Origins

Ross was the eldest son and heir of James Ross, 4th Lord Ross

James Ross, 4th Lord Ross

James Ross, 4th Lord Ross of Halkhead was a Scottish nobleman and an adherent to the cause of Mary, Queen of Scots.-Origins:Ross was the second, but oldest surviving son of Ninian Ross, 3rd Lord Ross, who died in February 1555/6...

, who died on 2 April 1581, by Jean, daughter of Robert, 3rd Lord Sempill. The Rosses of Halkhead, or Hawkhead, in Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...

, were a Lowland

Scottish Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....

 family, not apparently related to the Earls of Ross

Earl of Ross

The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...

 or the Highland

Scottish Highlands

The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...

 family of Ross

Clan Ross

Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...

 of Balnagown

Kildary

Kildary is a small village in Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.The village is located on the Balnagown River and is bordered by Balnagown Castle and the Balnagown estate, owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, former owner of Harrods department store...

.

Ross had sasines of the lands of Halkhead on 30 October 1581, of Broomlands

Broomlands

Broomlands is district of Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated on a series of bends in the River Annick, Broomlands and its original features are now almost lost within the south-Bourtreehill and Broomlands housing scheme.-History:...

 and "Roisholm" on 15 May 1583 and of Tarbert, in Ayrshire, in 1590.

Career

On 19 May 1584 Ross attended the parliament in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 at which the Earl of Angus

Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus

Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus and 5th Earl of Morton was the son of David, 7th earl. He succeeded to the title and estates in 1558, being brought up by his uncle, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, a Presbyterian....

, the Earl of Mar

John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar

John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar was a Scottish politician, the only son of John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar. Together with King James VI of Scotland he was educated by George Buchanan...

 and Lord Glamis

Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne

The title Earl of Kinghorne was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1606 for Patrick Lyon. In 1677, the designation of the earldom changed to "Strathmore and Kinghorne". A second Earldom was bestowed on the fourteenth Earl in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937, the title being Strathmore...

 were found guilty of treason.

Towards the end of his life, it appears that Ross fell out with King James. On 29 May 1591, James wrote to Mure of Caldwell, requesting him to use his influence with Ross to bring him to heel. Mure's good offices proved insufficient and, on 30 September 1591, James wrote to Lord Hamilton to inform him that Ross remained in rebellion and to direct him to take steps to bring Ross to justice.

Family

Ross married Jean Hamilton, daughter of Gavin Hamilton of Raploch

Raploch

The Raploch is a district of the city of Stirling, which lies to the south of the River Forth in central Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to by people from outside the area as "Raploch"....

. She survived him and married Sir Robert Melville before dying in May 1631. Ross had two legitimate sons - James Ross, 6th Lord Ross

James Ross, 6th Lord Ross

-Origins:Ross was the eldest son and heir of Robert Ross, 5th Lord Ross, who died in October 1595, by Jean, daughter of Gavin Hamilton of Raploch. The Rosses of Halkhead, or Hawkhead, in Renfrewshire, were a Lowland family, not apparently related to the Earls of Ross or the Highland family of Ross...

and Robert (died March 1617) - as well as an illegitimate daughter, Elspeth (who married James Miller, an advocate).