com Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry Family Trees Name: Name: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;;; @R1@

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Record for John Ross

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=6594356317&ind...

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Ancestry.com Pennsylvania, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1772-1890 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry.com U.S., Citizenship Affidavits of US-born Seamen at Select Ports, 1792-1869 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Proofs of Citizenship Used to Apply for Seamen's Certificates for the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1792-1890

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Ancestry.com Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry.com 1810 United States Federal Census Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Year: 1810; Census Place: Mount Pleasant, Washington, Pennsylvania; Roll: 57; Page: 37; Image: 00043; Family History Library Film: 0193683

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Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Name: Name: Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;;;; @R1@

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Ancestry Family Trees Name: Name: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;;; @R1@

GEDCOM Source

Record for John Ross

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=6594356317&ind...