Clunies-Ross
Clunies-Ross is a family from Scotland who ruled the Cocos Islands from 1827 to 1978 ( de facto only until 1955) .
The Scottish captain John Clunies-Ross proclaimed himself King Ross I of the Cocos Islands in 1827. This title was claimed by his descendants until 1978, when King Ross V sold the islands to the Australian government, which had administered them since 1955.
Neither John Clunies-Ross nor his descendants were ever recognized internationally as kings. Ross V. currently lives in exile in Perth , but his son John George Clunies-Ross (* 1957) lives in the capital of the Cocos Islands, West Island .
Kings of the Cocos Islands
| king | Term of office | Lifetime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John Clunies-Ross (Ross I.) | 1827-26. May 1854 | 1786-1854 |
| 2. | John George Clunies-Ross (Ross II.) | 1854-1871 | 1823-1871 |
| 3. | George Clunies-Ross (Ross III.) | 1871-7. July 1910 | 1841-1910 |
| 4th | Sydney Clunies-Ross (Ross IV.) | 1910-1944 | 1880-1944 |
| 5. | John Cecil Clunies-Ross (Ross V.) | 1944-1988 | * 1928 |
Web links
- Cocos Iceland page at Genealogical Gleanings (English)
- Clunies-Ross Dynasty (English)
- The man who lost a 'coral kingdom' (English)