C.S. 2ND ed.
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ROSS FAMILY RECORD
by
Henry Ross Wiggs
239 Kensington Avenue
Westmount, Quebec
1971
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PREFACE
In the month of June 1970 my wife and I went to Mount Hermon Cemetery at Sillery, a suburb of Quebec City, to visit the lots where members of her family and mine were buried to see if they were being properly maintained. In the Watson lot are the graves of her parents and her elder sister, while in the Wiggs lot are the graves of five generations of my family; those of my paternal great grandmother, my paternal grandparents, my father and mother, my youngest sister, two of my brothers and their wives, and a son of one of them - eleven in all.
Next to the Wiggs lot is that of the Moore family where my father's older sister, her husband and five of their children were buried; the children being my first cousins. Scattered throughout other parts of the cemetery are the graves of numerous members of my mother's side of the family - the Ross family - each branch of this very large group having its own family lot.
As my wife and I left the cemetery, I thought of the great many members of our families and relatives who were buried in that cemetery and in many other cemeteries in different parts of Canada and the United States, and I realized that there were at least five generations that had been laid to rest. It occurred to me that it would have been very interesting if someone in the past had kept a record or written a history of the lives of all those people so that we could have known more about them and their way of life.
The more I thought about it the more I realized that if I wanted such a record, it would be up to me, who had been around for over seventy-five years and who knew, or knew about, a great many of the people concerned, to undertake this task of gathering as much genealogical information as i could and putting it together in some sort of a written history that I could pass on to the younger generations coming after us.
To be a writer or an author of a book was never one of my ambitions. From the time i was a small boy in Quebec City, I had always had a great urge to draw and paint, as well as to create things. Encouraged by my father, it was my one ambition to be a successful architect, and I think that I can truthfully say that that ambition was achieved as I carried on an active architectural practice for over forty years, leaving behind a number of buildings of different types which, i hope, will be worthy memorials of my efforts. I retired from active practice in January 1966, and since then have been doing a lot of painting.
As a result of my visit to the cemetery, I decided to devote some of my time to working on the history of my family and I soon found myself writing to many relatives asking for any information that they could give me about their own families. The more I worked on it, the more enthusiastic I became, and it did not take long for me to become completely involved in such a fascinating subject.
The following pages and genealogical charts are the result of my efforts and I trust that those who read them will find something of interest and feel the same sense of pride that I have felt in compiling so much information about my forebears who, in seven generations, lived happily together without a single divorce suit or family scandal, and who contributed in no small way to the welfare of their country.
Next to the Wiggs lot is that of the Moore family where my father's older sister, her husband and five of their children were buried; the children being my first cousins. Scattered throughout other parts of the cemetery are the graves of numerous members of my mother's side of the family - the Ross family - each branch of this very large group having its own family lot.
As my wife and I left the cemetery, I thought of the great many members of our families and relatives who were buried in that cemetery and in many other cemeteries in different parts of Canada and the United States, and I realized that there were at least five generations that had been laid to rest. It occurred to me that it would have been very interesting if someone in the past had kept a record or written a history of the lives of all those people so that we could have known more about them and their way of life.
The more I thought about it the more I realized that if I wanted such a record, it would be up to me, who had been around for over seventy-five years and who knew, or knew about, a great many of the people concerned, to undertake this task of gathering as much genealogical information as i could and putting it together in some sort of a written history that I could pass on to the younger generations coming after us.
To be a writer or an author of a book was never one of my ambitions. From the time i was a small boy in Quebec City, I had always had a great urge to draw and paint, as well as to create things. Encouraged by my father, it was my one ambition to be a successful architect, and I think that I can truthfully say that that ambition was achieved as I carried on an active architectural practice for over forty years, leaving behind a number of buildings of different types which, i hope, will be worthy memorials of my efforts. I retired from active practice in January 1966, and since then have been doing a lot of painting.
As a result of my visit to the cemetery, I decided to devote some of my time to working on the history of my family and I soon found myself writing to many relatives asking for any information that they could give me about their own families. The more I worked on it, the more enthusiastic I became, and it did not take long for me to become completely involved in such a fascinating subject.
The following pages and genealogical charts are the result of my efforts and I trust that those who read them will find something of interest and feel the same sense of pride that I have felt in compiling so much information about my forebears who, in seven generations, lived happily together without a single divorce suit or family scandal, and who contributed in no small way to the welfare of their country.
March 28th, 1971 H. Ross Wiggs
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my cousins, Miss Helen Ross and Mrs. Maurice FitzGerald (Ida Ross) of Loretteville, Que., must go my first grateful thanks for their helpful co-operation and enthusiastic interest by giving me so much information from old family Bibles, newspaper clippings, photographs and other records of both the Ross and the Wiggs families, and for providing me with the names and addresses of relatives living in far away places.
To no one do I owe more than to my cousin, Mrs. Dorothy MacLeren of Vancouver, British Columbia, for not only giving me the information about her family, but for helping me with the preparation of her family biography, and for referring me to other members of the Ross family residing in British Columbia; also for drawing my attention to the marriage of her grandfather, Munro Ross Ross, to my grand aunt, Susan Ann Wiggs, uniting the two families for the first time.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to Mrs. J. D. Gemmill (Gertrude Poston) of Kelowna, B.C., who gave me very complete details about her parents and their large family which once resided at St. Vincent, Minnesota, and later moved to Spokane, Washington.
I would like to thank Mrs. C. F. Rorke (Gladys Ross) of Gibsons, B.C., for the information about her parents and family who resided in Winnipeg, Man., then moved to Vancouver, B.C.
I am grateful to my cousins, Ethel Ross of Quebec, Harriet Ross and Edith Ross of Toronto, Ont., all of whom went to a great deal of trouble to provide me with the names, dates, etc., of their respective families which form parts of the Edward Ernest Ross branch of the Ross family.
To my cousins, Arthur Sewell of St. Catharines, Ont., Harold and Maude Sewell of Quebec City, I am very grateful for the interesting details about their branch of the Sewell and Ross families.
I would like to thank my cousins, miss Leonore Teakle and Mrs. Alice (Teakle) Morrison of Quebec City for their keen interest and for their complete records of the Teakle family.
I would also like to thank my cousin, Margaret (FitzGerald) Sutcliffe of Kingston, Ont., for the information about her family which enabled me to include in the Record the, [details and names of possibly living persons omitted] being the latest members of the sixth generation to be mentioned in this Family record.
Finally, my sincere thanks go to my other cousins in the FitzGerald family - Edward, Molly, Louise, Joan, and Shelagh - for sending me the full names, dates and other information about their families.
To no one do I owe more than to my cousin, Mrs. Dorothy MacLeren of Vancouver, British Columbia, for not only giving me the information about her family, but for helping me with the preparation of her family biography, and for referring me to other members of the Ross family residing in British Columbia; also for drawing my attention to the marriage of her grandfather, Munro Ross Ross, to my grand aunt, Susan Ann Wiggs, uniting the two families for the first time.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to Mrs. J. D. Gemmill (Gertrude Poston) of Kelowna, B.C., who gave me very complete details about her parents and their large family which once resided at St. Vincent, Minnesota, and later moved to Spokane, Washington.
I would like to thank Mrs. C. F. Rorke (Gladys Ross) of Gibsons, B.C., for the information about her parents and family who resided in Winnipeg, Man., then moved to Vancouver, B.C.
I am grateful to my cousins, Ethel Ross of Quebec, Harriet Ross and Edith Ross of Toronto, Ont., all of whom went to a great deal of trouble to provide me with the names, dates, etc., of their respective families which form parts of the Edward Ernest Ross branch of the Ross family.
To my cousins, Arthur Sewell of St. Catharines, Ont., Harold and Maude Sewell of Quebec City, I am very grateful for the interesting details about their branch of the Sewell and Ross families.
I would like to thank my cousins, miss Leonore Teakle and Mrs. Alice (Teakle) Morrison of Quebec City for their keen interest and for their complete records of the Teakle family.
I would also like to thank my cousin, Margaret (FitzGerald) Sutcliffe of Kingston, Ont., for the information about her family which enabled me to include in the Record the, [details and names of possibly living persons omitted] being the latest members of the sixth generation to be mentioned in this Family record.
Finally, my sincere thanks go to my other cousins in the FitzGerald family - Edward, Molly, Louise, Joan, and Shelagh - for sending me the full names, dates and other information about their families.
Westmount, Que. H. Ross Wiggs
28 September, 1971
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The history of the Ross family which is included in the Family Record had its beginnings in the marriage of J. William Ross to Sarah Blow in 1794 at the City of Quebec in what was then known as the Province of Lower Canada. Of their six children, two sons married and had large families, particularly their son, Drummond Ross, who married Maria Jane Beamish and had ten children. It is the records of this family and its descendants that are dealt with in great detail.
As their children grew up and left home to be married, some of them went from Quebec to make their homes elsewhere, some in western Canada and others in the United States. I have endeavored to follow the expansion of these families and to record their history as they moved from place to place and their families thrived through six generations, with the seventh generation following in their footsteps.
The charts and other information that follow form a history of these seven generations, and include Family charts for forty-one different families in all. I have also included, along with the charts, copies of old newspaper clippings and other items that give interesting details about the various members of the family.
The Ross Family Tree at the end of the book † contains all the names that make up the seven generations, a total of 280 names altogether. As some of the families were much larger than others, it was impossible to place each generation in a single line, and because of this, i trust that anyone wishing to trace their own branch of such a large 'tree' will not find it too complicated.
It has taken well over a year to compile the genealogical history of such a large family that has spread far and wide. It has meant a great deal of research on my part, the writing of many letters to distant relatives and others, as well as visits to cemeteries and to the Civil Archives in Quebec City. Although it has taken so much time, it has been a pleasant undertaking, and i have thoroughly enjoyed writing to so many of my cousins, all of whom replied to my requests with enthusiastic interest, and they seemed to appreciate my attempt to preserve the names and records of such a prolific family for those who will come after us. I am sure that they will appreciate it.
As their children grew up and left home to be married, some of them went from Quebec to make their homes elsewhere, some in western Canada and others in the United States. I have endeavored to follow the expansion of these families and to record their history as they moved from place to place and their families thrived through six generations, with the seventh generation following in their footsteps.
The charts and other information that follow form a history of these seven generations, and include Family charts for forty-one different families in all. I have also included, along with the charts, copies of old newspaper clippings and other items that give interesting details about the various members of the family.
The Ross Family Tree at the end of the book † contains all the names that make up the seven generations, a total of 280 names altogether. As some of the families were much larger than others, it was impossible to place each generation in a single line, and because of this, i trust that anyone wishing to trace their own branch of such a large 'tree' will not find it too complicated.
It has taken well over a year to compile the genealogical history of such a large family that has spread far and wide. It has meant a great deal of research on my part, the writing of many letters to distant relatives and others, as well as visits to cemeteries and to the Civil Archives in Quebec City. Although it has taken so much time, it has been a pleasant undertaking, and i have thoroughly enjoyed writing to so many of my cousins, all of whom replied to my requests with enthusiastic interest, and they seemed to appreciate my attempt to preserve the names and records of such a prolific family for those who will come after us. I am sure that they will appreciate it.
September 1971 Henry Ross Wiggs
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COUSIN SAM 2ND EDITION
Since I first posted a transcript of the Ross Family Record in February and March of 2011, I have gained access to substantially improved software (at least two generations newer), as well as much information about the family which I did not have at that time. For these reasons, as time permits I shall be returning to these earlier posts to re-edit them and produce this 2nd edition, which will be easily identifiable by “C.S. 2ND ed.” located in the top left corner of each completed post, immediately below the post title.
Even though there are a number of errors and omissions in Mr. Wiggs’ work from 1971 which I have endeavored to correct, it is with much gratitude for the many hours he spent constructing his record, for without his foundation, this blog edition would not have been possible, and I might never have begun the work that I have since entered into, exploring the inseparable history of a family and two of the greatest nations that have ever existed. I have not included the family tree mentioned by Mr. Wiggs in part because it does not fit well into this format; but also because all of the information contained in it, and much, much more, can be found on line at Ancestry.com, where several members of the family have trees.
The index has been consolidated into a single post.
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