Pipe Major William Ross (1823 - 1891)

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Piper to Queen Victoria from 1854 to 1891, he established a bagpipe making business in London which was carried on after his death by his principal assistant, an immigrant German wood turner, Henry Starck. He published "A Collection of Marches, Strathspeys, Reels and Pibrochs" in 1864.

The firm of Henry Starck, Musical Wind Instrument and Bagpipe Maker, making Highland and Irish bagpipes, was founded in London in 1876. He went into a partnership with William Ross from 1854 and began making bagpipes, and Ross's name appeared on Starck's early work. Henry Starck introduced a new bagpipe about 1906 with a keyed chanter and bass, baritone and tenor drones set in a common stock. He took out a series of Patents between about 1906 and 1910 for 'Irish System' and 'Scottish System' War Pipes. The firm closed down in 1962.

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• Online ID: 000-000-579-599-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: The Bagpipe Collection
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  Bagpipe Archive 3.7
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• Who: Kenneth MacLeay (artist of original portrait)
  Pipe Major William Ross (depicted)
  
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• Description: Pipe Major William Ross (1823 - 1891).
  
• References:
  • Cheape, Hugh,. The Book of the Bagpipe. Belfast: Appletree Press, 1999, p.74.
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