Genealogical and heraldic account of the Coultharts of Coulthart and Collyn, etc.

ROSS OF D ALT ON.
Sir Robert Douglas, in his Peerage of Scotland, Camden, in
his Britannia, and Crawfurd, iu his History of Renfrewshire,
agree that the Rosses of Halkhead, the progeniturs of the
Rosses of Dalton, were originally seated at Wark, in
England, and took their designation from the lordship of
Ros, in Yorkshire. They subsequently settled on the south-
western coast of Scotland, where, by the earliest records
known to exist regarding them, they appear as vassals of
Richard de Morevilla. The first authenticated head of the
family that has been traced, is
Godfrey de Ros, who obtained from Moreville the lands
of Stewartouu, in Ayrshire, and witnessed many of his
charters, along with James, Reginald, and Peter de Ros, his
sons. The eldest sou,
Sir James de Ros, made a donation to the Monastery of
Paisley of s. >me linds in Stewartouu, for the welfare of his
soul. He was either the father or grandfather of
Robert de Ros, who witnessed the agreement between
King William I. and King John, 7 Aug. 1209 ; a charter of
Alexander II., 1214; and accompanied his majesty to
England in 1217. He witnessed charters in 1238, 1250, and
1253, and d. soon afterwards.
Sir Godfrey de Ros, probably his son, was father of
another
Sir Godfrey de R03, who, in 1281, confirmed to the
Monastery of Paisley some land in the town of Stewartoun,
thus, " Dominus Godfridus de Ros, miles, films et hasres
Domiui Godfridi de Ros, confirmasse, <&c, illam terram iu
villa de Stewartouu, quara ex collatione Domini Jacobi de
Ros, tenend. et possidend." Among those who swore fealty
to King Edward I., iu 1296, were Jacobus filius Godol'redi
de Ross, senior, et Jacobus filius Godofredi de Ross, junior,
28th July, and Audreas filius Godofredi de Ross, 29th July.
Robert de Ross and William de Ross likewise swore fealty,
5 Aug. 1296, and Wautier le Ros the same year. Godofridus
de Ros was oue of those ordered to be released from prison
by Edward I., 30 July, 1297, on condition of serving him
beyond seas. Godfrey de Ross was sheriff of Lanarkshire in
1310. Among the charters of King Robert I., is one to
Robert Boyd, of the lauds of Kilmarnock, Boudingtown,
Hertshaw, &c, quae fuerunt Joannis de Balliolo, Godnfridi
de Ros, filii quondam R^ginaldi de Ros, Willielmi de Mora,
et Roberti de Ros. The son and successor of Sir Godfrey de
Ros was
Andrew de Ros, the father of
Sir Godfrey de Ros, who held the office of sheriff of Ayr
in 1334, when he submitted to the Steward of Scotlaud, acting
for David II. Godefridus de Ros, miles, had a writ of safe
convoy from King Edward III., to conduct Richard Talbot
into England, 2nd April, 1336, and another, 16 Oct. 1358. He
was in England, 16 Miy, 1365, when a writ of safe convoy
was granted to William de Roos coming to him in that
kingdom. Godefridus de Roos had a safe conduct into
Eugland, 11th June, 1369. Among the notices in Robertson's
Index, under David II., is the forfeiture of Godfrid Ros, in
the barony of Stfinehouse, Lanarkshire; and a charter to
Godfrey Ros, of Cunuinghamhead, of the mill of Craigie, in
Perthshire.
John de Ross, of Halkhead, presumed to be the son of
G idfrey, had, under the designation of Johannes do Ros, a
safe-conduct to come iuto England, cum duobus equitibus,
25 Oct. 1357. Johannes Ros had a safe conduct iuto England,
20 March, 1359 ; again, 26 Oct. 1362, to pay his devotions at
the shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury; also, for the same
purpose, on 26 April, 1363. His son,
Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who, uuder the designation
of Dominus Johannes de Ross, miles, Dominus de Halk-
head, witnessed donatious to the Monastery of Paisley in
1392 and 1397. He m. Agues, dau. aud heiress of Sir John
Melville, of Melville, with whom he got that fair barony on
the bauks of the North Esk, iu the co. of Edinburgh. By
her he had a son,
Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who had a charter of the
barouy of Melville, as heir of his mother, iu 1401, and quar-
tered the arms of Melville with his own. He was appointed
heritable constable of the Castle of Renfrew, with a grant of
the customs at the principal fairs of that borough. His
sou,
Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, was, along with James Dou-
glas, brother of the Earl of Douglas, and Junes Douglas,
brother of Lochleven, the combat ints against three Burgun-
dian knights, 1449, in presence of James II. and his court.
He had a charter, Johauni le Ross, de Hawkhede, militi, of
the lauds of Tarbart, iu Ayrshire, and Aucheubok, in Ren-
frewshire, on the resignation of Robert Ross, of Tarbart,
17 Jan. 1450-1. He had a writ of safe convoy, under the
designation of "John Ross, Knight," to pass through Eng-
land aloug with William, Earl of Douglas, dated 12 May,
1451; another, as " John de Ross, Dominus de Halkhead,"
dated 27 May, 1459 ; also charters of Lochtilluw, in the
barony of Bathgate, Starlaw, and Denys, dated 16 July,
1468 ; aud a commission, under the great seal, of the office of
sheriff of Linlithgow, for life, dated 9 March, 1472-3. Sir
John Ross de Halkheid, miles, was one of the ambassadors
to Eugland, to whom a writ of Bafe convoy was granted,
24 Aug. 1473, and dying soon afterwards, was s. by his son,
Sir John Ross, of Halkhead, who eventually became
John, 1st Lord Ross, aud one of the conservators of a treaty
with the English, 20 Sept. 1484, uuder the designation of
"John Rosse de Halkhede, miles." Dominus de Halkhed,
Ross, occurs among the barons in the parliament, 3 Feb.
1489-90; and Rossde Halkhed is inserted among the Domini
Baroues in the parliament 11 March, 1503-4. He had, uuder
the designation of " John Ross of Halkhead," a charter of
part of the barony of Aucheubothy-Wallace, 17 Feb. 1490-1,
and obtained a charter under the great seal, dated 11 March,
1501-2, confirming a donation of the king, quondam Joauni,
Domino Ross de Halkhede, militi, avo Joanuie, Domiui
Ross, de Halkhede, militis moderni, of the island of King's
Inch, in Clyde. He had charters addressed to him, " Jrhn,
Lord Ross, of Halkhead," of the lands of Dikbar, Castleb.tr,
and Matthewbar, 30th July, 1502, and of Railston, in the co.
of Renfrew, 11th Feb. 1505-6, aud appears to have died soon
afterwards. Lord Ross left issue a son and a dau., uamely,
John, 2nd Lord Ross, of whom presently,
Egidia, m. to James Auchinleck, whose father, Sir John
Auchinleck, of Auchinleck, in Ayrshire, granted a char-
ter, 3 March, 1480-1, of some lands to Egidia, dau. of Sir
John Ross, of Halkhede, to take effect when they were
married.
John, 2nd Lord Ross, of Halkhead, ha 1 charters granted
to him, under the designation of " John Rnas, of Melville,
and Christian Edmonstone his wife/' <f the lands of Tortre-
vane, in the co. of Edinburgh, 27 Sept. 1490 ; and of the
lauds of Walterstown, in the co. of Stirling, Joanni Ross de
Malvyn, militi, filio ei haeredi appareuti Joannis, Domini
Ross, from his father, 31 March, 1499. After succeeding to
his father, he had a charter, dated 21 Feb. 150S-9 (in which
he is described as John, Lord R.ss, of Halkheid), of the
lauds aud baronies of Melville, Stauehouse, aud Mosshouse,
in the co. of Edinburgh ; aud of Tortrevaue, Prestov.u, Wal-
terstoun, and Morniugside, iu the shires of Linlithgow au I
Stirling. Lord Ross fell at Flodden, 9 Sept. 1513, le iving by
Christian his wife, dau. of Archill id Edmonstone, of Dun-
treath, two sonB and a dau., viz., Ninian, his heir ; Ran-
dolph, lineal ancestor of the Rosses of Dalton, whose de-
sceut -will be given afier that of his brother Niniau, and
his sister Agnes.