James Ross-Farquharson

1771-1809. He was the second son of Vice-Admiral Sir John Lockhart-Ross and of his wife, Elizabeth Dundas, the daughter of the Right Hon. Robert Dundas, the Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland.

Ross was commissioned lieutenant on 21 October 1790.

He was posted captain on 4 July 1794 by Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis whilst serving in the Leeward Islands campaign which had commenced in January, and he was appointed to the frigate Resource 28, which he appears to have commanded until the following year when it is likely that he returned to England as a passenger.

In June 1796, despite reports that he was in very poor health, Ross was appointed to the captured Dutch frigate Eurus 32, which he commissioned at Sheerness. On 22 October she sailed from the Nore for Spithead with troops who were expected to go out to Gibraltar, and they were still aboard when she was diverted to the North Sea station shortly afterwards. A cruise of just over three weeks followed off the Texel, during which she captured a richly laden vessel under Danish colours that was sailing from the West Indies to Amsterdam. Damaged as a result of frequent gales, the Eurus then returned to Portsmouth in the second week of November in a leaky state to land the troops.

In the week before Christmas 1796 the Eurus sailed from St. Helens in the company of the York 64, Captain John Ferrier, with the West Indies convoy, which included many troop transports. During the autumn of 1797 she was at Tobago, and on 3 July 1798 she left Tortola with seventy-four vessels in convoy, and by 10 August was back at Spithead. Ross appears to have left her shortly afterwards when she entered dock.

On 25 September 1805 he assumed his wife’s surname of Farquharson on a royal licence from the King, becoming James Ross Farquharson of Invercauld. In February 1806 it was announced that he was to command the Gibraltar 80, having initially it appears been due to join the Africa 64 before that ship was given to Captain Isaac Wolley, however, it does not appear that he ever joined the Gibraltar, as Captain William Lukin soon assumed her command.

Captain Farquharson died on 5 February 1809 in Edinburgh and was buried in the Braemar Graveyard in Aberdeenshire.

On 16 June 1799 he married Catherine, the heiress of James Ferguson of Invercauld, Aberdeenshire. They had two daughters and a son, James Ross Farquharson, 1808-62.