Samuel Rankin (abt. 1735 - 1814)

Born about 1735 in Newark, New Castle, Delaware, British Colonial America

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen (Alexander) Rankin — married about 1760 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 16 Dec 1814 at about age 79 in Lincoln, North Carolina, United States

Biography

NOTE: The parents listed on this profile (as of 12-31-2019), Robert and Rebecca Armstrong Rankin, have no documentary basis for the relationship. Also, see the comment below by Mel Green as the DNA issues with this relationship.

The 1800 US Census shows a Samuel Rankin aged 45+, living in Linconton, Lincoln, NC, with two free white males, aged 16-26 and 26-45, and three free white females, aged 10-16, 16-26, and 45+. It also shows a William Rankin, aged 26-45 living with three free white males (2 aged less than 10, and 1 aged 10-16), four free white females (2 aged less than 10, 1 aged 10-16, and 1 aged 26-45), and one enslaved person.^[1]

Note

In Find A Grave: Memorial #127500305 we read The research below is from a contributor on ancestry.com: it is not my work and I do not want to claim it as so. The information is so important that it needs to be readily available in a public forum for descendants of this family who played such an important role in the American Revolution.
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"On 14 July 1760, Samuel Rankin purchased 320 acres from David Alexander on James Cathey's Mill Creek in Rowan County, NC. John and William Rankin, believed by some to be Samuel's brothers, both preceded him to that part of Orange County near Rowan County which later became Guilford County. Between 1760 and 1765, Samuel was very active in Rowan County serving on various juries and grand juries. On 31 Aug 1765, he and 'wife Elenor' sold this same 320 acres on James Cathey's Mill Creek to John McNeeley." [A. Gregg Moore & Forney A. Rankin, The Rankins of North Carolina, (Marietta, GA: 1997), 20.]

Samuel and Ellen Rankin moved from Rowan County to Mecklenburg County around 1765. On 19 Jan 1768, they purchased 150 acres of land on Kuykendall's Creek in what is now Gaston County from David Alexander, planter of Mecklenburg County. Then, on 22 Dec 1768, Samuel Rankin received a grant of 200 acres of land from Governor Tryon. His land transactions were numerous. [A. Gregg Moore & Forney A. Rankin, The Rankins of North Carolina, (Marietta, GA: 1997), 20.]

From the Tryon County, North Carolina Court Minutes: At the October 1771 term a deed of sale from David Alexander to Samuel Rankin dated 19 Jan 1768 for 150 acres of land was acknowledged in open Court and ordered to be registered. At the April 1774 term a deed of sale from Samuel Rankin & Eleanor his wife to Philip Alston for 150 acres of land dated 26 March 1773 acknowledged in open Court by Samuel Rankin and ordered to be registered. At the same session, a deed of sale from Samuel Rankin to Philip Alston for 200 acres of land dated 26 Jan 1773 was acknowledged in open Court and ordered to be registered. At the April 1774 term a deed of sale from Alexander Gilliland to Samuel Rankin for 202 acres of land dated 8 Mar 1772 was acknowledged in open Court and ordered to be registered.

At the July 1774 term Samuel Rankin served on the Petty Jury.At the July 1777 term a deed of sale from Samuel Rankin to Robert Park for 202 acres of land on a branch of Crowder's Creek dated 30 (13?) Nov 1775 was proved in open court by Alexander Gilliland an evidence thereto and ordered to be registered. At the April 1778 term a deed of sale from George Lamkin to Samuel Rankin for 300 acres of land dated 12 Jan 1775 was proved by Robert Alexander an evidence thereto and ordered to be registered.At the April 1778 term a deed of sale for land from William Alston to Robert Alexander was proved by Samuel Rankin.

At the October 1778 term Samuel Rankin assee &c vs Samuel Adams. Jury impanelled and sworn; assess the plaintiff damage to £14 11 7 and /6 cost.[Brent H. Holcomb, Tryon County North Carolina Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions 1769-1799, SCMAR, Columbia, South Carolina, 1994.]

Last Will & Testament: In the name of God Amen. I, Samuel Rankin of the State of North Carolina and County of Lincoln being of sound and perfect mind and (memory?), blessed be God, do this 16th day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and fourteen, make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following (viz)

Item 1st I allow all my worldly debts to be paid out of my Estate.

Item 2nd I give unto my son William Rankin one dollar.

Item 3rd I give unto my daughter Jean Heartgrove one dollar.

Item 4th I give unto my son Samuel Rankin one dollar.

Item 5th I give unto my son David Rankin one dollar.

Item 6th I give unto my son Robert Rankin one dollar.

Item 7th I give unto my son Alexander Rankin one dollar.

Item 8th, I will unto my Daughter Anna Rutledge two cows which she has now in her possession and no more.

Item 9th I give unto my daughter Nelly Dickson one dollar.

The above mentioned monies that I have willed unto my children, I allow the same to be paid out of my Estate.

Item 10th I will and bequeath unto my son James Rankin and his heirs the plantation whereon I now live.

Item 11th I will unto my son James Rankin my sorrel horse and all my stock of cattle and sheep and my bed and furniture of every kind likewise and large kettled and one (- - - -).

And I hereby make and ordain my worthy son Alexander Rankin Executor of this my last will and testament in witness whereof the said Samuel Rankin has to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the day and

year above written, signed sealed published and delivered by the said Samuel Rankin the Testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us who was present at the time of signing and dealing thereof. H. McGee Blair McGee George Graham (signed) Samuel /his X mark/ Rankin

A bronze marker placed by D.A.R. on the stone wall surrounding Goshen Grove Cemetery where he is buried commends Samuel Rankin as patriot in Revolutionary war - due to age, probably gave supplies and services. From Revolutionary Army Accounts for North Carolina A:179, Historical Commission, Raleigh North Carolina: "For sundries furnished the militia of North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina as allowed by Brown, McKissick, auditors, Salisbury District September 1781 to Samuel Rankin for wagon hire."

Also, A:225: "For sundries furnished the Militia of North Carolina as allowed by Ervin and Miler, auditors for Morgan District."Also from Revolutionary War Accounts of North Carolina, Volume 5, page 36, folio 1.

An article by Minnie Stowe Puett, Gaston Co. historian, in her book "History of Gaston County":

Samuel Rankin, the Gaston County pioneer of the family of that name, was of Scotch-Irish stock. He, with the Moores, Alexanders, and others of his countrymen, came to the Mt. Holly section from Pennsylvania about 1763 and settled on Kuykendall or Dutchman's Creek on lands opened by the government a short time before, some of which had been taken by James Armstrong. The lands of Samuel Rankin's first settlement were purchased from Armstrong. Two years later he moved to a large grant of 2000 acres, lying between Stanley and Dutchman's Creeks. While living in Pennsylvania, he married Ellen Alexander, a sister of Robert Alexander and an aunt of Margaret Alexander, Robert's daughter, who was betrothed to Major William Chronicle at the time of his death at King's Mountain. Robert Alexander also moved to the Mt. Holly section and became prominent in the county. Samuel Rankin and his wife had eleven children. One of these, William, was a soldier of the Revolution. A sketch of him will be given later. Much of the land of the original grant to Samuel Rankin is still in possession of his descendants. The late Rufus Rankin, reared in the New Hope section of the county, built a new house on the site of the original settlement, about two miles from Stanley on the north side of Stanley Creek. Rufus died a short time after his home was completed. His widow, Minnie Armstrong Rankin, continued to occupy it for a while, but she later moved to Gastonia. The settlement has for years been known as Rankintown.

Article from "The Gastonia Gazette" - Gastonia, NC, May 1955 by Mrs. Kay Dixon(picture included)

Samuel Rankin and wife, Ellen Alexander, were pioneers who settled in this area in 1765, and obtained a grant to a large tract of land, the majority of which is still in the possession of the Rankin family. Samuel built a house in 1765 on a hill overlooking the 300 acres that he was later to deed to his son William (born 1760 - died 1853, age 93 years). When a boy of 17 William joined the military company of his uncle, Captain Robert Alexander; he saw service in the Cherokee uprising, in the battles of Cowpens and Eutaw Springs. When he was 27 years old he married Mary Moore Campbell, sister of General John Moore. They settled on land Samuel Rankin gave them and built a small log house with a tremendous eight foot fireplace. Here they lived until the finer, larger house in front of it was completed in 1800. The first cabin then was used for a kitchen; unfortunately this interesting old building has been torn down, and many tools, looms, farm implements of by-gone days have been lost. The charming old house, of logs covered with siding, has small rooms, quaint old mantles, and an inclosed (sic) stairway. The house is a veritable store house of valuable and interesting articles, among which are straight chair that William Rankin used, cupboards with some of the original china in them; spool beds, old trunks, and tables, the old Bisanar clock with weights that rest in a sand box, a fine old secretary with secret drawers. The furniture was said to have been made by Isaac Holland. William's sister Ellen married Joseph Dickson, son of General Joseph Dickson and went with that family to Tennessee. William and Mary Moore had nine children, who married into the Rutledge, Moore, Johnson, and Campbell families, neighbors in that section. William's son Richard (born 1804, died 1899) married Annie Hartgrove, Carolyn Beatty, and Delia Bisaner. There were 14 children, the progenitors of the many Rankins of Gaston county.Richard represented Lincoln county in the legislature of 1844-1850, and Gaston county in 1856, was influential in the organization of Gaston county in 1847. The youngest son of Richard Rankin and Delia Bisaner, Rev. Frank Rankin, inherited the old home. He married Aneta Battley and their children were born in the house. Mrs. W. H. Jarman (Mary Delia), Mrs. Craig Watson, (Katharine), Mrs. Landon Roberts, (Jean), and the two sons Richard and Frank. The sons live in Mt. Holly and "Willowside" is cared for and cherished by the widow of Rev. Frank Rankin. Rev. Frank Rankin and his sister, Mrs. Kathleen Rankin Moore have died in the past few years. They were among the very few grandchildren of a Revolutionary soldier left in the county.

William Rankin died in 1854, age 93, Richard died in 1899, age 95; William is buried at Goshen, Richard at Mt. Holly.

Family Members

Children

James Rankin Unknown-1832

William Rankin 1761-1853

Robert Rankin 1765-1845

David Rankin 1768-1830

Eleanor Rankin Dickson 1786-1848

Created by: Vonnie L Cantrell (47192880) Added: 5 Apr 2014 ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR8-5BV : accessed 17 February 2021), Saml Ranken, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 829, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 29; FHL microfilm 337,905.
2. ↑ Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 February 2021), memorial page for Samuel Rankin (1732–16 Dec 1814), Find a Grave Memorial no. 127500305, citing Goshen Cemetery, Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Vonnie L Cantrell (contributor 47192880) .

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