Betsey Ross

Family Overview and Vital Records

Born Elizabeth Griscom on January 1, 1752, Gloucester City, NJ
Died January 30, 1836 (age 84 years)
Parents - Rebecca James and Samuel Griscom
Spouses - John Claypoole (m. 1783–1817),
Joseph Ashburn (m. 1777–1782),
and John Ross (m. 1773–1776)

Our Betsey?
A Family Story Passed Down

Hands up if you have heard the family rumor about being related to the creator of the original American flag, Betsy Ross. I heard this story and have been intrigued about it for the last thirty years. Every once and awhile I would search on some genealogy sites and history groups to see if any new information emerged about her family life, looking to see if I could find any possible link between her and our clan.

Where Did The Rumor Begin?

Where does this rumor come from? I have no idea. I think it was Aunt Margie who first mentioned it to me and who mentioned it to her is a mystery. How could Betsy be related to us? Well, the most obvious link would be with the surname Ross. We have Ross ancestors in our tree, starting with William M. Ross. Betsy, who was born Elizabeth Griscom, was briefly married to John Ross from 1773 until he was killed in 1776. They lived in Philadelphia and ran a small upholstery shop. Is this where the link comes from?

The Challenge With The Connection

First the bad news. During their marriage, John and Betsy did not have any children so Betsy would not be a direct ancestor to us. If we were connected to Betsy then it would be through John's family as possibly an aunt or a sister-in-law but not a blood relative. John did come from a large family with eight other siblings as well as many aunts and uncles. One of his uncles, George Ross, was a signer of The Declaration of Independence and, legend has it, he was the one that brought George Washington to meet Betsy and ask her to make our flag.

A Glimmer Of Hope

Now for the somewhat good news. There are so many relatives of John Ross that we have a glimmer of hope that we might be able to connect our William M. Ross to this possible family. We do not know a lot about where William M. Ross was born in about 1809 or who his parents were but there was a small clue in his obituary when it was printed in 1902. It said that William was born in eastern Pennsylvania and went west to Crawford County as a young man. As the Philadelphia area is in the eastern part of the state it is possible this is where two families can connect somehow.

An Unfinished Mystery

For now, the story remains a family tradition rather than a proven fact. Yet, as every genealogist knows, even the smallest clue can open the door to a remarkable discovery. Perhaps somewhere in the records of eastern Pennsylvania lies the answer to whether our Ross family and the family of Betsy Ross once shared common roots.

Happy Fourth of July!