Ross, William Pennell

Submitted by Mike Miller Ross, William Pennell, who has been identified with the steamship transportation business in New Orleans for more than 40 years, was born July 19, 1852, at Brunswick, Me., the son of James Ross, a native of the same place born in 1820. James Ross was a sea captain until 1861 when he went to Liverpool, England, and became a steamship agent, which business he followed until his death in 1878. In 1849 he was married to Miss Lucy N. Pennell of Brunswick, Me., and to them 7 children were born as follows: James, William P., Elizabeth (afterwards Mrs. Frederick E. Counce); Lucy, now Mrs. John Brookie of Liverpool, England; Arabella, John O. B.; and Albert M., now of Brandon, Manitoba. William P. Ross' early youth was spent in the town of his birth, where he lived with his parents until he was 9 years of age and attended the public school. At that time the family removed to Liverpool, Eng., where William P. Ross lived for the next 10 years of his life and where part of the time he attended Liverpool college. Leaving school when 14 and a half years old he went to work in his father's office; that of Ross, Skolfield & Co., steamship agents, where he remained for about 5 years, at the end of which he came to New Orleans at the age of 19. In this city he started with the firm of A. K. Miller & Co., as clerk but afterwards became a partner in the firm. This firm of steamship agents lasted until 1879 when Mr. Ross retired from it and formed a new one, Forstall, Ross & Clayton, in the same line of business which in 1883 was succeeded by Ross, Keen & Co., and this remained until 1889 when it was changed to Ross, Howe & Merrow. This last named firm continued in the steamship agency business until 1896 when Mr. Ross retired to take the management of the steamship department of Charles F. Orthwein & Sons. In 1891 Mr. Ross formed a partnership with Mr. John Heyn under the name of Ross & Heyn, steamship agents. This firm has been in operation continuously since its organization and is doing a large business as agents for various transatlantic steamship lines. Mr. Ross is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal church; a member of the New Orleans board of trade; of the New Orleans Steamship association and of the Public Belt railroad commission. In 1873 Mr. Ross was married to Miss Clara Jane Keen, daughter of Alfred Keen, of the firm of Ross, Keen & Co. Mr. and Mrs. Ross have 1 son, James Alfred, born in 1874, and now in the insurance business in the city of New Orleans.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 383-384. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.