George Ross, Derbyshire, and Bloxwich

[grannytimes3]

George Ross is my 4 times great grandfather, He was born about 1798 in Chesterfield, and lived in Bloxwich, Staffordshire, and died there in 1884. He married Sarah Bickley in 1818 in Wolverhampton and had 12 children with her, Mary Ross b 1818, Joseph Ross b 1820, Thomas Ross b 1822, Lucy Ross b 1825, Enoch Ross b 1827, Cecily Ross b 1828 , Helen Ross b 1830, George Ross, b 1836, Ellen Ross b 1838, Sarah Ross b 1841, Adam Ross b 1843, and Selina Ross b 1847.
I have been trying very unsucessfully to find his parents, the marriage record doesn't have his parents names I have found various christening records, for George Ross in the right time frame but can't find any way to connect any of the people to this George Ross, I don't know what to try next.
I have lots of information about most of the descendants, but have truly hit the wall trying to go any further backward. Any suggestions or information would be great. I am in Canada so do not have access to any local parish records. I do have Family Search and Ancestry memberships but have not found anything relating to George's parents.
Help! and Thanks

[Neil Wilson]

Do you have the area where George was born and which church was the christening records from?

You could send an email to Chesterfield & District FHS cadfhs.org.uk the society could offer local knowledge with this, except the web master as I stumped. I been through the electronic records and he isn't in those, but don't tell them

[grannytimes3]

His birthplace and date are listed on several censuses as Chesterfield, and 1798-99, the christening records I have found for the correct name and time frame are not in Chesterfield or Derbyshire but mostly in Yorkshire, the only 1798 one is a George Ross child of Jacob Ross and Mary. The family is Catholic is that helpful?
"except the web master as I stumped" what did you mean?
Will the Chesterfield & District FHS have access to other records/
Thanks

[Neil Wilson]

The family is Catholic is that helpful?
"except the web master as I stumped" what did you mean?
Will the Chesterfield & District FHS have access to other records/
Thanks

I'm Chesterfield & District FHS web master, so I have their electronic records and there isn't any reference to a Ross in those.
Now you say Catholic, I don't seem to remember seeing any for a catholic church, although there may be some. Maybe dropping a line through the CADFHS site will get you somewhere, the emails come to me and get forward on.

[grannytimes3]

The wedding was at St Peter's Wolverhampton. Today I found a website for Wolverhampton archives and found a record of the wedding the witnesses were her father William Bickley and a Samuel Hancher, he is listed as witness on several marriages, so I wonder if he was someone from the church, like a 'sexton'? or such person.

[grannytimes3]

I'm Chesterfield & District FHS web master, so I have their electronic records and there isn't any reference to a Ross in those.
Now you say Catholic, I don't seem to remember seeing any for a catholic church, although there may be some. Maybe dropping a line through the CADFHS site will get you somewhere, the emails come to me and get forward on.

I had decided that George Ross was either an alien, or that he was adopted or any number of other options. But as so often happens you find a clue while looking for something else entirely. Part of my mother's family was from Derbyshire, while researching them, I found this link https://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~spire
and a reference to a Ross family in Derbyshire.
I followed the link, and found one line about a removal order for a Ross family in June of 1799, they were being sent from Brampton, Derbyshire to Blocksedge (Bloxwich?), Staffs, in 1799, the family is listed as Mary Ross, widow, Mary, Thomas, George and Frances. Brampton or more accurately old Brampton just outside Chesterfield.
I then contacted the Derbyshire Record Office and got the original document.
Matthew Ross the father died, he was buried May 3 1799 at Chesterfield.
After that the family had no income and was issued a removal order and sent back to Bloxwich.
I have also found the marriage record for Matthew Ross and his wife Mary Davis. They were Catholic and were married at Aston, St Peter and St Paul, Warwickshire, England.
I also have the birth and death records for another child Anne Ross born 1795 baptised
22 Mar 1795 • Saint Peter-RC, Birmingham,Warwick,England, she died 19 Aug 1796 • Old Brampton, Derbyshire, England and The Burial record states" Anne daughter of Matthew Ross is interred between 3 and 4 yards due north from Alice Bowers headstone"
I have RC baptism records for the two older children Mary and Thomas. It does seem that George and Frances must have been born in Brampton, so far I have not found baptismal records anywhere in the Midlands.
I eventually found the RC baptism records for Matthew Ross 1794 and his sister Ann 1762 born to another Matthew and Mary. They are private baptismal records are from a Reverend Pierce at Old Oscott, the book they are from says that the reverend seemed to have some type of dispensation to perform what would have been illegal RC baptisms. They say of Ye Spout-the parish of Walsall, spout lane still exists. Old Oscott is about 6 miles from Spout lane-not too far to go to get your child baptised as a Catholic.
There are records for the remarriage of George's mother in Bloxwich, her death in 1808 and the death of Frances Ross in 1801 she was only days old when her father died
I'm satisfied with the documents and information I found and think this is the end of this particular story

[christanel]

What an interesting family story and thank you so much for coming back and letting us know of your success. Who knows who will find all your information in the future and save themselves a lot of frustration.
Christina

[grannytimes3]

One mistake 'RC baptism records for Matthew Ross 1794' should say 1764.
Thanks Christina
There are a significant number of families descended from the 12 children of George Ross, only 2 of whom died young, quite surprising given the time when they were born.
I know I almost gave up looking for George's family, hopefully this will help some of his other descendants

[Neil Wilson]

Many thanks for the update.
I've moved on from the web master of Chesterfield and District FHS to now being the chair. If you do need anything from our records please let me know.
With some Catholic records not being recorded in the church registers that I've seen, it can be very frustrating research