William Ross, 12th Lord Ross

William Ross, 12th Lord Ross (c.1656 – 15 March 1738), was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician.

Ross was born in about 1656. He was the son and heir of George Ross, 11th Lord Ross, who died in 1682, by Grizel, daughter of William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald. 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 of Balnagown.

Ross had commissions as lieutenant (27 September 1678) and captain (4 September 1680) in Lord Home's troop of horse, and as captain (26 December 1682) and major (4 August 1686) in Claverhouse's regiment of horse, the last of which, however, he shortly afterwards resigned. In 1685, he was wounded in an action during the pursuit of the Earl of Argyll.

He appears to have been a personal friend of Claverhouse, having been a witness at his wedding in 1684, and later excused himself from joining the army raised against his old friend and commander by pleading the pressure of his Parliamentary duties.

In 1689 Ross was present at the first Parliament of King William and was chosen by the Convention of Estates to go to London to give the King an account of their proceedings. He was also appointed as a commissioner to consider the question of union with England. On 18 May 1689, he was appointed a member of the Privy Council.

Disaffected perhaps by the lack of reward for his services, Ross became closely involved with the Earl of Annandale in the dissident "Club" of Sir James Montgomerie of Skelmorlie. However, he recanted and, although sent to the Tower of London in July 1690, was eventually released without prosecution.

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