Friday, August 24, 2012

Major General Robert Ross of Bladensberg, a Scriven cousin

                   Major General Robert Ross
                             Of Bladensberg

                                     "The War of 1812" 
                         June 18th, 1812 to February 18, 1815

August 24, 1814  Ross led the British forces into Washington.  The White House and other buildings were burned.  If you really read the details of this history, Ross actually curtailed the British forces from burning Washington city to the ground.

Only days later on September 12, 1814, Ross will be sniper shot and die at Bladensberg, Maryland.

This is a very brief account but there is much more if your a history buff and interested.  Right now the Smithsonian's Nation Gallery has an exhibit of the above portrait on display for the 1814 anniversary rememberance of this. The link just below will take you to it

O.K. that's neat but what's it got to do with my Scriven family?

Major Ross was married to Elizabeth Catherine Glascock, and her Mother was Elizabeth Scriven Glascock.

A lot of writing would be soooooooo confusing, so I will say Jane Bury Scriven Evans & her husband, Edward Kentish Evans, were both 2nd cousins of Elizabeth Scriven Glascock.  By their Scriven GrandMothers.

Jane and Edward both were born after Robert Ross dies in 1814, but grew up knowing their Aunt, Mrs. Major General Robert Ross of Bladensberg.  Mrs. Ross dies in 1845, the same year as her Aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Scriven Evans/Crawford.

In London there is wonderful statue to General Ross at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England.  link below,_St_Paul's_Cathedral.jpg

At Rostrevor, Ireland were the Ross family lived on Carlingford Lough there is a beautiful monument to him, link below

PHew! That's a lot of history

In England, Ross was hailed as a hero and rewarded by the Crown with the title "Ross of Bladensburg".
If you were an Irish family coming to the United States almost 50 years after 1814, would you tell anyone you were related to the 'Man Who Burned Washington'?   I don't think so

So today we remember the day Washington, D.C. burned, August 24.  
Altho' the true anniversary is 2 years away in 2014.  I'd expect to see a larger rememberance of it then, even over in England and Ireland.

Happy Trails,  Katie