A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ross, Thomas
ROSS, Kt. (Commander, 1833.)
Sir Thomas Ross, born 5 May, 1797, is second son of Thos. Ross, Esq., of Rossford, co. Cork, by the third daughter of the late John Attridge, Esq. of Green Mount, co. Cork.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 July, 1812, as Fst.-cl, Vol., on board the Beaver 10, Capt. Edw. O’Brien Drury; and during the remainder of the war was employed, principally in the capacity of Midshipman, in escorting convoys from the Humber to Wingo Sound and in cruizing on the coast of Norway and Denmark. In Feb. 1815 he removed to the Cadmus 10, Capt. John Gedge, stationed, for the suppression of smuggling, in the North Sea and Channel; from the following Sept. until Nov. 1818 he served at Sheerness and at Cork in the Albion and Bulwark 74’s, Capts. Jas. Walker and Geo. M‘Kinley, and Tonnant 80, flag-ship of Sir Benj. Hallowell; and at the close of 1821, after he had been for nearly three years attached to the Coast Blockade as Admiralty-Midshipman of the Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, he sailed in the Iphigenia 42, Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, for the coast of Africa, where, for his services, he was promoted, 20 March, 1822, to the rank of Lieutenant, and nominated First of the Morgiana 18, Capt. Christ. Knight. He served in that vessel on the Brazilian and West India stations until the ensuing Dec.; and was subsequently appointed – 1 May, 1823, to the Gannet 18, Capt. Wm. Simpson, on the coast of Ireland – 9 Oct. 1824, for 10 months, to the Egeria 24, Capt. Sam. Roberts, whom he accompanied to the West Indies – next, to the Coast Guard in Ireland – again, about Oct. 1829, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Talavera 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot – 31 March, 1831, a second time to the Coast Guard in co. Kent – and, 27 June, 1832, to the command of the Lapwing Revenue-cruizer. As a reward for his distinguished services against the smugglers, particularly in affairs with them off Hythe and Dover, he was advanced to his present rank 18 April, 1833. He afterwards, from 30 June, 1834, until 1837, and again, from 13 July, 1838, until 1843, performed the duties of an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. He received the honour of Knighthood from the Marquess of Normanby, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, for his heroic conduct in going off to a wreck at Malahide, in a gale of wind, 27 Nov. 1838.
Sir Thos. Ross married, 29 April, 1835, Anna Maria, daughter of Geo. French, Esq., Q.C., of Mountjoy Square, Dublin, niece of the second Lord Castlemaine, and first-cousin of the present Lord De Freyne, by whom he has issue five children.