1. Letters received from James A. Ross by Adam Lee Wakenshaw describe George Ross in the following colorful manner: “George Ross was the Captain of a Man-O-War ship under Lord Nelson during the English & French War. Lord Nelson was shot dead on the deck of this ship. The English defeated the French. This was the Battle of Trafalger, and Captain Ross took Napoleon Bonaparte and bound him in chains on his ship and delivered him to the King of England, along with Lord Nelson’s dead body. Captain Ross’ son, John was born aboard this ship during the heat of the battle.” [176]

2. Through my research I have determined that the above is only partially true. Records in the Trafalgar Ancestors section of the UK National Archives show service records for George Ross, who did indeed fight in the Battle of Trafalger, but he was not on board Lord Nelson’s ship, HMS Victory, nor was he a Captain in the Navy. George Ross was listed as Ordinary Seaman/Landsman, on board HMS Dreadnought, (ship’s paybook number SB 617; TNA catalogue reference ADM 36/15955), 28 Feb 1805. He is listed as age 22, born in Bearhaven [Ireland?]. However, an earlier muster for HMS Dreadnought (ADM 36/15949), his birthplace is recorded as Silkstone, Yorkshire, England. Lord Nelson was indeed shot to death on board his ship, HMS Victory, during this battle, and Captain Cuthbert Collingwood took command of the ship, and returned the fleet to England with Nelson’s body. Napoleon Bonaparte was never brought back to England in chains on board any ship after this battle. It is still unclear to me how long George Ross served in the Navy after the Battle Of Trafalger, or if his son, John was indeed born on board the ship during this battle. Although, a copy of the 1861 UK Census shows John Ross was born “At Sea, Off Coast Of Yorkshire” in 1818, (13 years after the Battle of Trafalger). Records from the UK National Archives indicate George Ross joined HMS Dreadnought on 3 December 1803, and was rated as a Landsman. He served in this capacity until 1 March 1805, whereby he was rated Ordinary Seaman. On 21 October 1805 he was transferred, together with other crew to the Spanish prize ship San Juan with the intention of sailing her to a British or British held port so that prize money owing to her capture could be claimed in due course. George Ross was then later discharged, it would appear, to Gibraltar hospital on 3 February 1806 and was recorded as still being there on 11 June 1806. [635], [640], [636]

3. 1841 UK Census of Preston, Tynemouth shows George Ross’ occupation as “Navy H.P.”. I am not sure what the “H.P.” stands for, but it does prove he was in the Navy.