Mary Melissa (Grant) Rankin (1845 - 1909)

Born 4 Jan 1845 in New York County, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of William E. Rankin — married 1867 in Manhatten, NY

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Biography

In 1850, the Grant family lived in Ward 9, New York City, New York. The household included Alexander Grant, 35, a carpenter; his wife, Rebecca, 29; their children, Floyd, 7, in school; Mary, 5; and Augustus, 3. All members of the Grant family were born in New York. Also living with them were James Ellis, 25, a machinist; and Ann Baker, 21.^[1]

In 1855, the Grant family lived in New York City, New York. The household included A.B. (Alexander) Grant, 41, born in Rensselaer County, NY, a carpenter, who had lived with his wife in NY City for fourteen years; his wife, Rebecca, 34, born in Orange County, NY; their children, all born in NY County, Floyd, 12; M.M. (Mary), 10; A.A. (Augustus), 7; E. (Lottie Emmanuel), 4; and I.A. (Isabella), 1. Also living with them was a servant, Bridget Ludlow, 18, born in Ireland.^[2]

In 1860, the Grant family lived in New York City. All members of the household were born in New York, except as noted. The household included Alexander Grant, 44, a carpenter, with $600 in personal assets; his wife, Rebecca, 39, boarding (boarding-house keeper?); their children, Floyd, 17, a clerk; Mary, 15, in school; Augustus, 12, in school; Ida, 4; and Archibald, an infant. Also living with them were Rebecca’s father, Thomas Avery, 61, born in VT, an inventor, with $2500 in personal estate; Catherine Avery, 28, a parasol maker; and Amelia Dia, 23, a dressmaker.^[3]

William Rankin, 21 (?), and Mary Grant, 20 (?), were married on 7 April 1867 in Manhattan, New York, New York. It was the first marriage for both. William was born in New York (CT), the son of Hugh Rankin and Bessie Courtney. Mary was born in New York, the daughter of Alexander Grant and Rebecca Avery.^[4]NOTE: if the birth years on their grave stone are accurate, William would have been about 24, and Mary, about 22, when they were married.

William E. Rankin and Mary M. Grant are mentioned in the birth- and death records of their son, William A. Rankin, born on 31 January 1868, and who died about six weeks later, on 18 March 1868, in Manhattan, New York, New York.^[5][6]

In 1870, the Rankin family lived in New York City, New York. The household included Hugh Rankin, 45, born in Ireland, a painter, with $600 in personal estate; his wife, Eliza, 43, b. Ireland; their children, all born in Connecticut, except as noted: Lizzie, 22; Jane, 19; James, 16, a grocery clerk; Lewis, 13, in school; Pauline, 11, in school; and William, 22, b. NY, a dry goods clerk; and his wife, Mary, 25, b. NY.^[7]NOTE: William Rankin and his wife Mary were also enumerated in another household in NYC the 1870 Census (see below).

In 1870, the Rankins lived in New York City, New York. The household included William E. Rankin, 24, a dry goods clerk; his wife, Mary M., 23; Edwin D. O’Neil, 24, a physician; Delia Parke, 24; Alfred McHall, 22; James Ellis, 51; and Henry Jones, 19. Living nearby were Mary (Grant) Rankin’s parents, Alexander and Rebecca Grant, and her six siblings.^[8]

In 1880, the Rankins lived in New York City, New York. The household included William E. Rankin, 35, born in Connecticut (parents b. Ireland), a dry goods merchant; his wife, Mary M., 34, b. NY (parents b. NY); and boarders: his sister, Pauline Rankin, 22, b. CT; (Mary’s brother and his family) Floyd Grant, 37, b. NY; Charlotte A. Grant, 34, b. NY; May R. Grant, 4, b. NY; and a servant, Martha Snyder, 26, b. Mexico.^[9]

In 1900, the Rankin family lived in Hampstead Township, Rockville Centre, Nassau County, New York. The family included William E. Rankin, 49, born in Connecticut in July 1850, a dry goods merchant, who owned their house without a mortgage; his wife of 33 years, Mary M., 43, b. NY in Jan. 1857, who had had one child; their daughter, Marion A., 12, b. NY, Sept. 1888, in school; and servants, Delila Davis, 40, b. VA; and Max Zimmerman, 30, b. Germany.^[10]

NOTE: the ages of William and Mary are off in most records!

Mary M. Rankin, 1845-1909 (63-64), is buried with her husband, William E. Rankin, at Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, New York.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ 1850 US Census, New York City ward 9, New York, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCBW-XD2)
2. ↑ 1855 New York State Census, ED 2, Ward 9, New York City, New York County, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K67Q-SXV)
3. ↑ 1860 US Census, New York City, New York, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCHV-YR8)
4. ↑ New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZG-YG9)
5. ↑ New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WN1-R65)
6. ↑ New York, New York Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WN1-R65)
7. ↑ 1870 US Census, New York City Ward 9, New York, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8XT-KL3)
8. ↑ 1870 US Census, New York City, New York, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8XT-K2N)
9. ↑ 1880 US Census, New York, New York, New York (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZX4-ML8)
10. ↑ 1900 US Census, Hampstead Township, Rockville Centre village, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSJD-KQH)
11. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #30737519