Eliza Ann Ross, née McGray (1849–1940), is a Canadian woman best known for commanding the steel four-mast barquentine Reform.
[9] As a consequence of these tragedies, Eliza Ann and her husband Captain David Ross raised Almira's fourth son, John Jenkins Kenney (1882–1963).
[9] Eliza Ann accompanied her husband, Captain David Ross, on many ocean voyages in square-riggers.
[9] She was with her husband aboard the brig Madeline Lovitt in 1899, en route to Falmouth with a load of grain, when their ship was rammed and badly damaged while lying in wait for a favorable wind.
On their last voyage Captain Ross who was then fifty-three years old, accompanied by Eliza Ann, was in command of the steel four-masted barquentine Reform, which had been bought by William Lovitt of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1899.
On the night of February the eleventh, a heavy sea broke over the barquentine and flooded the deck, sweeping Captain Ross overboard to a watery grave.
[11][2] This was a traumatic experience for Eliza Ann but, having learned navigation from her husband, she assumed command of the ship.
[9][2][1] Besides having to cope with her loss and the responsibility of taking complete charge of the barquentine, she had to depend on her first mate to interpret her orders to the crew.
[14] Although Eliza Ann did not leave any descendants, she did raise her sister's son, John Jenkins Kenney, Jr.
[16] She was buried near her grandparents, parents, sisters, and brothers in the McGray family plot in Centreville, Cape Sable Island, Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
[18] On 15 November 1906, the Reform was in ballast, sailing from Rio Janeiro to Turk's Island, where she was to load a cargo of salt for Boston.
[19] At about 5 o'clock in the morning, Reform, while under full sail, struck a sunken reef about a mile from Barbuda and "went so hard and fast that it was decided impossible to take her off."
While Reform was a total loss, Captain Spears and the crew reached the shore safely.
Brig Reform from Barbados went ashore at Brier Island in nearby Digby County on 25 November 1837.