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{{Short description|English nobleman (c. 1370 – 1414)}}
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[[File:Sir William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros, KG (cropped).png|thumb|upright=1.1|alt=Coat of arms of William Ros|Arms of William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros, from an original illustration of his [[garter stall plate]] by [[William St&nbsp;John Hope]]:{{sfn|St&nbsp;John Hope|1901}} ''Gules, three water bougets argent''{{sfn|Newton|1846|p=210}}]]

'''William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros''' ({{circa|1370}} – 1 November 1414), was a medieval [[English nobleman]], politician and soldier. The second son of [[Thomas Ros, 4th Baron Ros|Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron Ros]], and Beatrice Stafford, William inherited his father's [[feudal baron]]y and estates (with extensive lands centred on [[Lincolnshire]]) in 1394. Shortly afterwards, he married Margaret, daughter of [[John FitzAlan, 1st Baron Arundel]]. The Fitzalan family, like that of de Ros, was well-connected at the local and national level. They were implacably opposed to [[Richard II of England|King Richard&nbsp;II]], and this may have soured Richard's opinion of the young de Ros.

The late 14th century was a period of political crisis in England. In 1399, Richard&nbsp;II confiscated the estates of his cousin, [[Henry Bolingbroke]], [[Duke of Lancaster]], and exiled him. Bolingbroke invaded England several months later, and de Ros took his side almost immediately. Richard's support had deserted him; de Ros was alongside Henry when Richard surrendered his throne to the invader, who became King Henry&nbsp;IV.  De Ros later voted in the [[House of Lords]] for the former king's imprisonment. De Ros benefited from the new [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian regime]], achieving far more than he had ever done under Richard. He became an important aide and counsellor to King Henry and regularly spoke for him in Parliament. He also supported Henry in his military campaigns, participating in the [[English invasion of Scotland (1400)|invasion of Scotland in 1400]] and assisting in the suppression of the rebellion of [[Richard Scrope (bishop)|Richard Scrope]], [[Archbishop of York]], five years later.

In return for his loyalty to the new regime, de Ros received extensive royal [[patronage]]. This included lands, grants, [[ward (law)|wardships]], and the right to arrange the wards' marriages. De Ros performed valuable service as an advisor and ambassador (perhaps most importantly to Henry, who was often in a state of near-penury; de Ros was a wealthy man, and regularly loaned the crown large amounts of money). Important as he was in government and the regions, de Ros was unable to avoid the tumultuous regional conflicts and feuds which were rife at this time. In 1411 he was involved in a land dispute with a powerful Lincolnshire neighbour, and narrowly escaped an ambush; he sought and received redress in Parliament. Partly because of de Ros's restraint in not seeking the severe penalties available to him, he was described by a 20th-century historian as a particularly wise and forbearing figure for his time.

King Henry&nbsp;IV died in 1413. De Ros did not long survive him, and played only a minor role in government during the last year of his life. He may have been out of favour with the new king, [[Henry V of England|Henry&nbsp;V]]. As [[Prince of Wales]], Henry had fallen out with his father a few years before, and de Ros had supported Henry&nbsp;IV over his son. De Ros died in [[Belvoir Castle]] on 1&nbsp;November 1414. His wife survived him by twenty-four years; his son and heir, [[John Ros, 7th Baron Ros|John]], was still a [[Minor (law)|minor]]. John later [[Battle of Agincourt|fought at Agincourt]] in 1415 and died childless in France in 1421. The [[Baron de Ros|barony of de Ros]] was then inherited by William's second son, [[Thomas Ros, 8th Baron Ros|Thomas]], who also died in military service in France, seven years after his brother.

== Background and career under Richard II ==
[[File:Two consecutive kings of England, Richard II and Henry IV.png|thumb|upright=1.5|King Richard II of England ''(left)'', to whose deposition de Ros acquiesced in favour of Richard's cousin: Henry Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV ''(right)''|alt=Diptrych of King Richard II and Henry IV]]

The exact date of William de Ros's birth is unknown. He was described in 1394 as about twenty-three years old, which would place his birth year around 1370.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=111}} His family was an important one in [[Lincolnshire]] and [[Yorkshire]],{{Sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=103}}{{refn|The family name was also spelt by contemporaries as Roos, Ross, and Rous, among other variants.{{sfn|Newton|1846|p=210}} Modern historians, thus, also use different spellings.|group=note}} and the historian [[Chris Given-Wilson]] has described them as one of the greatest fourteenth-century baronial families to never receive an earldom.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1996|p=64}} De Ros's father was [[Thomas Ros, 4th Baron Ros|Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron Ros]], who fought in the [[Hundred Years' War]] under [[King Edward III of England|Edward III]] (particularly in the [[Battle of Poitiers|Poitiers]] campaign of 1356). Several years before William's birth, King Edward instructed Thomas to remain with his army on his Irish estates "to prevent the loss and destruction of the country".{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=101}} Thomas married Beatrice, the widow of [[Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond|Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond]], and daughter of the [[Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford|first Earl of Stafford]]. He died in [[Uffington, Lincolnshire]], in June 1384, and his eldest son [[John Ros, 5th Baron Ros|John]]—William's elder brother—inherited the title as fifth Baron Ros.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|pp=101–102}}

De Ros also had two younger brothers, Robert and Thomas, "of whom nothing is known".{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=107}} John's career was brief. By 1382 he had married Mary, half-sister of the [[Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland|Earl of Northumberland]]. John fought for the new king, [[Richard II of England|Richard II]] (heir of Edward III, who died in 1377), in the [[English invasion of Scotland (1385)|1385–86 Scottish campaign]] and with the [[Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel|Earl of Arundel]] in France the following year. During the early 1390s, John made a [[pilgrimage]] to Jerusalem; he died in [[Paphos]] on 6 August 1393, on his return journey to England. John and Mary had not produced an heir, and (although he was never expected to succeed to the barony) de Ros was next in line. He inherited as sixth Baron Ros, by which time he had been [[knighthood|knighted]]{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|pp=100–101}} and  appointed to the [[Privy Councillor|Privy Council]].{{sfn|Baldwin|1913|p=492}}

=== Inheritance and marriage ===

The de Ros estates were primarily in the east and north of England. William received [[Livery#Sue one's livery|livery]] of them in January 1384,{{Refn|The feudal system was based on the premise that all land belonged to the king. What he held directly was the [[royal demesne]], and that which was granted away was held on his behalf by tenants-in-chief.{{sfn|Wolffe|1971|pp=56–58}} If he then died without leaving an adult heir who could immediately receive his inheritance, the estates escheated (returned to the king).{{sfn|Lawler|Lawler|2000|p=11}} The king would hold the estates until the heir (if any) reached his [[Age of majority|majority]], at which point he would apply for [[livery of seisin]]: the right to enter his estates. Possession was usually obtained by paying a [[fine of lands|fine]] to the [[exchequer]].{{sfn|Harris|2006|pp=16–17}}|group=note}} which gave him an extensive sphere of influence around Lincolnshire, [[Nottinghamshire]], and eastern Yorkshire.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=112}} By this time, the estate had two [[dowager]] baronesses to support:{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=105}} his deceased brother's wife Mary and their mother, Beatrice. Mary died within a year of her husband, and her extensive inheritance was divided among her [[House of Percy|Percy relations]]. De Ros received her [[dower]] lands, which included the ancient [[Barony of Helmsley]].{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=105–106}}{{Refn|The legal concept of [[dower]] had existed since the late twelfth century as a means of protecting a woman from being left landless if her husband died first. He would, when they married, assign certain estates to her—a ''dos nominata'', or dower—usually a third of everything he was [[seisin|seised]] of. By the fifteenth century, a widow was deemed entitled to her dower.{{sfn|Kenny|2003|pp=59–60}} The situation the Mowbray heirs experienced was not uncommon in the late Middle Ages. The [[Holland family]] inheritance had been more or less the same for the previous eighty years, but when the last Holland Earl of Kent [[Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent|Edmund]] inherited the title from his brother [[Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey|Thomas]] (who died childless) in 1404, the estates had to support the dowers of Edmund's mother [[Alice FitzAlan, Countess of Kent|Alice]], his brother's widow, Joan Stafford, and his aunt, [[Elizabeth of Lancaster, Duchess of Exeter]].{{sfn|Stansfield|1987|pp=151–161}} Edmund died in 1408; his wife became the fourth dowager on the inheritance, and (with no male heirs) it was divided amongst them and Edmund's five sisters.{{sfn|Stansfield|2004}}|group=note}} Beatrice, on the other hand, had outlived three husbands and would outlive William; she was assigned her dower lands in December 1384. This meant that de Ros would never hold a large swath of land, predominantly in the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]].{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=107}}

De Ros received ''[[seisin]]'' of his estates on 11 February 1394,{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}}{{Refn|Seisin was feudal possession and, [[William Searle Holdsworth]] said, had the same [[root word]] as the Latin ''possessio''.{{sfn|Holdsworth|2002|p=121}} It applied only to [[freehold (law)|freehold]] land; J. M. Kaye noted that "By 'seised in demesne' is meant property which either was in the actual possession of a grantor, or else was held from him by persons who held no freehold estate and whose possession did not count as seisin for common law purposes, namely, villeins, who were personally unfree, and customary tenants who, although they were personally free, did not hold their land by freehold tenure".{{sfn|Kaye|2009|p=59}}|group=note}} which included custody of several [[Clifford family]] estates; his sister had married [[Thomas de Clifford, 6th Baron de Clifford]] around 1379. He held the latter lands until [[John Clifford, 7th Baron de Clifford|their son]] came of age around 1411.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=120}} De Ros married Margaret, daughter of [[John Fitzalan, 1st Baron Arundel]] and [[Eleanor Maltravers]], soon after he inherited. She was already in receipt of a 40-[[Mark (currency)|mark]]{{sfn|Davis|2012|p=17}}{{Refn|A medieval English mark was a unit of currency equivalent to two-thirds of a [[Pound sterling|pound]].{{sfn|Harding|2002|p=xiv}}|group=note}} [[annuity]] from King Richard II because she had been in the [[Royal household|household]] of Richard's recently deceased queen, [[Anne of Bohemia]].{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=112}} His wife gave de Ros what may have appeared to be a useful connection to the crown.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}} Also useful to William was the fact that his wife's father had recently died, so de Ros now had the [[Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel|Earl of Arundel]] as a brother-in-law. His new connections and the higher political profile they brought may account for the royal grants he soon received of Clifford [[Manorialism|manor]]s in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Worcestershire. These had been the dower lands of Euphemia (widow of Robert, Lord Clifford), who had died in November 1393.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}} De Ros attended the king's wedding to his second wife—[[Isabella of Valois]], daughter of King [[Charles VI of France]]—in [[Calais]] in December 1396.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}} His wife's grandfather died the following year, and she became Lady Maltravers ''[[suo jure]]''.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=103}}

Although de Ros received some royal favour, Charles Ross has suggested that he may not have been doing as well as expected for a man in his position. Ross suggests that William's Fitzalan connections might have worked against him with the king. Arundel was a staunch [[Lord Appellant|political opponent of Richard's]], and de Ros's marrying into this politically unpopular family may account for the few offices the king granted him.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}} "It seems strange", says Ross, "that a wealthy young lord, who later proved himself both active and able in the royal service, had no public, and very little local employment during the later years of Richard II".{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}} De Ros's situation would not change until the accession of Arundel's political ally, [[Henry Bolingbroke]], as King Henry IV in 1399.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}} He was rarely appointed to [[Justice of the Peace|peace commissions]] and did not sit on many ''[[oyer and Terminer]]'' assizes, even in his own counties.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=113}}{{Refn|A commission of [[oyer and terminer]] was an investigative body; the name means, literally, "to hear and to determine".{{sfn|Merriam-Webster|2013}} ''[[Black's Law Dictionary]]'' defines the commission as "a court for the trial of cases of treason and felony. The commissioners of assise and ''nisi prius'' are judges selected by the king and appointed and authorized under the great seal, including usually two of the judges at Westminster, and sent out twice a year into most of the counties of England, for the trial (with a Jury of the county) of causes then depending at Westminster, both civil and criminal".{{sfn|Black's|2014}}|group=note}}

== Regime change and career under Henry IV ==
[[File:Helmsley Castle English Heritage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|All that remained in 2013 of the de Ros [[Caput baroniae|caput]], [[Helmsley Castle]]. Built in the 12th century by [[Robert de Ros (died 1227)|Robert de Ros]], the East Tower was heightened in the 14th century.|alt=Remains of Hemsley Castle|left]]
John of Gaunt—the most powerful noble in the country and second only to the crown in wealth{{Sfn|Walker|2004|p=}}—died in February 1399.{{sfn|Barr|1994|p=146}} Bolingbroke and King Richard had fallen out the previous year, and Richard had exiled Bolingbroke for six years the previous September.{{Sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=115}} Instead of allowing Bolingbroke to succeed to his father's estates and titles, says Given-Wilson, Richard "succumb[ed] to the temptation"{{Sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=115}} to confiscate the Duchy of Lancaster.{{Sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=115}} Richard proclaimed that Bolingbroke's exile was now a life sentence,{{Sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|pp=121–122}} and cancelled his writs of seisin. He further decreed that Bolingbroke could only request his inheritance at the [[king's pleasure]].{{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=51}} Bolingbroke, in Paris, joined forces with the also-exiled [[Thomas Arundel]]. Arundel had been [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], and was de Ros's wife's uncle;{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=100}} he lost his office because of his involvement with the [[Lords Appellant]], and been exiled since 1397.{{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=51}} With Arundel and a small group of followers, Bolingbroke landed at [[Ravenspur]] in Yorkshire in late June 1399.{{sfn|Saul|1997|p=408}} De Ros, bringing a large [[retinue]],{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1993|p=35}} joined Bolingbroke's army almost immediately (as did much of the northern nobility).{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1999|p=114}} Richard was [[Battle of Tragh-Bhaile|campaigning in Ireland]] at the time, and unable to defend his throne. Henry initially announced that he intended only to reclaim his rights as [[Duke of Lancaster]], although he quickly gained enough power and support (including that of de Ros) to claim the throne in Richard's stead and have himself proclaimed King Henry IV.{{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=66}}{{Refn|Chris Given-Wilson notes that "publicly, Henry claimed that he had returned merely to claim his rightful inheritance, a cause which he knew would unite support behind him, and it was later asserted that he had sworn 'upon the relics of Bridlington' ... that this was all he would claim".{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=130}}|group=note}} In June, de Ros was present at [[Berkeley Castle]] when Henry and Richard met for the first time since Henry was exiled;{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1999|p=99}}{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}} de Ros witnessed their final meeting on 6 September at the [[Tower of London]], when Richard resigned the throne.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}}{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}} Bolingbroke's accession as Henry IV saw an uplift in de Ros's fortunes and those of the Fitzalans. De Ros now had strong connections with important figures at [[Royal court|court]] and a relatively close friendship with the new king.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=114}} In contrast to his treatment by Richard, de Ros's previous loyal service to Henry—and the king's father—earned him significant [[Patronage|royal patronage]].{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}} In the first parliament of the new reign—held at Westminster in October 1399{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005a}}—he was appointed a [[Trier of fact|Trier of Petitions]],{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=114}} and was one of the lords who voted to imprison Richard{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}}{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=115}} (who later died in [[Pontefract Castle]] of unknown causes).{{sfn|Saul|1997|p=425}} De Ros's new position at the centre of government was highlighted in December 1399, when he was appointed to Henry's first [[royal council]].{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=114}}

De Ros's motives for joining Bolingbroke's invasion so swiftly are unknown but, says Given-Wilson, this should be no surprise; for most of Henry's new-found allies, "it is only possible to speculate as to their political allegiance".{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1999|p=114}} De Ros may have felt generally aggrieved by Richard's poor treatment of Gaunt and Bolingbroke, and his own lack of promotion under Richard was doubtless important.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=131}} Whatever his reasons were for rebelling in 1399, de Ros and his father had been Lancastrian (rather than Ricardian) in their loyalties. His father had been one of [[John of Gaunt]]'s earliest retainers when the young Gaunt was [[Earl of Richmond]],{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=119}} and de Ros had also been retained by Gaunt in the late fourteenth century.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1996|p=173}} Service to the duke had involved de Ros accompanying the duke abroad and travelling on his business on at least five occasions in the last years of Gaunt's life. For his services de Ros received annuities of £40 to £50, and was one of only two [[knight banneret|knights banneret]] whom Gaunt retained.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=119}}
[[File:Helmsley Castle, East Tower (geograph 2555327).jpg|alt=Interior of the East2011 photograph of the ruined East Tower of Helmsley Castle|thumb|Interior of the East Tower of Helmsley Castle in 2011]]

=== Local administration and political crisis ===
de Ros was an active royal official in the local administration and became a leading member of political society in the north [[The Midlands|Midlands]] and Yorkshire, where he regularly headed royal commissions.{{sfn|Wylie|1884|pp=402–406}} He was frequently appointed a [[justice of the peace]], particularly in [[Leicestershire]].{{sfn|Walker|2006|p=86}} De Ros's service to the crown was not confined to the regions; in 1401, he directed the king's attempts to increase the royal income. He was appointed Henry's negotiator with the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], to persuade the Commons to agree to a subsidy for the king's intended [[English invasion of Scotland (1400)|invasion of Scotland]] later that summer. De Ros and the Commons representatives met in [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]]'s refectory.  Emphasising "favourable consideration"{{sfn|Wylie|1884|pp=402–406}} the Commons would receive from the king, he played heavily on the king's expenses in defending the [[Welsh Marches|Welsh]] and [[Scottish Marches]].{{sfn|Wylie|1884|pp=402–406}} Each party was wary of the other; the king did not wish to set a precedent, and the Commons were traditionally wary of the [[House of Lords]].{{sfn|Mortimer|2007|p=254}} Six years later, de Ros played much the same role—with the [[Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York|Duke of York]] and the Archbishop of Canterbury, on a committee hearing the Commons' complaints. The result of these discussions was an altercation in which the Commons, reports the [[Rolls of Parliament|parliament roll]], were "hugely disturbed".{{sfn|Wylie|1896|p=120}} This disturbance, according to [[James Hamilton Wylie|J. H. Wylie]], was probably the result of something de Ros said{{sfn|Wylie|1896|p=120}} and would account for the Commons' reluctance to meet him or his committee. De Ros's remit was to persuade the Commons to grant as substantial a tax—in exchange for as few liberties granted—as possible.{{sfn|Bruce|1998|p=254}} An experienced parliamentarian, he attended most parliaments from 1394 to 1413.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}}

Almost from the beginning of his reign, Henry faced problems. Most stemmed from financial insecurity since by 1402 his treasury was empty.{{sfn|Mortimer|2007|p=254}} Around this time,{{refn|There is some uncertainty about when the appointment occurred and when it ended. [[William Dugdale]], in his ''Baronage'',{{sfn|Dugdale|1675|p=551}} and [[F. M. Powicke]] and [[Edmund Fryde|E. B. Fryde]]{{sfn|Powicke|Fryde|1961|p=84}} suggest 1403 to 1406, and J. H. Wylie{{sfn|Wylie|1894|p=112}} believed it started by 1401 and ended by 1404. Anthony Steele dates de Ros's appointment as between 14 July and 16 September 1403, and says that Furnivall replaced him in this office the following December.{{sfn|Steel|1954|p=419}}|group=note}} de Ros was appointed [[Lord Treasurer]]. Charles Ross suggests that this demonstrated the king's increased confidence in de Ros,{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=116}} who occupied the post for the next four years.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=114}} He was unable to substantially improve Henry's financial situation, and relations with the Commons worsened. During the [[Unlearned Parliament|1404 parliament]], [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] [[Arnold Savage]] confronted the king over his lack of money (and repeated demands for taxation), which Savage said could be ameliorated by reducing the number of annuities paid by the crown.{{refn|Henry had paid nearly £5,000 ({{Inflation|UK|5000|1414|2016|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}) to his followers who accompanied him on his invasion by the October 1399 parliament; they included two earls, three barons and 44 others, including knights and squires.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1993|p=35}}|group=note}} Savage also condemned an unnamed crown minister for owing royal creditors over £6,000.{{sfn|Mortimer|2007|p=254}} The House of Commons' dissatisfaction was obvious to the king, who responded within the week. He despatched de Ros, accompanied by [[Lord Chancellor|Chancellor]] [[Henry Beaufort]], to the Commons with a comprehensive breakdown of the king's financial requirements. According to [[Ian Mortimer (historian)|Ian Mortimer]], "Savage, having attacked royal policy in the King's presence, had no compunction about speaking his mind to the chancellor and treasurer".{{sfn|Mortimer|2007|p=280}} Henry's government continued to subsist on poor revenues.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}} As Given-Wilson put it, the treasury became "largely reliant on a diminishing circle of the faithful"{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=287 +n}} (which included de Ros). He made numerous loans to the king, and temporarily surrendered his councillor's salary for the sake of the royal finances.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=287 +n}}

De Ros also performed extensive military service. In 1400, he [[indenture|contracted]] with the king to bring a fully crewed ship of 20 [[men at arms]] and 40 archers to Henry's Scottish invasion. Although the campaign declined in success,{{sfn|Brown|1974|p=40}} de Ros played a part in it. Returning to Westminster, he resumed his office of councillor and participated in Henry's [[Magnum Concilium|Great Council]] the following year.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=115–116}} In 1402 [[Owain Glyndŵr]] [[Glyndŵr Rising|rebelled]], which impacted de Ros personally. His brother-in-law, [[Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn|Reginald, Lord Grey of Ruthin]]—who had married de Ros's youngest sister, Margaret{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=116}}—was captured and imprisoned by Glyndŵr; personal animosity between Grey and Glyndŵr may have been to blame for the outbreak of the rebellion.{{sfn|Smith|2004}} The Welsh demanded a 10,000-mark ransom from the king, who agreed to pay. De Ros, because of his relationship to Grey, also agreed to contribute and led the commission which negotiated with Glyndŵr over its payment and his brother-in-law's release.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=116}} A friend of de Ros, fellow Midlands baron [[Robert Willoughby, 4th Baron Willoughby de Eresby|Robert, Lord Willoughby]], accompanied him in the negotiations.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}}
{{Quote box
| quote = ... We have requested, and on your authority directed the respected Lord Sire de Roos and Monsieur [[William Gascoigne]] your Chief Justice, as men in whom you have especial confidence, to proceed in all haste towards the north ...{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=117}}{{sfn|Nicolas|1834|p=262}}
| source = [[Cotton library|Cotton MS]] Cleopatra, F. m. f. 58 b. (letter from the [[Curia regis|Royal council]] to King Henry, May 1405, regarding the rebellion in the north).{{sfn|Nicolas|1834|p=262}}
| align = left
| width = 25em
| bgcolor = #FFFFF0
| salign = center
}}

De Ros was also elected to the [[Order of the Garter]] in 1402,{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=115–116}} and was granted an annuity of 100 marks a year as the king's [[Retainer (medieval)|retainer]] two years later. In May of that year another [[Northern Rising (1405)|rebellion]] broke out in the north, led by [[Richard Scrope (bishop)|Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York]] and the disaffected Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=267 +n}} One of their first acts was to kidnap the king's envoy.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|p=178}} De Ros was part of an extensive network of north Lancastrian loyalists who gathered around the king's cousin [[Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland|Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland]] to suppress the rebellion.{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=119}}{{refn|At this time, relations between Westmorland and Henry IV were so close that the King regularly referred to the earl in official documents as his brother.{{sfn|Hicks|1991|p=211}}|group=note}} Henry entrusted de Ros to meet with Westmorland, commander of the king's armies in the north. de Ros was probably chosen because of the king's intimate advisors, his local knowledge would have been the most valuable.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=267 +n}} The mission was a success; de Ros witnessed the Earl of Northumberland surrendering [[Berwick Castle]] to the king,{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}} and sat on the commission which condemned Scrope to death without trial in early June 1405.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=231–232}} When the king arrived in York to oversee the execution of the rebels, de Ros brought Percy's bonds to him.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|p=175}}

Since de Ros had been instructed only to engage the rebels on the king's express instruction, it is difficult to ascertain the role that he and Gascoigne played in the rebellion's suppression. Unlike the Earl of Westmorland, "no more is heard of their activities"{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=117}} in the north until after the [[Battle of Shipton Moor|confrontation at Shipton Moor]]. De Ros's role may have been to oversee the later judicial commissions over the rebels, and he was authorised to [[Royal pardon|pardon]] those who rejected rebellion and wished to return to the king's grace.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=117}} The fact that so little of their work remains visible to historians may suggest surreptitiousness; possibly, says Given-Wilson, they were little more than spies tailing their prey until the king's main army caught up.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=413}}

The following year, the king's health (which had not been strong for some time) broke down for good. At the [[English parliament|parliament]] of 1406, Henry IV agreed that since it was clear that poor health prevented him from ruling, a Grand Council should be established to assist him in governing. Although de Ros was on the original list presented to parliament of those to be appointed to the council, how long he served is subject to conjecture. He was attending its meetings in late 1406 (since he was an unofficial "chaperone" for his successor as Lord Treasurer, [[Thomas Neville, 5th Baron Furnivall|Lord Furnivall]]),{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=299 +n}} and may have still been on the council the following June.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=117}} De Ros regularly witnessed royal charters, and continued his role as the king's spokesman to the Commons.{{sfn|Biggs|2003|p=191}} He probably assisted the Lord Chancellor through an increasingly difficult and uncertain period (due to the King's ill health), but it is uncertain whether he chose—or was instructed—to do so.{{sfn|McNiven|1987|p=128}}

=== Royal favour ===
[[File:John Badby death barrel Foxe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Sixteenth-century illustration of John Badby being burned in a barrel|alt=A sixteenth-century woodcut of John Badby being burned to death]]
For the duration of Henry's reign, de Ros was "high in the King's confidence and enjoyed especially trusted positions".{{sfn|Dodd|2003|p=104}} The historian Mark Arvanigian summarises de Ros's position as "clearly a reliable and trusted servant, as well as being a reasonably talented administrator and royal councillor".{{sfn|Arvanigian|2003|p=133}} Henry continued relying on loans to carry out policy, and de Ros's loan funded the Calais garrison. Unlike many—and indicating the favour with which the King held him in—de Ros was promised repayment, manifested in the royal patronage he continued to receive. By 1409, for example, he had been appointed to the lucrative positions of master forester and constable of [[Pickering Castle]]. These offices strengthened his influence in the region, allowed him to appoint deputies, and gave him another patronage of his own to dispense. In October of that year, de Ros paid £80 for the custody of  Giffard family lands in the [[South Midlands]]. [[John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley|John Tuchet, Lord Audley]] died in December, and de Ros was granted Audley's lands while the Audley heir was a [[Minor (law)|minor]]. De Ros also paid £2,000 for the right to arrange the heir's marriage. The Audley estates from which de Ros intended to get his money back were greatly overvalued, and he was charged only half the original amount.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=119}} These grants were in addition to his annual conciliar salary of £100,{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=120}} and he held the manor of [[Chingford]] to [[Barracks|quarter]] himself and his men when he was regularly in the south on royal business.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102}} De Ros remained an active councillor and undertook significant military and diplomatic roles.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|pp=440–441}} He was one of Henry's few advisors who, even when the king's council was not sitting, remained a close counsellor.{{sfn|Dodd|2003|p=104}}

De Ros remained in the King's favour through the final years of Henry's reign. As a trusted counsellor, in 1410 he participated in what has been described as "a show trial of national importance".{{sfn|McNiven|2004}} The previous year, an [[ecclesiastical court]] had found [[John Badby]] of [[Evesham]]{{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=144}} guilty of [[Lollardy]]. According to church custom, Badby had been given a year's grace to recant. He refused;{{sfn|Bevan|1994|pp=144–145}} if anything, his opinions were more entrenched than before. On 1 March 1410, Badby was brought before a [[convocation]] at the [[Friars-Preachers]] House. De Ros and his fellow barons found Badby guilty and passed secular judgement. He was [[Death by burning|burnt to death]] (possibly, according to sixteenth-century [[martyrologist]] [[John Foxe]], in a [[barrel]]){{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=145}} in [[Smithfield, London|Smithfield]].{{sfn|McNiven|1987|pages=202–203}}{{refn|[[Lollardy]] was a late fourteenth-century religious reform movement which was deemed [[Heresy in Christianity|heresy]] by the fifteenth century.{{sfn|Rex|2002|p=83}} Although the movement was long-lived due to its genuine appeal,{{sfn|Keen|1973|p=246}} King Henry IV had a personal antipathy against it. In 1401, he signed into law ''[[De heretico comburendo]]'' ("On the Burning of Heretics"); for the first time in English history, it provided a statutory instrument for the [[Death by burning|burning]] of those found guilty of heresy before church courts. This, suggests [[Richard Rex]], was "to bolster his own feeble legitimacy by support for orthodoxy".{{sfn|Rex|2002|p=83}}|group=note}}

=== Regional disorder ===
After the death of the [[Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford|Earl of Stafford]] in 1403{{sfn|Bevan|1994|p=105}} (whose infant [[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham|heir]] had a twenty-year minority),{{sfn|Harriss|2005|p=524}} de Ros was the leading baron in [[Staffordshire]]. He was responsible for upholding the [[Queen's peace|king's peace]] during a period that has been a [[Byword (saying)|by-word]] for the kind of pervasive lawlessness that de Ros, like all regional magnates, was expected to suppress.{{sfn|Hicks|2002|p=175}}{{Sfn|Powell|1996|p=34}} Particularly well-known is the frequency with which the baronage and gentry indulged in internecine fighting.{{sfn|Kaminsky|2002|p=55}}{{refn|For example, the second quarter of the fifteenth century saw a long-running feud between [[Neville–Neville feud|branches of the Neville family]] in the north.{{sfn|Petre|1981|pp=418–435}} By the 1450s, such feuds were legion: between the [[Bonville–Courtenay feud|Courtenay and Bonville families]] in the southwest;{{sfn|Storey|1999|pp=84–92}} between [[Percy-Neville feud|the two powerful northern dynasties, the Nevilles (again) and the Percies]];{{sfn|Griffiths|1968|pp=589–632}} and between [[Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell|Ralph, Lord Cromwell]] and [[William Tailboys|William, Lord Tailboys]] in the Midlands.{{sfn|Freidrichs|1988|pp=207–227}}|group=note}} In 1411, his intervention averted a tense situation which was likely to erupt into armed conflict between local gentry Alexander Mering and John Tuxford.{{sfn|Payling|1987|p=142}} This was only a temporary ceasefire, however; the following year, de Ros sponsored a second arbitration between the parties with which they promised to abide on pain of a 500-mark fine.{{sfn|Payling|1987|p=148}} In early 1411 [[Walter Tailboys|Sir Walter Tailboys]] caused a riot in [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]], attacked the [[sheriff]]s, killed two men, and lay in wait outside the city in ambush (preventing its residents from leaving). Lincoln's citizens petitioned the king for justice and explicitly requested that de Ros and his kinsman, [[Henry Beaumont, 5th Baron Beaumont|Lord Beaumont]], be appointed to investigate.{{Sfn|Hill|2008|p=97}}{{Sfn|TNA|1411|p=}} They found in favour of the Lincoln citizenry and, reflecting the severity of Tailboy's offence, he was [[Binding over|bound over]] to keep the peace for £3,000.{{sfn|Roskell|Clark|Rawcliffe|1992|p=481-482}} Due to such efforts, [[Simon Payling]] has suggested that de Ros's "reputation for fair-mindedness"{{sfn|Payling|1987|p=150}} made him a popular figure for settling gentry disputes.{{sfn|Payling|1987|p=150}}

[[File:National Archives UK, petition SC 8-124-6178.png|alt=Scan of a 1411 petition from the citizens of Lincoln to the King|thumb|upright=2|Petition, in French, sent to the King from the city of Lincoln in May 1411 requesting that he "issue a commission to Roos and Beaumont that they summon Tailboys and Lutterell to keep the peace"{{Sfn|TNA|1411|p=}}|left]]
Despite his aptitude for dispute resolution, de Ros was not exempt from local conflict. He became involved in a dispute with his Lincolnshire neighbour, Sir [[Robert Tirwhit]], in 1411.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=121–123}} Tirwhit was a newly appointed royal justice{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=189–190}} and a well-known figure in the county. He and de Ros fell out over conflicting claims to [[Common land|common grazing]]{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=121–123}} and associated hay-mowing and turf-digging rights in [[Wrawby]].{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}} An [[arbitration]] took place before Justice [[William Gascoigne]], who ordered a [[Loveday (arbitration)|Loveday]] arranged.{{Refn|A Loveday (''dies amoris'' in Latin) was a day assigned to arbitrate between disputants and resolve legal differences through arbitration, rather than litigation.{{sfn|Bennett|1958|p=357}}{{sfn|Powell|1983|pp=66–67}} The practice died out during the 17th century.{{sfn|Bennett|1958|p=370}}|group=note}} The Loveday was intended to offer both parties the opportunity to demonstrate their support for the arbitration process; the two men were expected to attend with companions (or followers), keeping their numbers to a minimum. Tirwhit, however, brought a small army of about 500 men.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=121–123}} Later justifying the size, he claimed not to have agreed to the Loveday in the first place.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=189–190}} De Ros kept to the arrangement ''vis á vis'' his retinue,{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=122}} bringing with him only Lords Beaumont and [[Thomas la Warr, 5th Baron De La Warr|de la Warre]] (the latter, like Beaumont, a relative).{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}}{{refn|Ros's petition to parliament, which lays out Gascoigne's decision, reads less specifically than de Ros suggested: "And the said William Gascoigne decided that the said William de Roos should come there with the husbands of two of his kinsfolk, or other friends, in a peaceful manner, with as many men as customarily rode with them. And that the said Robert should come peacefully with two of his kinsmen or friends, with as many men as is fitting for their estate and position".{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}}|group=note}}

He and his companions escaped Tirwhit's ambush unharmed.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=189–190}} Given-Wilson has argued that, although the case was not uncommon in its basic facts, "the personal involvement of a royal justice in such a calculated act of violence, and the status of the protagonists, clearly gave it an interest above the usual".{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}} On 4 November 1411, de Ros [[petition]]ed parliament—at which he was appointed a Trier of Petitions—for satisfaction. The case was heard before the [[Richard Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor|Lord Chamberlain]] and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and took over three weeks to determine.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}} The Chamberlain and Archbishop requested the attendance of de Ros and all the "knyghtes and Esquiers and Yomen that had ledynge of men" for him.{{sfn|Hilton|1976|p=250}} After deliberating, they found firmly in de Ros's favour. Tirwhit was bound to give de Ros a quantity of [[French wine#South West France|Gascon wine]] and provide the food and drink for the next Loveday, where he would publicly apologise to de Ros. In his apology, Tirwhit acknowledged that a nobleman of de Ros's position could also have brought an army and he had shown forbearance in not doing so. The only responsibility de Ros was given as part of the arbitration award was that at the second Loveday, he would provide the entertainment.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=122}}{{refn| Considering the number of public offices Tirwhit had to lose and the outcry which erupted from his "grossest turbulence and breach of the peace",{{sfn|Fortescue|1885|p=22}} it has been suggested that he  "doubtless considered himself fortunate to escape" so lightly. Tirwhit retained his office on the Lincolnshire [[Court of King's Bench (England)|King's Bench]] for the rest of his life (another quarter of a century).{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}}|group=note}}

== Later years and death ==
{{Quote box
| quote = ... Atte Wrareby in the shire of Lincoln on the Saturday neghst after the Feste of Sainte Michael dyd assemble greet noumbre of men aurmed and areyed agaynst the pees, to lygge in awayte agaynst the same Lord the Roos.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=121}}{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}}
| source = Extract of Ros's petition against Tirwhit to the Commons at the November 1411 parliament
| width = 25em
| bgcolor = #FFFFF0
| salign = left|
}}
Although the King's health continued to decline, he improved sufficiently in 1411 to direct the formation of a new council of his loyal councillors; this intentionally excluded [[Henry V of England|his son, Prince Henry]] and the prince's associates, Henry and [[Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter|Thomas Beaufort]], from power.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|Brand|Phillips|Ormrod|2005b}} De Ros—the "reliable royalist"{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=496}}—sat on the council for the next fifteen months{{sfn|Given-Wilson|2016|p=496}} with other "unswervingly loyal"{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=427–428}} officials, such as the Bishops of [[Thomas Langley|Durham]] and [[Nicholas Bubwith|Bath and Wells]] and the [[Henry Bowet|Archbishop of York]]. De Ros and the others now signed administrative documents which had required the king's [[signet ring|signet]] seal.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|pp=427–428}} [[A. L. Brown]] and [[Henry Summerson]], two of the king's recent biographers, note that "at the end of his reign, as at its beginning, Henry placed his trust principally in his Lancastrian retainers".{{sfn|Brown|Summerson|2004}}

Henry IV died on 20 March 1413. De Ros played no significant role in government from then on, after probably attending his last council meeting in 1412.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=102 +n}} Charles Ross posits that he was "no particular favourite"{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=110}} of the new king, Henry V, which Ross attributes to Henry V's distrust of his father's loyalists (who, in his eyes, kept him from what he felt was his rightful position at the head of government during his father's illness). Whether or not Henry excluded him from the government, de Ros lived only eighteen months into the new reign. His mother had drawn up her [[Will and testament|will]] in January 1414,{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=110}} of which de Ros was an [[executor]].{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=111}} Early that year, de Ros sat on a final anti-[[Lollard]] commission{{refn|These commissions were in response to the [[Oldcastle Revolt]] of January 1414: "chief commissioner to hear and determine as to rebellions, treasons, &co. in Middlesex, and in Nottinghamshire and Derby committed by the King's subjects commonly called Lollards".{{sfnm|1a1=Cokayne|1y=1910|1p=103|2a1=P.R.O.|2y=1910 |2p=162}} The commission was composed of six men, the three most important of whom were de Ros, [[Henry Scrope]], and London Mayor [[William Cromer]].{{sfn|Waugh|1905|p=643 +n25}} [[Maurice Keen]] described the rebellion as a "complete fiasco".{{sfn|Keen|1973|p=245}}|group=note}} and was tasked with investigating the murder of an [[Member of parliament|MP]] in the Midlands.{{sfn|Jacob|1993|p=455 +n}}

De Ros died in [[Belvoir Castle]] on 1 November 1414. He had drawn up his will two years earlier, and added a [[Codicil (will)|codicil]] in February 1414.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=124–125}}{{refn|De Ros's will has been printed in full in [[F. M. Powicke]]'s ''The Register of Archbishop Chichele'' II, 22–27. It is extremely detailed. Ros specified three burial sites (depending on where he died), with the proviso that the unused locations should receive handsome bequests. His will makes full provision for his sons, distributing estates, goods, and annuities between them.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=124–125}}|group=note}} He died a wealthy man, with one of Yorkshire's highest [[disposable income]]s.{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1996|p=157}}{{Refn|It has been estimated that his income was matched by only three of his fellow Yorkshire-based barons: [[John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby|Neville]], [[Thomas Nevill, 5th Baron Furnivall|Furnivall]], and [[Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton|Scrope of Bolton]].{{sfn|Given-Wilson|1996|p=156}}|group=note}}

Three of de Ros's children fought in the last period of the [[Hundred Years' War (1415–53)|Hundred Years' War]]. John, his heir, was born in 1397 and was legally a minor when de Ros died. The [[John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter|Earl of Dorset]], the king's cousin, received custody of the de Ros estates.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=103}} Before he inherited, John travelled to France with the new king in 1415 and fought at the [[Battle of Agincourt]] at the age of seventeen or eighteen.{{sfn|Barker|2005|p=227}} He died in 1421 at the [[Battle of Baugé]] with the king's brother, [[Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence|Thomas, Duke of Clarence]] and Sir [[Gilbert V de Umfraville]].{{sfn|Burne|1999|p=157}} William de Ros's second son [[Thomas Ros, 8th Baron Ros|Thomas]] was only fourteen at John's death,{{sfn|Milner|2006|p=490}} and fought with [[Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salisbury|Thomas, Earl of Salisbury]], at the [[siege of Orléans]] in 1428; he died after a skirmish outside Paris two years later.{{sfn|Burne|1999|p=228}} Thomas's heir (also named [[Thomas Ros, 9th Baron Ros|Thomas]]) inherited the lordship as ninth baron and played an important role in the [[Wars of the Roses]] fighting for the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] king, [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]]; he was [[Decapitation|beheaded]] after his defeat by the [[House of York|Yorkists]] at the [[Battle of Hedgeley Moor]] in 1464.{{sfn|Gillingham|2005|pp=151–152}} De Ros's wife, Margaret Fitzalan, lived until 1438. She had received her dower by February 1415 and, at the marriage of Henry V to [[Catherine of Valois]] in 1420, entered the new queen's service as a [[lady-in-waiting]]. Margaret attended Catherine's coronation and travelled with her to see Henry in France two years later.{{sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=103}}

=== Family and bequests ===
[[File:Sir William de Roos, St&nbsp;Marys church, Bottesford (geograph 2739140).jpg|alt=Alabaster tomb of Ros in St&nbsp;Mary's, Bottesford|thumb|Alabaster effigy of William Ros in [[St&nbsp;Mary's, Bottesford|St&nbsp;Mary's Church, Bottesford]]|left]]
With his wife, Margaret Fitzalan, William de Ros had four sons:{{sfn|Harriss|2005|p=104}} [[John Ros, 7th Baron Ros|John]], [[Thomas Ros, 8th Baron Ros|Thomas]], [[Robert Ros (died 1448)|Robert]] and [[Richard Ros|Richard]]. They also had four daughters: Beatrice, Alice, Margaret and Elizabeth.{{sfn|Eller|1841|p=26}}{{Refn|Although [[Irvin Eller]] lists another son (William) between Robert and Richard,{{sfn|Eller|1841|p=26}} this is not confirmed by other sources.|group=note}} De Ros also had an illegitimate son, John, by a now-unknown woman.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=124}} Charles de Ross suggests that he "provides full confirmation of what the scanty evidence as to the character of his earlier career suggests, that de Ros was a man of just and equitable temperament"{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=125}} by the nature and extent of his bequests. His heir, [[John Ros, 7th Baron Ros|John]], inherited his father's lordship and [[Property|patrimony]] and his armour and a gold sword. His third son, Robert—whom Ross describes as "evidently his favourite"{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=124}}—also inherited a quantity of land.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=124}} De Ros made this provision for Robert from John's patrimony, a decision described by [[G. L. Harriss]] as "overrid[ing] both family duty and convention".{{sfn|Harriss|2005|p=104}} His younger three sons (Thomas, Robert, and Richard) received a third of de Ros's goods among them; Thomas, traditional for a younger son, was intended for an ecclesiastical career. Margaret received another third of his goods. His illegitimate son, John, received £40 towards his upkeep. Loyal retainers received benefices, and de Ros's "humbler dependents"—for instance, the poor on his Lincolnshire estates—received often-massive sums among them.{{refn|For instance, three groups of dependents (the poor on his estates, his servants, and his tenants) received £100 per group.{{sfn|Ross|1950|p=125}}|group=note}} His executors—one of whom was his heir, John—received £20 each for their services.{{sfn|Ross|1950|pp=124–125}} De Ros was buried in [[Belvoir Priory]], and an [[alabaster]] [[effigy]] was erected in [[St&nbsp;Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford]],{{sfn|Wylie|1894|p=180}} on the right side of the altar. Seven years later, after his death at Baugé, an effigy of his son John was placed on the left.{{sfn|Historic England|2018}} De Ros left £400 to pay ten chaplains for eight years to educate his sons.{{sfn|Wylie|1894|p=119 +n}}

== In Shakespeare ==
William de Ros appears in [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'' as Lord Ross.{{sfn|Forker|2002|p=177}} His character performs a [[double act]] of sorts with Lord Willoughby in their (ultimately successful) attempts to persuade the Earl of Northumberland to revolt against Richard,{{sfnm |1a1=McLeish |1y=1992 |1p=246 |2a1=McLeish |2y=1992 |2p=166}} although as one reviewer has noted, indicating "little sense of rebels carefully testing the political water"{{sfn|Kay|1976|p=67}} before doing so. Together, the three of them are the core of the conspiracy to overthrow Richard.{{Sfn|Shakespeare|2011|p=167 n.}} In their colloquies—for which R. F. Hill has compared them to a [[Senecan tragedy|Senecan]] [[Greek chorus|Chorus]]—{{sfn|Hill|1958|p=463}} they provide the audience with a catalogue of Richard's misdeeds by re-telling his history of poor governance.{{sfn|Irish|2013|p=147}} Lord Ross, says Hill, is "lured" by the earl into conversation, which results in their plotting.{{sfn|Hill|1958|p=148}} Lord Ross tells Northumberland, "The commons hath [King Richard] pill'd with grievous taxes / And quite lost their hearts: the nobles hath he fined / For ancient quarrels, and quite lost their hearts"<ref>{{Folger inline|R2|2|1|257–259}}</ref> and is portrayed as an overt follower of Henry Bolingbroke from the beginning.{{sfn|Stokes|1924|p=283}} Shakespeare has this discussion take place in the north;{{refn|Indeed, the 1990 ESC film portrays Lord Ross as wearing [[tartan]] as a means of suggesting that he is Scottish.{{sfn|Forker|2008|p=68}}|group=note}} in this way, says Hill, their separation from the King emphasises their geographical closeness to Bolingbroke.{{sfn|Hill|1958|p=147}}

The speed with which Lord Ross deserts Richard and joins Henry is in stark contrast to the themes of loyalty and honour that the play deals with, suggests Margaret Shewring.{{Sfn|Shewring|1996|p=37}} Described by Shakespeare (based on [[Raphael Holinshed]]'s chronicle) as "fiery-red with haste",<ref>{{Folger inline|R2|2|3|61}}</ref>{{sfn|Stokes|1924|p=283}} Lord Ross joins Bolingbroke at [[Berkeley, Gloucestershire]].{{sfn|Stokes|1924|p=283}} In 1738—when the public image of the King, [[George I of Great Britain|George I]], was poor—the play was put on by [[John Rich (producer)|John Rich]], in the knowledge that it was "dangerously topical in terms of contemporary politics".{{sfn|Shewring|1996|p=44}} The discussion between Lords Ross, Willoughby and Northumberland on the faults of the King—"basely led/by flatterers"{{sfn|Shewring|1996|p=44}}—has been argued to have reflected contemporary disfavour with George, who was widely believed to be under the influence of his chief minister, [[Horace Walpole]].{{sfn|Shewring|1996|p=44}} A contemporary, [[Thomas Davies (bookseller)|Thomas Davies]], watched the performance and later wrote how "almost every line that was spoken to the occurrences of the time, and to the measures and character of the ministry".{{sfn|Shewring|1996|p=44}}

The text of ''Richard II'' is often cut by directors, either to tighten the plot or to avoid problems with weak casting,{{sfn|Shewring|1996|pp=118–119}} and the role of Lord Ross is occasionally omitted.{{sfn|Barker|1972|pp=97–98}} For example, in the 1981 [[Bard Productions]] film, his lines were given to the Exton character,{{sfn|Forker|2008|pp=63–64}} and in the Erickson-Farrell 2001 film, Lord Ross was one of seven characters dropped, his role again given to Exton.{{sfn|Forker|2008|p=70}} He has still been played by several actors in post-war performances. At the 1947 [[Avignon Festival]], Pierre Lautrec played to [[Jean Vilar]]'s Richard; Vilar also directed the play.{{sfn|Festival Avignon|1947}} The same year, [[Walter Hudd]] directed it with the [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] (SMT) at [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], with [[Joss Ackland]] as Lord Ross to [[Robert Harris (British actor)|Robert Harris]]'s Richard.{{sfn|SBT|1947}} Four years later, [[Anthony Quayle]]—also with the SMT—directed [[Michael Redgrave]] as the King, [[Harry Andrews]] as Bolingbroke, and [[Philip Morant]] in the part of Lord Ross.{{sfn|SBT|1951}} In 1968 the [[Prospect Theatre Company|Prospect Theatre]] toured Richard II in two legs. Directed by [[Richard Cottrell (theatre director)|Richard Cottrell]] and with [[Ian McKellen]] and [[Timothy West]] as Richard and Bolingbroke respectively, Lord Ross was played by Peter Rocca on the first half of the tour and [[David Calder (actor)|David Calder]] on the second.{{Sfn|McKellen|2018|p=}} In 1973, [[Charles Keating (actor)|Charles Keating]] played Lord Ross to [[Richard Pasco]] and [[Ian Richardson]]'s king and Bolingbroke,{{Refn|Pasco and Richardson alternated the roles of both Richard and Bolingbroke between them; says critic Richard David, "of the two, the variation with Richard Pasco as Richard and Ian Richardson as Bolingbroke was the more ordinary".{{sfn|David|1981|p=168}}|group=note}} in [[John Barton (director)|John Barton]]'s production.{{Sfn|AHDS|1973|p=}} [[Ariane Mnouchkine]]'s 1984 production for the [[Théâtre du Soleil]] cast Robert Gourp as Lord Ross,{{Sfn|Festival Avignon|1984|p=}} and five years later the [[English Shakespeare Company]]'s production—directed by [[Michael Bogdanov]]—had [[John Dougall (actor)|John Dougall]] play him to [[Michael Pennington]]'s Richard.{{sfn|AHDS|1989}} Keith Dunphy played Lord Ross in [[Steven Pimlott]]'s RSC production in 2000, to [[Sam West]]'s Richard and [[David Troughton]]'s Bolingbroke.{{sfn|AHDS|2000}} A production at the [[Shakespeare's Globe|Globe Theatre]] in 2015 from [[Tim Carroll]] saw [[Mark Rylance]] as the King and [[Ekow Quartey]] as Lord Ross.{{sfn|BBA|2015}} [[Jonathan Slinger]] played the King in [[Michael Boyd (theatre director)|Michael Boyd]]'s 2007 RSC production, and Rob Carroll played Lord Ross.{{sfn|BUFVC|2007}} Joshua Richards played him in [[Gregory Doran]]'s 2013 production, with [[David Tennant]] in the [[lead role]].{{Sfn|RSC|2018|p=}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist|group=note}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|20em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin |45em |indent=yes}}
* {{cite web |last1=AHDS |title=Performance Details – ''Richard II'' |url=http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11806 |website=AHDS Performing Arts |access-date=31 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181231081705/http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11806 |archive-date=31 December 2018 |date=1973}}
* {{cite web |last1=AHDS |title=Performance Details – ''Richard II'' |url=http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11816 |website=AHDS Performing Arts |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190101161828/http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11816 |archive-date=1 January 2019 |date=1989}}
* {{cite web |last1=AHDS |title=Performance Details – ''Richard II'' |url=http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11797 |website=AHDS Performing Arts |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190101163541/http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11797 |archive-date=1 January 2019 |date=2000}}
* {{cite book |last=Arvanigian |first=M. |chapter=Henry IV, the Northern Nobility and the Consolidation of the Regime |title=Henry IV: The Establishment of the Regime, 1399–1406 |publisher=The Boydell Press |date=2003 |isbn=978-1-90315-312-3 |oclc=50913423 |editor1-last=Biggs |editor1-first=Douglas L |editor2-last=Dodd |editor2-first=Gwilym |pages=185–206}}
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* {{cite web |author=SBT |author-link=Shakespeare Birthplace Trust |title=RSC Performances: Richard II |url=http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/ri2194706-richard-ii/search/rsc_person:wynne-kenneth/page/2/view_as/grid |website=Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust |access-date=31 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181231165102/http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/ri2194706-richard-ii/search/rsc_person:wynne-kenneth/page/2/view_as/grid |archive-date=31 December 2018 |date=1947}}
* {{cite web |author=SBT |author-link=Shakespeare Birthplace Trust |title=RSC Performances: Richard II |url=http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/ri2195103-richard-ii/search/rsc_person:wynne-kenneth/page/2/view_as/grid/search/rsc_person:wynne-kenneth/page/2/view_as/grid |website=Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust |access-date=31 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181231165512/http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/ri2195103-richard-ii/search/rsc_person:wynne-kenneth/page/2/view_as/grid |archive-date=31 December 2018 |date=1951}}
* {{cite book |last=Shakespeare |first=William |author-link=William Shakespeare |editor-last=Forker |editor-first=C. R. |title=King Richard the Second |publisher=Arden Shakespeare |date=2002 |isbn=978-1-90343-633-2 |series=Third |location=London |ref={{harvid |Forker |2002}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Shakespeare |first=William |author-link=William Shakespeare |title=Richard II: The Oxford Shakespeare |date=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19162-003-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Shewring |first=Margaret |title=King Richard II |date=1996 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |isbn=978-0-71904-626-1 |oclc=57008027}}
* {{cite ODNB |last1=Smith |first1=Llinos |title=Glyn Dŵr [Glyndŵr], Owain [Owain ap Gruffudd Fychan, Owen Glendower] (c. 1359–c. 1416) |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-10816 |date=2004 |access-date=17 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180517091138/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-10816?rskey=xekrCA&result=1 |archive-date=17 May 2018 |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/10816 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=St&nbsp;John Hope |first=William Henry |author-link=William Henry St John Hope |title=The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Order of the Garter, 1348-1485 |date=1901 |publisher=A. Constable |location=Westminster |oclc=785063205 |url=https://archive.org/details/hope-1901-the-stall-plates-of-the-knights-of-the-o/page/n11/mode/2up |access-date=February 9, 2025}}{{PD-notice}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Stansfield |first=M. M. N. |title=The Holland family, Dukes of Exeter, Earls of Kent and Huntingdon, 1352–1475 |date=1987 |degree=D.Phil |publisher=University of Oxford}}
* {{Cite ODNB |last=Stansfield |first=M. M. N. |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-13518 |title=Holland, Edmund, seventh earl of Kent (1383–1408) |volume=1 |date=2004 |location=Oxford |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180303133130/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-13518 |archive-date=3 March 2018 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/13518 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Steel |first1=Anthony Bedford |author-link=Anthony Steel (historian) |title=The Receipt of the Exchequer, 1377–1485 |date=1954 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |oclc=459676108 |location=Cambridge }}
* {{Cite book |last=Stokes |first=Francis Griffin |title=A Dictionary of the Characters and Proper Names in the Works of Shakespeare: With Notes on the Sources and Dates of the Plays and Poems |publisher=Peter Smith |location=New York |date=1924 |oclc=740891857}}
* {{Cite book |last=Storey |first=R. L. |author-link=R. L. Storey |title=The End of the House of Lancaster |publisher=Sutton |location=Gloucester |date=1999 |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-7509-2199-2 |oclc=41601933}}
* {{cite archive |author=TNA |author-link=The National Archives (United Kingdom) |item=SC 8/124/6178 |item-url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9208348 |type=manuscript |item-id=|date=1411 |page=Petitioners: Mayor, citizens and commonalty of Lincoln |series=SC 8 |collection=Special Collections: Ancient Petitions |collection-url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C246 |repository=|institution=The National Archives |location=Kew}}
* {{cite ODNB |last=Walker |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Walker (historian) |title=John [John of Gaunt], Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Lancaster, Styled King of Castile and León (1340–1399) |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14843 |date=2004 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190119200731/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14843 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |access-date=23 November 2018 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/14843 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Walker |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Walker (historian) |title=Political Culture in Late Medieval England: Essays by Simon Walker |date=2006 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |isbn=978-0-71906-826-3 |oclc=1149150042}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Waugh |first1=W. T. |title=Sir John Oldcastle |journal=The English Historical Review |date=1905 |volume=20 |pages=434–456 |oclc=754650998 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1431710 |doi=10.1093/ehr/xx.lxxix.434 |url-access=subscription }}{{PD-notice}}
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* {{Cite book |last=Wylie |first=James Hamilton |author-link=James Hamilton Wylie |title=History of England under Henry the Fourth |publisher=Longmans, Green |date=1894 |oclc=312686098 |volume=II |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/01367763.96782.emory.edu |hdl=2027/coo1.ark:/13960/t6n02bt00}}{{PD-notice}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wylie |first=James Hamilton |author-link=James Hamilton Wylie |title=History of England under Henry the Fourth |publisher=Longmans, Green |date=1896 |oclc=923542042 |volume=III |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/01367763.96177.emory.edu |hdl=2027/coo1.ark:/13960/t42r51t5k}}{{PD-notice}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{S-start}}
{{S-gov}}
{{Succession box
 | |title=[[Lord High Treasurer]]
 | |years=1403–1404
 | |before=[[Guy Mone]]
 | |after=[[Thomas Neville, 5th Baron Furnivall|Lord Furnivall]]
}}
{{S-reg |en}}
{{Succession box
 | |title=[[Baron Ros]]
 | |years=1394–1414
 | |before=[[John Ros, 5th Baron Ros|John Ros]]
 | |after=[[John Ros, 7th Baron Ros|John Ros]]
}}
{{S-end
}}
{{House of Lancaster Lord High Treasurers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ros, William 6th Baron Ros}}
[[Category:1370s births]]
[[Category:1414 deaths|Ros, William, 6th Baron]]
[[Category:14th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:15th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:Barons de Ros|06]]
[[Category:English politicians]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter|Ros, William, 6th Baron]]
[[Category:Lord high treasurers of England]]
[[Category:Male Shakespearean characters]]