Henrietta Ross
1830 - 1873

Early life

Henrietta (Ross) Black was born in May 1830 in the Red River Settlement. Her father, Alexander Ross, was a Scottish trader with the HBC until he retired and moved to the Settlement. Her mother, Sarah “Sally” (Timentwa) Ross was a Sylix woman from the Okanagan region.
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Marriage and family

Very little is known about her early life. In 1853, Henrietta was in the process of discussing marriage to John Gunn Jr., who already assumed they were engaged. The arrival of John Black, the first Presbyterian minister, in September 1853, marked the end of her and Gunn’s possible marriage as she was quickly wedded to Black the same year. Their marriage was seen as unusual for the time, as she was a Metis woman and he was a high-standing member of the church. John Black was also twelve years older than Henrietta.
Picture
Henrietta Ross
Black asked Alexander Ross for permission to marry his daughter. In exchange, he promised that he would stay in Red River to help run the church for more than the original year-long term he had been hired for. Alexander happily agreed to this proposal, as he had been advocating to establish a Presbyterian church for decades. There is no record of Henrietta's perspective on the situation.
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Black opened the first Presbyterian church in the Red River Settlement with the aid of the Ross family, in what is now Kildonan.
The Ross family gained a great deal of status through their connection to the Presbyterian minister, but their prominent position also made them the target of racism and gossip in a church primarily made up of Scottish settlers. Henrietta's sister recorded comments:
"Mr. Black must feel rather ashamed to look down on all his 'black' relations when he stepped into the pulpit."
Picture
John Black and Henrietta Ross Black
​Henrietta and John had nine children while they were together:
  • William (January 11, 1855 - ?) He married Catherine Sutherland.  
  • Sarah Margaret (August 24, 1856 - February 4, 1937) She married Frederick Hanhurst Francis.  
  • Alexander Ross (1858 - December 26, 1865)  
  • James Hunter (February 27, 1860 - ?) He married Francies Zembia Hagarty. 
  • Robert Burns (November 10, 1863 - March 19, 1865)
  • Donald Mathew (August 11, 1864 - January 7, 1866)
  • John Henry (July 15, 1866 - 1935)
  • Ann Isabelle (December 23, 1868 - ?)
  • Henrietta Rose (February 4, 1871 - ?) She married Thomas Laidlaw. 

Nothing further is known about her life. In March of 1873, Henrietta died at the age of 42.