Researching Betsy Ross
Investigate the background of Betsy Ross using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 32729 people with the Ross surname? In that year Ross was ranked number 97 for popularity in the UK. |

The name Betsy means "form of ELIZABETH - consecrated to God" and is of English origin.
Records of Betsy Ross on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Betsy Ross in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Betsy Ross. |
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DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Ross ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Ross Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Betsy Ross and the Ross Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Ross Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Ross family tree.
Check out Parish Records for Betsy Ross at Find My Past.
Explore for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Betsy Ross using the FreeBMD database.
Explore Genealogy Bank for Betsy Ross records.
Study MyHeritage for Betsy Ross information.
Investigate the LDS Database for records about Betsy Ross.
Research the Ross surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Ross Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 40564 people with the Ross surname in the UK? Ross is now ranked number 106 for popularity in the UK. |
Ross Family History Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Look at the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Betsy Ross.
Study MyTrees for information on the Ross family and people looking to contact living Ross relations.
Look at One Great Family for Ross records submitted by people who are already researching the Ross Family Tree.
Find Betsy Ross from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Ross Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Ross surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 291672 people with the Ross surname in the USA? Ross is ranked number 67 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Ross Databases
Explore the Ellis Island Database for information on Betsy Ross. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross
Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom; January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn and Claypoole, was an American upholsterer who was credited by her relatives in 1870 with making the first American flag, accordingly known as the Betsy Ross flag. Though most historians dismiss the story, Ross family tradition holds that General George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and two members of a congressional committee—Robert Morris and George Ross—visited Mrs. Ross in 1776. Mrs. Ross convinced George Washington to change the shape of the stars in a sketch of a flag he showed her from six-pointed to five-pointed by demonstrating that it was easier and speedier to cut the latter. However, there is no archival evidence or other recorded verbal tradition to substantiate this story of the first American flag. It appears that the story first surfaced in the writings of her grandson in the 1870s (a century after the fact), with no mention or documentation in earlier decades.
Ross made flags for the Pennsylvania navy during the American Revolution. After the Revolution, she made U.S. flags for over 50 years, including 50 garrison flags for the U.S. Arsenal on the Schuylkill River during 1811. The flags of the Pennsylvania navy were overseen by the Pennsylvania Navy Board. The board reported to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly's Committee of Safety. In July 1775, the President of the Committee of Safety was Benjamin Franklin. Its members included Robert Morris and George Ross. At that time, the committee ordered the construction of gunboats that would eventually need flags as part of their equipment. As late as October 1776, Captain William Richards was still writing to the committee or Council of Safety to request the design that he could use to order flags for their fleet.
Ross was one of those hired to make flags for the Pennsylvania fleet. An entry dated May 29, 1777, in the records of the Pennsylvania Navy Board includes an order to pay her for her work. It is worded as follows:
The Pennsylvania navy's ship color included (1) an ensign; (2) a long, narrow pennant; and (3) a short, narrow pennant. The ensign was a blue flag with 13 stripes—seven red stripes and six white stripes in the flag's canton (upper-left-hand corner). It was flown from a pole at the rear of the ship. The long pennant had 13 vertical, red-and-white stripes near the mast; the rest was solid red. It flew from the top of the ship's mainmast, the center pole holding the sails. The short pennant was solid red, and flew from the top of the ship's mizzenmast—the pole holding the ship's sails nearest the stern (rear of the ship).
Source: Betsy Ross, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Ross
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
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