Ross, Betsy Griscom the daughter of Rebecca James and Samuel Griscom. She was born on 1 January 1752, in Philadelphia. On 4 November 1773, she eloped with John Ross, the son of the Rev. Aeneas Ross of New Castle, Delaware, to Gloucester, New Jersey, where they were married. He enlisted in the militia, and was killed on 21 January 1776, by an explosion of gunpowder on the wharf where he was working. The Pennsylvania Navy Board on 29 May 1777, paid her for making ships flags. Betsy Ross was a seamstress and also ran an upholstery shop. On June 15, 1777 she married Joseph Ashburn, and they had two daughters. On December 7, 1780, he boarded the privateer brigantine Patty as first mate, and in 1781 he commanded the Lion. Ashburn was captured by the British, and on August 31, 1781, he was committed to the Mill Prison near Plymouth, England, where he died in 1782. A fellow prisoner, John Claypoole, who was released by the British, brought the news of Joseph's death to Betsy Ross Ashburn. They were married on May 8, 1783, and had 5 daughters. Capt. Claypoole died on August 3, 1817. In 1870 Betsy Ross's grandson told the story that Gen. George Washington and a secret committe visited her upholstery shop and asked her to design a flag for the Continental Army. This story is traditional and has never been proved, but she did make flags for the Pennsylvania navy in 1777, a patriotic act. Betsy Ross Claypoole died on January 30, 1836. This was taken from Selected Biographies of Women Patriots. ************************************************************************************************ Elizabeth Griscom -- also called Betsy, their eighth child and a fourth-generation American, was born on January 1, 1752. Betsy went to a Friends (Quaker) public school. For eight hours a day she was taught reading,writing, and received instruction in a trade -- probably sewing. After completing her schooling, Betsy's father apprenticed her to a local upholsterer. Today we think of upholsterers primarily as sofa-makers and such, but in colonial times they performed all manner of sewing jobs, including flag-making. It was at her job that Betsy fell in love with another apprentice, John Ross, who was the son of an Episcopal assistant rector at Christ Church. Quakers frowned on inter-denominational marriages. The penalty for such unions was severe --the guilty party being "read out" of the Quaker meeting house. Getting "read out" meant being cut off emotionally and economically from both family and meeting house. One's entire history and community would be instantly dissolved. On a November night in 1773, 21-year-old Betsy eloped with John Ross. They ferried across the Delaware River to Hugg's Tavern and were married in New Jersey. Her wedding caused an irrevocable split from her family. [It is an interesting parallel to note that on their wedding certificate is the name of New Jersey's Governor, William Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's son. Three years later William would have an irrevocable split with his father because he was a Loyalist against the cause of the Revolution.] Less than two years after their nuptials, the couple started their own upholstery business. Their decision was a bold one as competition was tough and they could not count on Betsy's Quaker circle for business. As she was "read out" of the Quaker community, on Sundays one could now find Betsy at Christ Church sitting in pew 12 with her husband. Some Sundays would find George Washington, America's new commander in chief, sitting in an adjacent pew. --