Howard Ross and the Trigg brothers
• Howard Ross and Family
• Trigg Brothers
Some of Howard's cards are interspersed.
Howard Ross and Family
In 2021 the History Group received a small box of Ross family photos and greeting cards from Brenton Jury, who now lives in Brisbane. Brenton said 'about 45 years ago I bought a bundle of old cards with a few photographs from an op shop in the Adelaide Hills somewhere. Some of those cards have a family name on them and I have finally decided to do a bit of basic research on that name'.
Brenton discovered a link to Macclesfield and Howard DC Ross: -
• who, it seems, kept the cards after they were sent to him mainly in the 1890s-1900s?
• Howard became a Schoolmaster at the Macclesfield School and a Scoutmaster who received a Scout Gilt Cross for bravery in 1926.
• Howard's father was John Charles Ross (1856-1937) and his mother was Julia Wright.
He was kind enough to send this box of treasures to the Group in the hope that Howard's descendants might be interested in seeing them.
Photo of Howard David Charles Ross
Howard David Charles Ross was born in 1890, the third child of John Charles and Julia Ross née Wright. His father, John Charles, was the eldest of seven siblings, Thomas Henry, Annie Selina, Caroline Jane, William P, Eliza Elizabeth and Samuel Howard. Their subsequent marriages into the Webb, Trigg, Lovick, Malone and Murphy families ensured young Howard had lots of relatives. Not to mention his mother's family, the Wrights. So, it is very likely that some of Howard's descendants still live locally. If so, we would love to hear from you and hopefully help us to identify some of the people in the photos and/or names on the cards.
Howard's siblings were - Phillip John Ross b.16 July1884 d.2 Nov 1885, and Emily May Ross b.15 Jan 1886 who married Ernest Quintrell Bartlett in 1912. In 1946 their fourth child Beryl Emily Bartlett married John James Andrew Slack and they called their first child Clyde Andrew Slack; a well-respected member of our community.
From family records we know that in 1916 Howard Ross married Ina Mary Ryan and they had four children - Donald who lived only one day, Jeanette Flo Heather, Flora Martha Stewart and John Alistair.
Howard was the Head teacher at the Macclesfield School from 1923-1937 and Scoutmaster from 1924 when the first Scout Troop was formed. In 1926 he became a local hero and was awarded the Scout Gilt Cross for his act of bravery. Twenty-two years later Howard Ross was on the welcoming committee when Lord Roy Robinson paid a visit to his old home town of Macclesfield.
As reported in the Register 3rd December 1926 – "During a scouting hike in Queensland in July 1925, Scoutmaster Howard Ross, of Macclesfield, SA was asleep in a tent with Sea Scoutmaster Baxter. In the night Mr. Ross awoke and found the tent on fire. He forced himself out of the tent just as it collapsed in flames on Scoutmaster Baxter, who attempted to rise but sank with the blankets and flaming tent over his head. Without hesitation, Mr. Ross plunged his arm into the burning mass and released Mr. Baxter, who escaped with a slight singeing. The plucky act, it is considered, undoubtedly, saved Mr. Baxter from being severely burnt. For his brave act it was decided to award Mr. Ross and on Thursday His Excellency the Governor (Sir Tom Bridges) visited Macclesfield to hand him the Scout Gilt Cross. Hundreds of residents attended the presentation ceremony and the school children were in full force to do honour to their teacher. Flags festooned the main street, the school building was gaily decorated and afternoon tea was served at the Institute. The Governor offered the children a half holiday on the following day if they really wanted it. The show of hands was unanimous!"
Scoutmaster Howard Ross with Jim Peterson, George Dugmore, Bruce Fry and Angus Davis.
They attended a Corroboree in Tasmania in 1927.
From Left WA. Ingerson, Howard Ross, Lord Roy Robinson and Joe Dugmore on Sturt Street on the way to the tree planting ceremony at the Swimming Pool September 1948.
A card to Howard Ross from his mother!
Plaque on the Macclesfield Church of England:
This brass cross was dedicated on 30th September 1984 in recognition of the devoted services to this church by Mrs V. Ross and Mrs E. Wyatt during the years 1959 to 1984 and on.
Trigg Brothers
From Glimpses of the Past in the Maccy Newsletter, Macclesfield History Group Oct 2021
Further to the article printed in the August Newsletter regarding the Howard Ross family photos and greeting cards received from Brenton Jury who lives in Brisbane.
They had been in his safe keeping for the past 45 years and following some research he discovered the Macclesfield connection.
Among the photos was the one above of the Trigg Bros – Carpenters, Builders, Cabinetmakers and Undertakers. To find out more about this business we sought assistance from the 'Can you Help' page of the Sunday Mail. We received great feedback from Lorraine Pomery who is the granddaughter of John William Trigg, one of the three Trigg brothers employed in the business. John's brothers were Samuel and Ebenezer. Lorraine identified the man in the apron as Samuel Trigg. The Ross family connection was through Ebenezer who married Howard's aunty, Annie Selena Ross in 1888 at St John Church Macclesfield.
Annie and Ebenezer lived in Mt Barker although it appears that the business was located at 47 High Street Strathalbyn in 1885.
Our thanks to the helpful volunteers at the Strathalbyn Library History Room who provided this information and the more recent photo of the building taken in 2014. The structure was described in their book Strathalbyn's High Street- A brief History of High Street from 1839 – 2018 as a stone cottage with rendered walls, with modern brick additions to both sides which were added in the 1980's.
Over the years the building was used by various businesses, the latest being the Strathalbyn Hospital Op Shop which raised funds for the Aged Care Complex. It has recently been demolished to allow for extensions to the Aged Care Facility.
We have also received further photos and info about the Ross and Trigg families from Pat Wright and Meredith Wenham (nee Trigg). Much appreciated.
47 High Street, Strathalbyn in 2014
