Ross, Thomas, approximately 1709-1786

Thomas Ross was an Irish-born Quaker minister who spent much of his life in southeastern Pennsylvania. He emigrated as a young man from Tyrone, Ireland to Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pa. He never married. He was a sweet-spirited and acceptable minister among Friends, and traveled somewhat in religious service in America before going to England in company with Rebecca Jones and her party in 1784. He remained there for two years, and never returned. A serious fall on the voyage, occasioned by a sudden lurch of the vessel, injured him so that at his advanced age - he was then seventy seven - he never fully recovered. After a stay in London, on account of illness, he travelled to Bristol and sailed to Cork. He visited most meetings in Ireland, and with John Pemberton of Philadelphia spent some time in ministering to non-Friends. After the National Half-Year's meeting at Dublin, May 1785, they returned to England. They attended Yearly Meeting London, and those at Woodbridge and Norwich, and the Quarterly Meetings of Lincoln, York and Durham, visiting many other meetings on the way. From Durham they went through Newcastle into Scotland with some other Friends, as far as Old Meldrum. Ross and Pemberton went on to Inverness. His health declining, he turned back at this point and returned by way of Edinburgh, Old Meldrum and Newcastle to York, where he attended Monthly Meeting 3 Nov. 1785, which was the last meeting he was able to attend. He died at the house of Lindley Murray at Holgate near York, 13 Feb 1786. He was buried three days later, at his own desire, beside his friend and countryman, John Woolman. Rebecca Jones and George Dillwyn preached at his funeral. John Pemberton was in England at the time, and spent some days with him.