Margaret Rankin Poage


Margaret “Peggy” Rankin (c1783-1814)
and George Washington Poage (1781-c1850)

Compiled and copyrighted June 2010 by Linda Sparks Starr

Woodworth is probably correct in positioning Margeret “Peggy” as the youngest of the three daughters of Thomas and Mary Rankin. She was likely named for her mother’s sister while her two sisters were named for their grandmothers. Traditionally the first four colonial children were given the names of the grandparents.  Woodworth didn’t attempt to guess birth years for these POAGE descendants, but other researchers tend to give “about 1781” as the birth year for several, Peggy included.  This researcher is inclined to estimate Peggy’s birth as “around 1783 to 1785.” 

Depending on which side of fourteen Peggy was in 1797, she chose her uncle or the court appointed Robert Crawford her guardian in matters concerning her father’s estate.  The £3000 Guardian Bond (paid only if he mismanaged her inheritance) was co-signed by her Uncles James Rankin and William Crawford as his sureties. [Mattingly transcription of the original bonds]  The reasons for the ten year delay from their father’s death in naming guardians, and then only for the daughters, can only be wondered about now.  Perhaps it was the impending marriage of Peggy’s sister Betsy which prodded the action. Woodworth wrote of Peggy and her husband:  “1533  Margaret Rankin b. Augusta County m. Apr. 9, 1800 George Washington Poage – farmer, Pocahontas County (now W Va) and died likely there Dec. 6, 1814; he [was] son Col. William Poage and Margaret Davies b. Sept. 10, 1781 – six children.  See pages 286-296.  [Descendants of Elizabeth Poage  P-15  p. 710]  

Mona Mattingly noted that when the two married, George was a resident of Bath County and not the neighboring Pocahontas County.   “1800, April 9:  George Poage of Bath County and Robert Crawford of Augusta, sureties.  George Poage and Margaret Rankin, daughter of the late Thomas Rankin.    Bath County. I do hereby certify my consent that my son George obtain a license to marry Peggy Rankin, daughter of Thomas Rankin deceased, but who is under the guardian care of Robt. Crawford, of Augusta County. Witness my hand and seal this 25th March 1800 -- Wm Poage (Seal)   Teste: Robert Poage, Wm Poage Jr. “  [Chalkley vol. II: 343]  She added they were still residents of Bath County 31 May 1813 when “George Poage and Margaret his wife, late Margaret Rankin, one of the heirs of Thomas Rankin dec’d of the County of Bath sell for £104 to James & Robert Rankin one fifth of 116 acres adjoining lands of sd Rankins, Robert Crawford and the late John Reburn.”   [Mattingly transcription of Augusta Co. Deeds Bk 38:364] 

Thus, it is likely that their six children were born in and Margaret “Peggy” (Rankin) Poage died in Bath County, not Pocahontas County, Virginia as given by several researchers. George married his second wife, Elizabeth Beard in 1815.  They had 11 children.  [genforum #16 posted by Jack Richardson Nov 1998 citing Woodworth p. 286; 296]   George moved to Pocahontas County (now West Virginia) before August 1850 when the census taker visited his household.  George died in Pocahontas County sometime after this date.

The six children of George W. and Peggy (Rankin) were: 
Margaret
Ann, married Ralph Wanless
Thomas Rankin Poage, born c1804.  He was Head of Household #161 on the 1850 Pocahontas County, Virginia census taken 22 August 1850.  With the 43 years old Thomas R. were 39 (or 41) years old female M. Rebecca, the 17 years old blacksmith George J. Poage, and 12 years old John W. Poage.   All were born in Virginia.   Thomas R. died 7 June 1879 in Jamesport, Missouri.  [Gillett citing p. 272a District 47]
William. born c1807 Bath County, Virginia died 1834 Greenbrier County, (now West) Virginia.  He was killed by a falling tree.
Mary
James Rankin Poage, born 18 October 1812 Bath County, Virginia.  He is listed as the 36 years old Head of Household #160 on the 1850 census.  With him was 33 years old Elizabeth J?, 12 years old Henry F?, 10 years old Elizabeth F,  8 years old Mary L?, 6 years old James H?, 4 years old Sarah J? and 2 years old Amanda J?  [Gillett citing p. 272a District 47]  Price refers to him as “late of Edray” in his work published 1901.  [p. 513]

Price doesn’t list Margaret or Mary as daughters of George and Peggy, but does say their daughter Elizabeth married as his second wife, George Burner of Traveler’s Repose.  Neither does Price list Thomas Rankin Poage as a son; but Price does say their son Rankin married Nancy Wolfenbarger.


SOURCES

Chalkley, Lyman transcriber.  Chronicles of Scotch-Irish Settlers in Virginia:  Augusta 1745-1800 vol. II

Gillett, Jean, researcher of early Augusta County, Virginia families including the POAGEs.  e-mails mostly date 1990s.

Mattingly, Mona, researcher of RANKIN, POAGE, ROBERTSON and BLAIR

http://pocahontascohistory.org/community/content/william-poage-p-513-historical-sketches-pocahontas-county.   Citing the work:  William Poage p. 513  Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County  by William T. Price (1901)

Woodworth, Robert Bell, editor.  The Descendants of Robert and John Poage: Pioneer Settlers in Augusta County, Virginia, A Genealogy  based on the Manuscript Collections of Prof. Andrew Woods Williamson, Henry Martyn Williamson and John Guy Bishop. The McClure Printing Co., Staunton, VA 1954.


Home: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/
Linda Sparks Starr    copyright (c)  2010