Balnagowan Castle (5)
David Ross 11th of Balnagowan fought for King Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, but was captured and died in the Tower of London in 1653.  His son David Ross, 12th of Balnagowan, together with his wife Anne, daughter of James Stewart, 4th Earl of Moray, rebuilt Balnagown, as attested to by a surviving stone with the date 1672 on the castle, but dying childless in 1711, Balnagowan passed to the Rosses of Halkhead, despite the fact that there is no known relationship between the two families.

Halkhead is now called Hawkhead and is just east of Paisley.  It became part of the Hawkhead Asylum in 1914 and was completely demolished in 1953.  William, 12th Lord Ross of Halkhead (died 1738) was laird of Halkhead when he inherited Balnagowan.  He was leading much too busy a life in the Lowlands to consider hoofing off to the Highlands, and Balnagowan seems to have been ignored (except for its revenues no doubt!).  in about 1707, he attempted to secure for himself the ancient Earldom of Ross, which aroused the genealogical indignation of the Earl of Cromartie, who memorably wrote that Ross had no more relation to the old Earls of Ross &quot;than the miller of Carstairs has to the Prince of Parma&quot;!

I presume that the 12th Lord Ross of Halkhead must have settled Balnagowan on the younger of his two grandsons, Charles, because he was designed 'of Halkhead.  Unfortunately he was killed at the Battle of Fontenoy, whereupon his father 'succeeded to the estate of Balnagown' - the reverse of the usual state of affairs.  

George, 13th Lord Ross of Halkhead died in 1754.  His only surviving son William, 14th Lord, only survived his father by two months.  Dying childless, the title of Lord Ross fell extinct.  The Halkhead estate was divided between his sisters and Balnagowan passed to Sir James Ross Lockhart.
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