Robert Ross (British Marines officer)

Major Robert Ross (c.1740 – 9 June 1794) was the officer in charge of the First Fleet garrison of marines, and Lieutenant-Governor of the convict settlement of Norfolk Island.Robert Ross was born in Scotland, and joined the marines in June 1756, being present at the siege of Louisburg and the capture of Quebec during the Seven Years' War (1756–63).David Collins claimed an "inexpressible hatred" for him, and Ralph Clark described him at the time as "without exception the most disagreeable commanding officer I ever knew".Back in Sydney Ross immediately quarrelled and fought a duel with an officer of the newly arrived New South Wales Corps, neither party being injured.In a sense, he appears as the main villain of the piece, sporting an outraged attitude towards Ralph Clark's proposal to the play, and exhibiting near sadism in his treatment of the convicts.
First Fleetmarinesconvict settlementNorfolk IslandScotlandLouisburgQuebecSeven Years' WarBunker HillAmerican War of IndependenceNew South Wales Marine CorpsbrevetNew South WalesHMS SiriusScarboroughArthur PhillipDavid CollinsPort JacksonNew South Wales CorpsHMS Gorgoncaptain-lieutenantTimberlake WertenbakerOur Country's GoodJimmy McGovernBanishedJoseph MillsonAustralian National UniversityAustralian Dictionary of BiographyGillen, MollieHazzard, MargaretHughes, RobertLieutenant Governor of New South WalesFrancis Grose