Ross Family Surname

[SomethingSteph]

I am looking for any information concerning the the "Ross" surname.

Also, I am doing some family research and have came across my 3rd great-gradfather, Joseph Ross. I found a marriage record for one of his daughters and says his birthplace was Italy. His birth date is November 21, 1863. He also has a son, Harry Ross, my 2nd great-grandfather. His birthdate is June 13, 1889 and I found on one document that he was born in Nicastro, Italy. Not sure if that's 100% true. On a 1920 US, Federal Census, it says he immigrated to the US in 1905 and was naturalized in 1912. I tried searching for harry in the 1910 census but he's nowhere to be found. Could his name have been changed when he came to the US?

Any information about these 2 (Joseph or Harry) or the "Ross" surname in general would be super helpful.

Thank you so much,
Steph

[Italysearcher]

There are some tips on finding the town of origin on my website.
You need to get his naturalization record and shipp manifest.

[adelfio]

Welcome to IG website can you give us some more info like where they settled and their wifes names to help in researching

Marty

[suanj]

Hi, yes, this is your ancestor:

Harry Ross

United States World War I Draft Registration Cards

Name Harry Ross
Event Type Draft Registration
Event Date 1917-1918
Event Place Shiawasee County, Michigan, United States
Gender Male
Nationality United States
Birth Date 13 Jun 1889
Birthplace Nicastio, , Italy

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... cc=1968530
Nicastro is the birthplace.. to know the spelling of his original italian surname, maybe could be helpful to find the 1910 census... because if he arrived on 1905, most probably on 1910 he had his italian surname on the census.... before that he anglicized...
suanj

[SomethingSteph]

Welcome to IG website can you give us some more info like where they settled and their wifes names to help in researching

Marty

Hi Marty and suanj,
Thank you so much for responding. Here's all the information I was able to gather thus far...

===

Harry's father, Joseph, was born Nov. 21, 1863 in Italy. His fathers name may have been Thomas. Not sure where though; having a really hard time finding birth records. I believe he was married to a Mary Zebrowski (1862-?). They had 2 sons in Italy, Harry L. Ross (1889-1931), born in Nicastro, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy and Joe Frank Ross (1894-?), possibly born in Rome. Joseph immigrated to the U.S. around 1895 - not sure if he traveled with or without his wife and not sure where they landed. I assume New York. Harry immigrated in 1905, again assuming in New York. I cannot find any immigration records or passenger lists. I read that a lot of times, when italians immigrated to the U.S. their Italian names were changed to sound more American, thus assuming that their real Italian surname was changed to Ross.

Based off of a 1910 Census from Cook Co., IlI, Harry might have traveled to Chicago, Il, stayed as a lodger with the Montesonte family (they had 3 other lodgers staying with them). He worked as a laborer for broker shoe(?). He was 20 at the time. But this census says he immigrated in 1904.

1915, Harry marries Florence (Francis on marriage records but Florence on every other document - why the name change?) Romans in Flint, MI.
1916: Birth of Josephine Helen in Elsie, MI.
1917: Birth of Arvena Hilda in Rochester, NY
1919: Birth of Evaline Marie in St. Clair, MI
1920: Birth and death of "infant Ross" in St. Clair
1921: Birth of Joseph Frank in San Bernardino, CA
1923: Birth of John Paul in San Bernardino, CA
1925: they resided in Lansing, MI
1927: they still lived in Lansing, MI
1931: son Joseph dies in Dayton, OH (was Harry and Florence separated or divorced at this time?)
1931: Harry dies in Trenton, MI

I am unable to find nothing on Harry from the 1930 census, he might have been in the New York/Pennsylvania/Chicago area. I do know he had an alias, Frank Messina, and was using it around 1930. I found a newspaper article stating that he was arrested in Detroit, Nov. 1930, under his alias. But that's all I know. I do have some information on Harry's criminal activity as a rum-rummer and racketeer, mainly in the Detroit and Lansing, MI area. Most of the articles spells his last name as "Rosse" - which could have been based on police finding his driver's license when he died. But on all other records it's just spelled "Ross."

===

I've attached a timeline I've been working on of Harry's life in case it can help.

Again, thank you all so much for the willingness to help! This is all so exciting to me.

Steph

[suanj]

Hi Steph,
I read with attention your post... and something don't match... the Harry father, Joseph, better Giuseppe in italian spelling, well he cannot be born on 1863 and Harry on 1889... Steph Giuseppe was just 17 old on 1889! And he fathered Harry when 16 old? no, maybe in current era, but in the past time, the things was different...... so I believe that Giuseppe was almost 21 or 22 old, so born abt on 1857 or 1858, or so....
abt Giuseppe ( Joseph/Joe) wife, Mary Zebrowski, I don't know if she was a partner or a american wife, but surely she was no the mother of Harry! There is a one probability, one on a billion, that Joe Ross senior married in Nicastro or however in Italy with a woman with this name, so she is no the mother of Harry, second my opinion...

abt Ross surname, I am positive abt Nicastro birthplace, and most probably the italian spelling was Russo... or Raso, or Rasi, Rosella.... are many options.... But I believe Russo a probable option....
abt the first name, Harry could be a version of Enrico, Errico, Arrigo, Aroldo, Arnoldo, who know, if really he americanized his first name or changed completely...
I will search more...
regards,
suanj

[suanj]

Hi Steph,
I read with attention your post... and something don't match... the Harry father, Joseph, better Giuseppe in italian spelling, well he cannot be born on 1863 and Harry on 1889...

Steph, Giuseppe was just 17 old on 1889! And he fathered Harry when 16 old? no, maybe in current era, but in the past time, the things was different...... so I believe that Giuseppe was almost 21 or 22 old, so born abt on 1857 or 1858, or so....

abt Giuseppe ( Joseph/Joe) wife, Mary Zebrowski, I don't know if she was a partner or a american wife, but surely she was no the mother of Harry! There is a one probability, one on a billion, that Joe Ross senior married in Nicastro or however in Italy with a woman with this name, so she is no the mother of Harry, second my opinion...

abt Ross surname, I am positive abt Nicastro birthplace, and most probably the italian spelling was Russo... or Raso, or Rasi, Rosella.... are many options.... But I believe Russo a probable option....
abt the first name, Harry could be a version of Enrico, Errico, Arrigo, Aroldo, Arnoldo, who know, if really he americanized his first name or changed completely...
I will search more...
regards,
suanj

sorry , I made wrong count, Giuseppe was abt 26 old when Harry was born, ok, sorry, I replied, and I had just woken up !
ok, abt 1863.. the Nicastro births on line are from 1823 to 1857 http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... stro/Nati/
suanj

[SomethingSteph]

Oh. This is great. Thank you suanj. I don't speak Italian, but I will try my best to recognize the recommended names you provided!

Thank you again,
Steph

[SomethingSteph]

Oh. This is great. Thank you suanj. I don't speak Italian, but I will try my best to recognize the recommended names you provided!

Thank you again,
Steph

I looked under the 1838/1889 (assuming that these images are birth records from 1889 in Nicastro) and figure that my ancestor could possibly be within pictures 341 and 342, as those two appear to have the surnames that start with "R". If someone wouldn't mind looking over those pages and letting me know if you see anyone who resembles a Harry Ross (DOB: June 13, 1889) with parents, Thomas and Mary. I would greatly appreciate it!

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ?g2_page=8


Thank you again,
Steph

[suanj]

No, 1889 is the number of folder abt 1838 births... the Birth records of Nicastro, after the 1857, are no available on line...
suanj

[oconnor2980]

I am very interested in your search because it's somewhat similar to my search. My dad's last name is Ross. He died in 1985 when I was 5 years old. I don't know much about him or is family. I was the product of an affair. My whole life I have wondered where my dad's family originated from. So a few years ago I started my own search on ancestry.com. well ancestry.com says that the last name Ross is of Scottish. But I know from seeing pics of my dad and from what people tell me , he was not Scottish. So I came up with that his mom and dad migrated from Pennsylvania in the early 1900's . And I kept getting other people's family tree suggestions that their last name was originally Rossidavito. Not sure! I'm also certain that Scottish people would not have named their son Anthony Vincent Ross. His dad's name was also Anthony Vincent. He has a sister named Evelyn Ross but her married name is Antras! I am at at a stand still. I really want to confirm my lineage! Italian would make so much sense to me. I have dark black hair, dark eyes, so dark brown that they look black. I have olive colored skin tone, as did my dad.

[SomethingSteph]

Hi there. I just now read your replay. My great-great grandpa, Harry Ross, had a brother named Anthony (not sure of middle name) and a sister named Mary Evelyn, but she married a Grandville Whitmore and they were married for a long time. Through Ancestry DNA, I was able to connect with some 2nd cousins who told me that the Ross's on my side were originally ROSSI's, but changed it. Not sure why though.

[TSimon]

I am very interested in your search because it's somewhat similar to my search. My dad's last name is Ross. He died in 1985 when I was 5 years old. I don't know much about him or is family. I was the product of an affair. My whole life I have wondered where my dad's family originated from. So a few years ago I started my own search on ancestry.com. well ancestry.com says that the last name Ross is of Scottish. But I know from seeing pics of my dad and from what people tell me , he was not Scottish. So I came up with that his mom and dad migrated from Pennsylvania in the early 1900's . And I kept getting other people's family tree suggestions that their last name was originally Rossidavito. Not sure! I'm also certain that Scottish people would not have named their son Anthony Vincent Ross. His dad's name was also Anthony Vincent. He has a sister named Evelyn Ross but her married name is Antras! I am at at a stand still. I really want to confirm my lineage! Italian would make so much sense to me. I have dark black hair, dark eyes, so dark brown that they look black. I have olive colored skin tone, as did my dad.

Same boat here! My mother is the product of an affair and his last name is Ross. Also an Italian whose parents came from from PA. Interesting! Have you done DNA? Would be interested to see if we match up.

[Guest]

I have people in my tree named Ross. In Pittsburgh they started using Ross. While researching them I found many Italian families in PA who had shortened their name to Ross.

[SomethingSteph]

I have people in my tree named Ross. In Pittsburgh they started using Ross. While researching them I found many Italian families in PA who had shortened their name to Ross.

A lot of my Ross research has primarily been in the Lansing/Detroit, Michigan areas. I did find one newspaper article that talks about a William Ross, who was my 2x great-grandfathers cousin, being murdered either in PA or NY and the police thought it was Harry who murdered him (but it wasn't). What are some of the Ross names you have?