Roderick Ross
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Roderick Ross CVO
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
KPM (24 May 1865 – 6 March 1943) was Chief Constable of
Edinburgh City Police Lothian and Borders Police was the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian between 1975 and 2013. The force's headquarters were in Fettes A ...
from 1900 to 1935.


Early life

Ross was born in
West Helmsdale West Helmsdale is a small settlement lying on the right bank of the River Helmsdale, on the east coast of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as ...
in the parish of Kildonan, Sutherland, the son of a
crofter A croft is a traditional Scottish term for a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a ten ...
. His namesake, his grandfather, a
Chelsea Pensioner A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea ...
, had been evicted from Kildonan during the
Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...
. Aged 16, he was apprenticed to a Helmsdale tailor, but soon moved to Edinburgh where he was employed by Sir Andrew McDonald, an eminent clothier and later Lord Provost from 1894 to 1897.


Police career

On coming of age at 21 he joined the police. Firstly, the Linlithgow Burgh Police, before moving after a year to
Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
and then
Bacup Bacup ( , ) is a town in the Rossendale Borough in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundaries with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. The town is in the Rossendale Valley and the upper Irwell Valley, east ...
, where he met Robert Peacock. Peacock took him to Kent when he assumed the position of Chief Constable of Canterbury City Police in 1888. By 1891 Ross was a
Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
and had married a local Canterbury girl. He left Canterbury in 1891 to go to Ramsgate Borough Police as
Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...
. Three years later, when the Chief Constable's post became vacant, such was the ability he had shown and such was the high esteem he had earned, that the watch committee appointed him Chief Constable without advertising the post. He left Ramsgate in 1898 to take up the position of Chief Constable of
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
, When at Bradford in charge of 354 men he commenced a programme of reform and started the police band. He left two years later to take up the post of Chief Constable of Edinburgh, a post he held from 1900 to 1935. He was succeeded in Bradford by
Joseph Farndale Joseph Farndale (1864 – 22 February 1954) was a British police officer who served as Chief Constable of Bradford City Police from 1900 to 1938.Obituary, ''The Times'', 24 February 1954 Farndale was born in Wakefield and educated at Field Hous ...
. When appointed the new Chief Constable of Edinburgh he sponsored the re-establishment of the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band, now known as the
Lothian and Borders Police Lothian and Borders Police was the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian between 1975 and 2013. The force's headquarters were in Fett ...
Pipe Band. Prior to his appointment the band had struggled as an occasional ''ad hoc'' enterprise. The band wore for many years as its tartan the Ancient Red Ross in his honour, only giving it up shortly after his death and the end of World War II. Ross introduced
police box A police box is a public telephone kiosk or callbox for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police. It was used in some countries, most widely in the United Kingdom throughout the 20th century from th ...
es to Edinburgh in 1933. Edinburgh had at the time a population of over 427,000, and an area of over ; it was the largest urban police area in Scotland. He was appointed Member 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in September 1905,
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours, and
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
(CVO) in July 1934. He was awarded the
King's Police Medal The King's Police Medal (KPM) is awarded to police in the United Kingdom for gallantry or distinguished service. It was also formerly awarded within the wider British Empire, including Commonwealth countries, most of which now have their own hono ...
(KPM) in the
1922 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1922 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 30 December 1921. The recipients of honours are displayed her ...
.


Personal life

In 1891 Ross married Elizabeth Mills, the daughter of a Canterbury fruit merchant and former
licensed victualler A landlord is the owner of property such as a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate that is rented or leased to an individual or business, known as a tenant (also called a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). The term landlord applies ...
. The couple had thirteen children, the first six born in England. Of the children, one was named after his mentor Sir Robert Peacock and another after his friend Sir Thomas Lipton. Ross bore a remarkable resemblance to King Edward VII. Ross and two of his sons were Chief Constables at the same time. Donald Angus Ross (born 1896) was Chief Constable of
Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area now forms part of ...
from 1927 to 1961 and Douglas George Ross (born 1897) was Chief Constable of
Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...
from 1933 to 1962. He retired to Portobello, Edinburgh and died on 6 March 1943 after a short illness in a nursing home at 19 Great King Street, Edinburgh. He is commemorated by a police golfing trophy, the Roderick Ross Challenge Cup, open to serving or retired Chief Officers.


References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Roderick 1865 births 1943 deaths People from Sutherland British Chief Constables Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Scottish recipients of the Queen's Police Medal