Ross, I

Ross, I

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Isaac Ross Jr. lived in Glocester/Burrillville, RI, was b in 1764 and was a housewright as

identified in deeds dated 1791, 1798, 1800, 1801, continuing to at least 1815. In 1800, aside

from this family, there was only one other I Ross within a 30 mile radius of Smithfield, a

Jeremiah Ross of Providence (no tools in an 1806 probate inventory), and one had to go to

Boston or Westminster MA until another housewright / carpenter was found. Isaac (Sr.) was

consistently identified as ayeoman in Glocester in deeds from the 1750s through the RW.

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Isaac Ross Jr. b 12-4-1764 in Glocester, RI, parents Isaac Sr. and Rachel Harnden. Isaac Sr.

may have died in 1849. Isaac Jr. m Sarah Salisbury of Glocester, RI in 1785. Children born in Burrillville,

RI between 1785 and 1808; Theodore, Abigail, Reuben, Isaac, Elizabeth, Edward and Lauraan. (Burrillville was created by a partition of the northern part of Glocester in 1806.) Isaac’s last census record (Burrillville) was in 1840 where his age was listed as 70/79. (The 1830 census age is too young by 10 years, whereas the 1800, 1810, 1820 census ages fit with the 1840 census record.)

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Based on a plane set found in a North Smithfield basement with the owner stamp OW Bly (named planes include Fuller, Ross, Salsbery and Taft), the candidate Isaac Ross Jr. seems reasonable. OW Bly was a carpenter b in Smithville in 1803 or 1804. The Taft-like I x Ross B wedge also supports this geographic area. These craftsmen were based in Mendon (Taft and Partridge), Wrentham (Dupee, late Chelor and Hawes) and Medway/Franklin (Metcalf).

 

There’s an unrecorded I . Ross imprint on a molder which is completely different in style with a wedge like I Walton, so the investigation of I Ross craftsmen is more complicated than just identifying the I x Ross planes.  (We may be able to piece together the identification of I x Ross because of the Bly connections, but other I Ross marks will likely remain unresolved as the name is too common and there are too many candidates.)

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An additional piece of evidence supporting Isaac Ross Jr. is that he was married to Duty Salsbery’s sister and both craftsmen were in the same town in RI.

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The I x Ross A wedge is nearly identical to an early I Lindenberger wedge (Providence, RI) which further reinforces this geographical area.

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Isaac Ross Jr., Glocester, housewright, 1791 deed

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Isaac Ross Jr. Gloucester, house carpenter, 1798 deed

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Isaac Ross Jr., Burrillville, housewright alias yeoman, 1815 deed

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GAWP5 presents Jonathan Ross, a cabinetmaker from Salem, MA as the craftsman behind the I x Ross planes. Cited is “a ledger entry of 1770-1782”.

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I x Ross molder with an A wedge (a near duplicate of John Lindenberger’s earlier wedge style)

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I x Ross type B wedge (Taft-like finial)