History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, ed.
by William Henry Perrin,  O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago, 1882.  p. 763.
[Nicholas County]  [Carlisle City and Precinct]

JUDGE WILLIAM P. ROSS, a prominent lawyer and banker of Carlisle, is a son
of Greenberry and Martha (Parks) Ross (see Parks' hist).  He was born Aug.
11, 1825 at Carlisle.  His father was a native of Bourbon County, but
settled in Nicholas 1818, where he lived until his death, March 29, 1859.
He was a tailor by trade; and subsequently a farmer.  The grandfather of
Judge was Samuel Ross, a Pennsylvanian of English extraction, who settled
in Bourbon County at an early date.  The subject of this sketch attended
the best schools of the county, and worked upon the farm a considerable
portion of the time until his twenty-first year, when he turned his
attention to teaching.  During the same year, 1846, he began reading law
and prepared for the legal profession at Carlisle under Fitch Munger, a
prominent lawyer of the town.  In 1848 he was admitted to the bar and
entered upon the practice of his profession at Carlisle, where he has
since resided.  He established a large and successful practice, taking a
foremost position at the bar, and became one of the most valuable business
men of the county.  In 1851 he was elected the first Judge of Nicholas
County under the workings of the new Constitution; he also held the
office of Master Commissioner for a number of years, but has never held
a political office, strictly speaking.  He is a stockholder in the
Deposit Bank of Carlisle, of which he has been president since the year
1870.  He belonged to the old Whig party of the State until its
dissolution, since which time he has been independent in politics. During
the Rebellion he was an ardent Union man.  Religiously he is connected
with the Presbyterians, is an elder in that denomination and a prominent
man in the affairs of the church.  He is a man of fine personal,
professional and social habits, of great integrity of character, and is
one of the most substantial and useful men in his community.  Mr. Ross
has been twice married; in February 1853, to Miss Columbia Neal, daughter
of John Neal of Nicholas County.  She died Jan. 29, 1857, leaving one
child, John N., born Nov. 28, 1853; was married Nov. 28, 1876 to Miss
Ida Adair.  He is a member of the large grocery of Adair & Son.  In 1862
he was again married to Miss Elizabeth Davis, a native of Woodford
County, and daughter of John W. Davis and America Gaines.  By her he has
six children: Columbia T., born June 6, 1863; Henry E. and Mary E., Oct.
5, 1864; William P. Jr., Jan. 9, 1867; James B., July 27, 1871; Mattie,
Sept. 28, 1874.

Ross Parks Munger Neal Adair Davis Gaines
=
Woodford-KY Bourbon-KY PA

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/nicholas/ross.wp.txt