Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Ross, 9th Baronet (4 April 1872 – 29 June 1942) was a Scottish inventor and commercial entrepreneur who invented the innovative and often controversial straight-pull actioned Ross rifle.[1][2]
Ross was born at Balnagown Castle, the son of Sir Charles William Frederick Augustus Lockhart-Ross, 8th Baronet and his second wife, Rebecca Sophia Barnes of Tufnell Park. He inherited the Baronetcy on the death of his father in 1883 when he was aged 11. He was educated at Eton College and while he was there his mother's indulgences on him included "a magnificent ocean-going steam yacht, a large sailing yacht, the most superbly appointed and biggest steam launch for river use on the Thames, and a coach and four". When he came of age he instituted a lawsuit against his mother for having, during his minority, spent more of the revenues of his estates than she was entitled to by law or by the terms of the will.[3] He was then at Trinity College, Cambridge.[4] In 1894 he rowed in the Cambridge boat in the Boat Race. He was known as a capable sharpshooter and big game hunter.
Ross became a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, the Seaforth Highlanders and served in the Second Anglo-Boer War. He designed the Ross rifle, which was initially used by his own Machine Gun Battery during the Boer War. He was a captain in Lovat Scouts Yeomanry from 1904 to 1913. He was an advisor on small arms to the Canadian Government and he designed and built the plant of the West Kootenay Power and Light Co. on the Kootenay River at Bonnington Falls. During World War I his Ross rifle was mass-produced for the Canadian army. Sporting rifles bearing the Ross name were also popular for a time after the First World War, as was the .280 (approximately 7 mm) Ross sporting rifle cartridge.
Ross was said to have been Britain's largest landowner, possessing Scottish lands extending to an estimated 366,000 acres (1,480 km2), with 3,000 tenants. At one point, in an attempt to evade United Kingdom taxation on the income from his arms manufacturing, Ross declared his Easter Ross, Scotland estate of Balnagown to be a territory of the United States of America, which led to his being branded an outlaw for a time by the British Government.
Ross married three times: first to Winifred Berens (marriage dissolved in 1897); then in 1901 to Louisvilledebutante Patricia Burnley Ellison,[5] who divorced him in 1930;[6][7] and in 1938 to his American secretary Dorothy Mercado (née Harvey). On Ross's death aged 70 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Dorothy inherited Balnagown Castle.[8]
Balnagown Castle, not far from the north shore of the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon, and adjacent parts of the once-extensive Ross estate of Balnagown have been owned since 1972 by billionaire businessman and former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who has restored the castle.[9][10]
^Phillips, Roger F.; Dupuis, François J.; Chadwick, John A. (2002). The Ross Rifle Story. Toronto, Ontario: Michael W. Leonard. ISBN978-0-9732416-0-0.
^Ward, John (17 August 2014), Why Canadians ditched Ross rifle during First World War: It's 'murder to send out men with such a weapon', Canadian Press, retrieved 30 October 2014
^"Ross (post Lockhart-Ross), Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart, Bart (RS891SC)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^Oliver, Nettie. "A Louisville Belle's Marriage to a Scottish Baronet". The Filson Historical Society. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
^"BRITISH BARONET SEEKS DIVORCE IN MEXICO; Sir Charles Ross, Inventor of the Ross Rifle, Files Suit Against Kentucky Wife". The New York Times. 9 July 1928. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
^"BARONET MUST PAY WIFE.; She Wins Washington Decision in Suit Against Sir Charles Ross". The New York Times. 25 April 1931. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
^Hartzell, Scott Taylor (26 November 2003). "Locals saw Sir Charles as brilliant, but 'a stinker'". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
^"Balnagown Castle & Restoration". Balnagown Estates. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
Other sourcesedit
von der Schulenburg, Fritz (1998). Balnagown: Ancestral Home of the Clan Ross – A Scottish Castle Through Five Centuries. Brompton Press. ISBN978-1-900055-07-9.
charles, ross, baronet, charles, henry, augustus, frederick, lockhart, ross, baronet, april, 1872, june, 1942, scottish, inventor, commercial, entrepreneur, invented, innovative, often, controversial, straight, pull, actioned, ross, rifle, borncharles, henry, . Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Ross 9th Baronet 4 April 1872 29 June 1942 was a Scottish inventor and commercial entrepreneur who invented the innovative and often controversial straight pull actioned Ross rifle 1 2 Sir Charles Ross 9th BaronetBornCharles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Ross 1872 04 04 4 April 1872Balnagown Castle ScotlandDied29 June 1942 1942 06 29 aged 70 St Petersburg FloridaEducationEton CollegeOccupation s Inventor entrepreneurKnown forRoss rifleSpousesWinifred Berens div 1897 wbr Patricia B Ellison m 1901 div 1930 wbr Dorothy Mercado m 1938 wbr Contents 1 Biography 2 See also 3 References 4 Other sources 5 External linksBiography editRoss was born at Balnagown Castle the son of Sir Charles William Frederick Augustus Lockhart Ross 8th Baronet and his second wife Rebecca Sophia Barnes of Tufnell Park He inherited the Baronetcy on the death of his father in 1883 when he was aged 11 He was educated at Eton College and while he was there his mother s indulgences on him included a magnificent ocean going steam yacht a large sailing yacht the most superbly appointed and biggest steam launch for river use on the Thames and a coach and four When he came of age he instituted a lawsuit against his mother for having during his minority spent more of the revenues of his estates than she was entitled to by law or by the terms of the will 3 He was then at Trinity College Cambridge 4 In 1894 he rowed in the Cambridge boat in the Boat Race He was known as a capable sharpshooter and big game hunter Ross became a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion the Seaforth Highlanders and served in the Second Anglo Boer War He designed the Ross rifle which was initially used by his own Machine Gun Battery during the Boer War He was a captain in Lovat Scouts Yeomanry from 1904 to 1913 He was an advisor on small arms to the Canadian Government and he designed and built the plant of the West Kootenay Power and Light Co on the Kootenay River at Bonnington Falls During World War I his Ross rifle was mass produced for the Canadian army Sporting rifles bearing the Ross name were also popular for a time after the First World War as was the 280 approximately 7 mm Ross sporting rifle cartridge Ross was said to have been Britain s largest landowner possessing Scottish lands extending to an estimated 366 000 acres 1 480 km2 with 3 000 tenants At one point in an attempt to evade United Kingdom taxation on the income from his arms manufacturing Ross declared his Easter Ross Scotland estate of Balnagown to be a territory of the United States of America which led to his being branded an outlaw for a time by the British Government Ross married three times first to Winifred Berens marriage dissolved in 1897 then in 1901 to Louisville debutante Patricia Burnley Ellison 5 who divorced him in 1930 6 7 and in 1938 to his American secretary Dorothy Mercado nee Harvey On Ross s death aged 70 in St Petersburg Florida Dorothy inherited Balnagown Castle 8 Balnagown Castle not far from the north shore of the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon and adjacent parts of the once extensive Ross estate of Balnagown have been owned since 1972 by billionaire businessman and former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed who has restored the castle 9 10 See also editList of Cambridge University Boat Race crewsReferences edit Phillips Roger F Dupuis Francois J Chadwick John A 2002 The Ross Rifle Story Toronto Ontario Michael W Leonard ISBN 978 0 9732416 0 0 Ward John 17 August 2014 Why Canadians ditched Ross rifle during First World War It s murder to send out men with such a weapon Canadian Press retrieved 30 October 2014 Leigh Rayment Baronets Usurped Ross post Lockhart Ross Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Bart RS891SC A Cambridge Alumni Database University of Cambridge Oliver Nettie A Louisville Belle s Marriage to a Scottish Baronet The Filson Historical Society Retrieved 15 October 2022 BRITISH BARONET SEEKS DIVORCE IN MEXICO Sir Charles Ross Inventor of the Ross Rifle Files Suit Against Kentucky Wife The New York Times 9 July 1928 Retrieved 15 October 2022 BARONET MUST PAY WIFE She Wins Washington Decision in Suit Against Sir Charles Ross The New York Times 25 April 1931 Retrieved 15 October 2022 Hartzell Scott Taylor 26 November 2003 Locals saw Sir Charles as brilliant but a stinker St Petersburg Times Retrieved 12 October 2011 Historic Environment Scotland Balnagown Castle GDL00046 Retrieved 1 April 2019 Balnagown Castle amp Restoration Balnagown Estates Retrieved 1 April 2019 Other sources editvon der Schulenburg Fritz 1998 Balnagown Ancestral Home of the Clan Ross A Scottish Castle Through Five Centuries Brompton Press ISBN 978 1 900055 07 9 External links editPhotographBaronetage of Nova ScotiaPreceded byAubrey McMahon Baronet of Carstairs 1883 1942 Extinct Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sir Charles Ross 9th Baronet amp oldid 1147208303, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
