James Paterson's "History of Ayr" says that one Godfrey de Ross had the castle on Boarland, of Dunlop Hill; he was sheriff of Ayre with jurisdiction over the districts of Carrich, Cuminghame and Kyle....The Rosses seem to to have taken the part of Baliol in the struggle for the Scottish crown, and their possessions of course became forfeited.....In the subsequent reign of David II (1331 - 1371), the Rosses were still further reduced by forfeitures...

David II: Grant to Godfrey Ross of Cunynghamheid of the miln of Craigie in County Perth. (See County Perth for an account of the Ross's of Craigie.)

The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland says the lands and barony of Hanyng Ross in 1665 were in the parish of Ricardtown, bailiary of Kylstuart, and sheriffdom of Air.

1475: John Ross has sasine of Hanyng (SEE "The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland", Volume IX, page 677.)

1484: George Ross; his daughter Elizabeth married Charles Fullerton of Dreghorn on Dec. 2, 1484.

1493: The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Vol X, page 767; 1493.--Thomas Ross has sasine of Montgrenane....The name of Thomas Ross appears 12 times throughout 1513 - 1531 in the Protocol Books of Gavin Ross; in 1531 he is shown as a parishner of Cumnok, county Ayr--as are George and John Ross.

1497: George Ross was the heir of George Ross.

1519: One William Ross was a witness in County Ayr.

1521: George Ross's daughter Janet married Robert Lindsay, grandson and heir of Alexander Lynsay of Corsbascat. Janet Ross was a parishner of Rykartone. They were married at the mansion chapel of George Ross.

1527: George Ross and wife Janet Tweedy acquired mains in Overland extending to four merks of land in Kylestewart, County Ayr...Associated with them in unknown an capacity were John Ross and James Ross.

1527: George Ross's daughter Mariota had married (1) Edward Cunyngham, who fell victim in a feud. She married (2) William Cunyngham of Polquharn, in 1527. Associated with them were Gavin Ross and George Ross, Jr.

1529: George Ross's son George married Janet Campbell notwithstanding an impediment of the 3rd and 4th degrees of consanquinity; the couple is granted Brumehill in County Renfrew...Janet Campbell's mother was Dame Elizabeth Crichton, lady of Uchiltre; the mother leased land to the newly married couple for the term of 17 years.

1532: Janet Tweedy is shown as the widow of George Ross.

1535: John Ross has sasine to lands in Hanyng with fortifications, mill ("cum fortalicio et molindino earundem antique extentus cumpertineatus jacentium")....of ancient holdings...in Kyle, Co. Ayr.

1551: John Ross has not entered Hanyng, so, it is "granted" to Campbell and Hamilton....George Ross of Hanyng, deceased, held 20 pounds of land in Hanying, Ovirlone, Nethnirlone, Browis, Reding and Wraithis "with touris, fortalices, mylnis, mullturis, woodis, fischingis, tennentis" in the baillairy of Kyle Stewart, Sheriffdom of Air.

1554: The Queen quitclaims Hanyng to John Ross and his wife Mariota Hamilton.

1571: George Ross of Hanyng took part in the Langside rebellion. He is given a precept for a remission for his rebellion and disobendience to the king's authority...

1586: John Ross owes for his Hanyng lands.

1588: John Ross of Hanyng is to pay twenty pounds for the 20 pound land of Hayning as payment toward supporting 2 commissioners to Parliament.

1591: John Ross of Hanyng has sons George Ross and Thomas Ross. John Ross is surety for a band of boatmen and fishers of herring in the west sea coast of Ardrossan, Kilbride, Largis, Innerkip...Iles of Bute and Cumrayis...


1593: John Ross of Hanyng appears to have died, and an assize, dated April 15, 1593, gives a detailed account of this landed estate...His heir is George Ross who is granted Paroche, Overlane, Netherlane, Bruce-roddingis, Wraithe. It seems that another John Ross had been the grandfather of this George Ross (but the account doesn't show the name of the Ross if the middle!?).

It seems the under-tenants who were holding land in Hanyng had become concerned as to their status, inasmuch as their overlord, John Ross, had never acquired sasine of Haning some forty years ago. Among those concerned about his non-entry were Robert Ross of Thornton, John Ross, James Ross, Sr., James Ross, Jr., Andrew/Alexander Ross, Hugh Ross.

1597: Matthew Haning is given sasine of Haning. However, the Exchequer Rolls for 1597 says these holding were in the barony of Galstown--not is Riccardton--so, be careful here.

1599: John Ross and Marion Hamilton of Hanyng had sons James Ross, Thomas Ross, Matthew Ross, Allen Ross.

1611: Marion Hamilton was termed "lady of Hayning".

1617: Margaret Wallace was termed "dame of Hayning". Her daughter married Adam Stewart of Barskimming in 1610.

1629: Margaret Boyle was the mother of Matthew Ross of Hanyng.

Since prime sources as shown above provide fixed points from which bridges can be built when building an outline for the family of John Ross and Marion Hamilton, the "likely scenario" following is presented for consideration. I hope it is clear so that whenever conjectures are made, that they are recognized as such.

1. Dates for the life of John Ross of Hanyng:

1535.-- HIS BIRTH: The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, (1529 - 1536), Vol. XVI, page 591, dated 1535 show that John Ross had sasine to lands in Hanyng. From this, we might conclude that he must have been born by 1517, making him at least 18 years old when he became eligible to receive his inheritance.

1593.--HIS DEATH: The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, (1585 - 1592), Vol. 4, page 609, speaks of John Ross of Hanyng and of his sons George and Thomas in 1591. He must have been dead when an assize was made of his estate in 1593. So, we can say that he died circa 1592.

2. When was he married?

1554.--The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (1546 - 1580), Vol. 4, page 207; dated April 2, 1554 shows that John Ross was by then married to Mariota Hamilton. The Queen at this time confirmed that John held the lands in Hanyng. The question is WHY did John seek confirmation of this. It is very likely that he had begun to think of the security of a growing family. Afterall, he had had from 1535 to do this, so why at this time?.....From this, we might speculate that he and his wife had at least one or two children, and that he had married circa 1550.

3. Are these speculations justified?

I am going to place Mariota's birth as about 1530, and the birth of her children from about 1550 to about l570.

4. Who where their children?

1599.--The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, (1599 - 1604), Vol. 6, page 612, dated 1599, pages 612 and 429, identify their sons James Ross, Thomas Ross, Matthew Ross and Allan Ross.

1593.--But the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (1580 - 1593), Vol. 5, page 812, in 1593 says that John's heir was his grandson George Ross! Since we know he had sons still living, we may safely conclude that the George Ross who was his heir in 1593 was the male heir of John and Marion's (as she was late called) oldest son who had predeceased his father....From above, we know that they had a son named George, who was not named in 1599; he must have died soon after being named in 1591 and before his father died about 1592 --AND -- must have been the father of the grandson George who was heir to his grandfather Ross's lands in Hanyng in 1593.

In the list of FIXED POINTS given before, notice that there was one George Ross who had fought in the battle of Langside on May 13, 1568. And then in 1617, note that one Margaret Wallace, Dame of Hanyng, had a daughter who married a Stewart of Barskimming, Co. Ayr. It is conjectured that these references refer to George Ross, the oldest son of John and Marion. If John and Marion were married about 1550, they could have had a son old enough to take part in Langside in 1568....We can also deduce that George Ross, died circa 1592 had no other male heirs, because his brother Matthew Ross is the next Ross to be called "heir of Hanyng".

5. Another son not previously mentioned: John Ross of Dreghorne.

James Paterson's "History of Ayr....", page 526, seems to say that a grandson of John Ross and Marion Hamilton, in 1655, named an uncle John Ross of Dreghorn (an estate sometimes called "Fairlie") who in turn had a daughter Katherine.

MATTHEW ROSS.--This is the son who inherited Hanyng after the line of the eldest son, George Ross, failed in the male line when the grandson George Ross died circa 1597."The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland", Vol. 23, under date of March 19, 1597 seem to show Matthew Ross inheriting the lands of Hayning, lying in the barony of Galstoun, bailliary of Kylestewart.

1. Birth.--Matthew was probably the second son, so, if the oldest, George, were born circa 1550, this Matthew was probably born by 1555 (we do not know anything about the daughters of John Ross and Marion Hamilton.)

2. Death.--James Paterson's "History of Ayr...", page 525, says this Matthew died about April 1619, at which time his son Matthew became his father's heir to lands in Hanyng.

3. Marriage.--"The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland", (1620 - 1633), Vol. 8, page 481, entry number 1425, under the date of June 19, 1629, says that MARGARET BOYLE, wife of James, Archbishop of Glasgow , was the mother of one Matthew Ross of Hanyng (and the sister of John BOYLE of Kilburne). If these conjectures are correct, it means that the widow of Matthew Ross, d. 1619, had remarried.

4. Children:

a. Matthew Ross; the son who was old enough to inherit Hanyng in 1619.

b. George Ross; it appears reasonable to assume the grandchildren of a man born circa 1555 could have been born circa 1600. George Ross died in July 1655 at Galstoun, although he had lived most of his life at Brownhill, County Renfrew. He was married two times: (1) to Grissell Maxwell who died April 4, 1647, and (2) to Jean Stirling of Glorat. He left a "natural son" Alexander, and two others sons--George and Mungo Ross--who were under the age of 15 years in 1655...George returned to Galstoun when his nephew Lodowick Stewart, died in May 1650 without issue, leaving his land in Glastoun to his uncle George Ross.

c. Jean Ross, (died Dec. 1632) married Thomas Stewart (d. circa 1643). He married (2) Anna Ross, sister of his first wife. Besides Ludowick Stewart who died in May 1650, they were the parents of Margtaret Stewart and Barbara Stewart (she was baptized on July 30, 1626).

d. Anna; she married her brother-in-law Thomas Stewart after the death of her sister Jean in 1632.

JAMES ROSS of QUHYTRIGIS--as the first syllable is usually phoneticized--is easily identified as the son of John Ross and Marion Hamilton. The publications of His Majesty's Stationery Office devote Numbers 23 (1599 - 1609), 29 (1617 - 1634)and 31 (1635 - 1660) to sasines for County Ayr. (The names have been alphabatized, and therefore are out of context, but by comparing reference numbers and dates they can be re-assembled.) James Ross is easily recognized after learning the name of his brothers:

1.--Volume 29 says that Allan Ross is the brother of James Ross of Quhytrigis and carries the date of May 14, 1618.

2.--Volume 29 says that Thomas Ross is the brother of James Ross of Quhytrigis, and carries the date of May 14, 1618 (again!).

3.--Volume 23 shows that "Christian Wallace, daughter of John Wallace, elder, of Dundonald, and spouse of James Ross, brother of Matthew Ross of Hanyng",--that she made an instrument on February 5, 1601....Under date of April 6, 1607 she says that she is the relict of James Ross of Quhytrigs....Under date of December 4, 1607, she repeats herself and adds that she is now the spouse of John Craufurd of Craufurdland.

4.--Under date of December 4, 1607 one reads "John Ross, son of James Ross of Whitrigs": Since James was one of the younger sons, it seems unlikely that this John could have been of age, and one might speculate that this instrument was recognizing him as his father's son and heir.

5.--Under date of July 20, 1619 we read "Jean, daughter of James Ross of Quhyteriggis, and spouse of Matthew Craufurd, son of William Craufurd of Lefnorreis"....James Paterson's history of Ayshire, page 330, says that Jean Ross spouse of Matthew Craufurd, died in 1620.

6.--Under date of August 18, 1623 we read "Christian Wallace, relict of James Ross of Quhytriggs, and spouse of John Fullertoun of Dreghrone". (This was at least her third husband.)

7.--Under date of Dec. 1, 1634 we read "Katherine Ritchie, spouse of John, son of James Ross of Quhytriggs"...,Entries for John Ross and his spouse Katherine Ritchie continue in Volume 31 of these indexes up to July 16, 1654....An entry dated March 8, 1655 says that John Ross was the son-in-law of Adam Ritchie, provost of Ayr.

WHERE IS Q-U-H-Y-T-R-I-G-I-S?--Although "Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scoturum" (1609 - 1620), page 686 shows that there is a "Quhitriggis" in Co. Ayr in 1618 held by Alexander Cunningham, I believe it more likely to be present Whatrig located on the southeast side of the city of Kilmarnock, midway between Riccarton and Haining Place, in Kyle Stewart. The "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland" (1620 - 1633), page 500, dated July 30, 1626 says the latter was in the possession of William Wallace, son of William Wallace of Brighous.