Ellen Ross of the Bussorah Merchant 1833

I haven't definitive proof that the Ellen Ross who came to Australia in 1833 abord the emigration vessel The Bussorah Merchant (AA) is our Ellen Ross as I haven't found strong enough evidence to link her to John Lees Ross. In saying that though the dates and details all do match nicely.

I have tracked a few interesting things about Ellen Ross the migrant so in the chance anyone comes looking for her they can read my research and please comment why you came as shared knowledge might just be what we need to solve this mystery.

This post is continually being updated as I research and is more a recount of my findings than a biography of Ellen Ross. The research journey can take me off track and back on with detours to visit other interesting places. I began this post late on July 14th and will add some dates along the way to show my research hours & dates. I will try my best to add information about where facts came from. The following abbreviations will help you know where records came from or else links and references to other material are listed throughout. Can I say Google Books are fabulous for those wanting a picture of what life was like in the areas ancestors grew up and also great time wasters. A Google book lead me to the local library which sparked my interest in this Ellen...but more later.
(AA) Ancestry.com record
(BDM NSW) Births, Deaths & Marriage NSW Government records
(LDS) Familysearch.org
(FMP) findmypast.com
(Trove) trove.nla.gov.au/
(LCD) London City Directories
(LT) Lockie's Topography online
(W) Wikipedia
(OB) Old Bailey Court Records online
(GB) Google Book link..if remembered.

Ellen Ross' records (AA) show she was born 7 April 1816 and christened 21 days later at Shoreditch.

Her parents George and Eliza are living at Dagette's Court (Finsbury or Morfields, one directory notes it at 26 Eldon Street) where George is a servant. The area has a reputation for housing criminals and prostitues and is also a cruising area for gay "mollies" (W). The court is off Eldon Street and we get a sense of it from Booth's London records which shows a mixture of poor and wealthy residences mixed together.

Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London City Directories

The notebooks describe the area near Whitecross Street as "a procession of small courts. A rough criminal spot in the midst of most valuable property." He then goes to talk about the "Lees Buildings" built in 1829 full of poor & dirty but well fed children. Can it be this is a clue to John Lees' middle name?

[July 14: 2 hours most adding things I knew and looking at old maps]

By clicking the above picture you will notice the area is across the road from the eye hospital. This is interesting as we later discover Ellen is blind!

Eldon Street - Flikkr image

George and Eliza (Elizabeth) had at least 3 other children (AA, FMP, LSD). Grace was born 21st February  1809 and christened 30 April at St Leonards, Shoreditch. George was christened 10th January 1813 and unlike the others was baptised at St Botolph, Bishopsgate.  Both records indicate family were living at Crown Street with the added information of Duke's Court for Grace (on the SE corner of Finsbury Square - see Lockie's Topography for descriptions of both addresses. James, born 22nd January 1818 (family at Dagget's Court, Christened 3 weeks later at St Leonards on 15th February).

William Ross born 1806 and baptised at St Botolph is possibly another child but records only give parents' names.

Old Bailey court records mention a Mr Ross and also George Ross living in Finsbury Square in 1830/31. It should be noted that John Clark Ross and James Ross the Arctic explorers have a connection to George Ross from 50 Finsbury Square (GB)...so either there is another George Ross in the same area (probably unless he went from being a merchant to a servant) or a relative (possibly a cousin to the younger explorer).

 [July 15: 2 hours plus 1 hour adding references & pictures]

A search on 1841 census of London (AA) reveals very little, so where have they gone? We know Ellen left in 1833 for Australia, but what happened to the family in the period from James' birth to Ellen's departure?

One thing we know is Ellen went to live at the local workhouse. Her final discharge information (AA) tells us she left to move to NSW, days before the Bussorah Merchant set sail for Sydney.

 [July 16: 1 hour setting up new Ancestry tree]

The difference between a free migrant and a convict is astounding when it comes to travel information. For us Ellen Ross is a name on a list of passengers (AA) and until I found K Rushdens book "The Merchant's Women" I knew little more.



TBC 🕰️