Rankin narrative
RANKIN
Augusta County, Virginia
Pendleton District / Anderson Co. South Carolina
Calhoun, Georgia
compiled and copyrighted by Linda Sparks Starr April 2010
From a 1776 letter by Andrew Lewis to William Preston: "Do you
remember old George Rankin of the Middle River? I am
almost as fat as he was but thinks I
have ye Advantage in Teeth." [Johnon p. 189, citing
Preston Papers QQ pp. 61; 67]
George
(died 1760) and Martha (
)
The search for George Rankin prior to his arrival in the valley of
Virginia is ongoing. To my knowledge, to date no one has
positively identified either George or his wife Martha in records
outside the valley of Virginia. Like so many other Scots-Irish
emigrants, the closest we can get to an arrival date is, in their case,
before October 1743 --the baptismal date for eldest known child. Unlike
most of his valley neighbors, George apparently did not make the
journey across the Blue Ridge to prove his importation into the colony
of Virginia at the Court House for Orange County (parent county for
Augusta.) Some might speculate this suggests George wasn’t an
emigrant. The problem with assumptions based on lack of records
is that loose papers have a way of getting lost before they were
recorded and court record books sometimes disappeared in the
intervening centuries.
A definitive marriage record has not been found for
George and his wife Martha, leaving several unanswered questions.
Researchers have long thought she was a CRAWFORD sister to George,
Patrick, James, Alexander and Mary (wife of John Poage.) Two sets
of parents are offered for this group; to my knowledge, no one has
discovered which, if either set is correct. Recently another
group of researchers suggested Martha was a ROBERTSON, specifically a
sister of William (c1720-1812) whose daughter Lettice/Letitia married
Martha’s son, William Rankin. In my opinion both suggested
surnames for Martha are nothing more than logical guesses based on
other records. One marriage record is offered, more a suggestion
for
further research than statement of belief this is the same George and
Martha: “no date George Rank of Lancaster Co. PA to
Martha ___ “ [Fisher, p. 84 citing “Marriages of
American Soldiers & Patriots During the Revolutionary
Period”] Among the many problems which need to be addressed
before this last record is even considered is the time period covered
by the marriages used in this compilation -- 1730s to the 1770s.
Land once owned by George Rankin:
Turning now to the known facts about George and
Martha ( ? ) Rankin who resided on the Middle
River in the northeastern part of present day Augusta
County. Although the specific year is unknown, they probably
married late in 1742 or early 1743 for their eldest child, Jean, was
baptized 15 October 1743. Some researchers reported Jean was
a
child when baptized, but that may be an error in reading Rev. John
Craig’s penmanship. Their son Thomas
was baptized 22 September 1745 and son William
on 20 March 1748. All three baptisms were within the
congregation of
Augusta Stone Church. [Wilson, Appendix F Record of Baptisms
1740-1749 p. 470-483; Virginia Library pages 9; 14;
20] Rev. John Craig established the Augusta Stone
(Presbyterian) Church the fall of 1740.
According to Henry Rankin Jr., [citing Augusta Co.
Survey Bk I p. 8] Thomas Lewis ran a survey for 328 acres on
Cathey’s River [a.k.a. Middle River] for George Rankin 14 August
1745. Lewis noted on the survey this was “land not claimed by
Fairfax.” George’s land was in a narrow strip between
the northern most part of Beverly Manor and the southern line for the
Fairfax grant. The
land patent is dated 20 August 1747 and reads
in part: “on Catheys River, opposite to the Land of David
Logan, Begin on the North side of said River near the mouth of a
Hollow." George paid £1.15 shillings for the grant plus the
cost of the
survey. [Hudgins p. 319 citing Patent Book 28 page 199] The tract
was joined on one side by George Crawford and on the other by John
Waldren. [Dice]
Although the specific birth years for the youngest four children of
George and Martha are not recorded, it can be said with authority the
youngest three were born during the 1750s, leaving the birth of only
son John open to speculation. His birth was not recorded in Rev.
John
Craig’s baptismal record that stopped in 1749. Researchers
thus estimate John’s birth as late 1749 or 1750. The order
of other children named in George’s will was Although the
specific birth years for the youngest
four children of George and Martha are not recorded, it can be said
with authority the youngest three were born during the 1750s, leaving
the birth of only son James, Robert
and then Jean and
Mary. Baptismal records
prove Jean was the eldest surviving child. Mary’s placement
in the family, though specifically unknown, is thought the youngest for
she is the only Rankin child mentioned in her step-father’s
will. Named in her father’s January 1760 will, her
birth is given as late 1750s.
The Augusta County clerk made a brief notation
August 1755 that leaves many questions: “James King, servant of
George Rankins.” [Chalkley vol. 1 p. 67 citing Augusta Co.
Order Book IV p. 465] We can assume George was prosperous
enough to pay someone to help him with the farm chores. But
perhaps more was going on with George than this scant record
shows. Only one year later, 10 August 1756, as George Renkin, he
appears on the militia list for Capt. Allan’s Company along with
his Augusta County neighbors surnamed Henderson, Kerr, Stevenson,
Robertson, Bell, Crawford,
Givens, Craig, Patterson, Poage
and others. Although unlike other petitioners, the specific
reason for their request isn’t given, George was one of four men
who signed one petition for exemption from militia service. The others
were Sampson Syers (sic), Francis Gardiner and James Cowen.
The usual reasons given for requests for exemption were age
and/or infirmities. Their petition was apparently approved at the 11
September 1756 Court Martial held for Augusta County. [Bockstruck p.
324-5]
George was “weak in body but in perfect
memory” according to the wording of his will signed 26
January
1760. He was cognizant of the struggles facing his young
family
without him and made provisions to hopefully ease the situation.
He ordered that his “plantation with [all the] proper Instruments
for tillage“ be held together and undivided, for the
benefit and use of the family and the education of the younger
children. The Scots-Irish respect for education was quite evident
in this family. His beloved wife Martha received her full third
of his real estate as long as she remained unmarried. At her death or
marriage, her third of his land would go to their eldest son
Thomas. Martha would also receive a child’s portion of
his
movable (personal) estate as would son Thomas. Son William
received the middle third of the plantation along with a child’s
portion and son John, the
lower third of the plantation, and a
child’s portion of the movables.
George was now out of land. Sons James
and Robert each received a
child’s part of the movables plus £20. George added a
clause that if any of the three older boys died before they were of
age, then their legacy was to be equally divided between these two
younger boys. Daughter Jean
was to receive a child’s part of the
movables plus £10 and daughter
Mary, a child’s part of the
movables plus £5. However, he added a provision for £5 more
to Mary to be “levied Equally of the Parts left by me to my Sons
William and John as the Executors shall think fitt.”
He appointed Samuel Henderson and Thomas Patterson executors of his
will. George signed the will with an X in the presence of James
and Robert Craig and Theobald Maigham.
The will was proved at the 20 May 1760 Court held
for Augusta County. Henderson and Patterson obtained Letters of
Administration with James Craig and William Preston their securities
for the performance bond. [Augusta County Will Book 2, page
375-6] The Court appointed William Lamb, George Crawford
and Robert Craig appraisers. The inventory of George’s estate was
returned to the 19 Nov 1760 Court. [Chalkley vol. III p. 60 citing Will
Bk 2 p. 431] However, the final settlement was not completed
until after the death of John (1790) and the judgment of the chancery
suit filed by John Young, widower of Mary (Rankin).
The widow Martha Rankin married secondly her
neighbor Robert Stephenson who was a widower himself. Although the
record is incomplete most researchers agree this is likely the same
Robert who acquired, as Robert Stevenson, a license to marry 29 April
1768. [Chalkley vol. II p. 277 citing Augusta Co. Marriage
Licenses] Robert’s
will, gave his wife Martha one-third of his real
estate plus a bay mare and side saddle, her choice of three cows and
the pewter and bedding she brought with her into the marriage. He
also gave her one third of his present crop and the wherewithal to
purchase winter provisions. Curiously she was to receive his
great Bible as well. Robert’s son Thomas received the rest
of the real estate and other items. Each of Robert’s
daughters (not named) received one Dollar. He ended the list of
legacies with: “Mary Rankin my Daughter in Law my Black
Colt. And the Residue ... if any ... be Equally Divided amongst all my
grand-children and Mary Rankin.“
The Stephenson will was proved at the 18 August 1772
Court. This is the last mention of “Martha
Stephenson” in the Augusta County Court records. According
to Miss Dice, George and Martha, their son Thomas and his wife Mary
(Crawford) are among those buried in unmarked graves in the Old
Cemetery of Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church. She asserted this is a
different location than the Old Glebe burying ground for Augusta Stone
Church.
SOURCES
Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt, compiler. Virginia’s Colonial Soldiers
1988 Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore.
Chalkley, Lyman abstracter. Chronicles
of Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: Augusta County 1745-1800
in three volumes. Genealogical Publishing Co.
Baltimore. Also:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~chalkley/
Dice, Miss, Rankin family authority and long-time resident of Weyers
Cave, Virginia.
Fisher, Charles A. compiler. Central
Pennsylvania Marriages 1700-1896. Genealogical
Publishing Co. reprint 1978. “Marriages of American
Soldiers & Patriots During the Revolutionary Period” –
dates range from 1730s to 1770s.
Hudgins, Dennis Ray, editor. Cavaliers
and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants volume
Five: 1741-1749. Virginia Genealogical Society, Richmond
1994.
Johnson, Patricia Givens, author.
William Preston and the Allegheny Patriots 1976.
Walpa Publishing, Blacksburg, VA.
Virginia State Library, John
Craig’s Record of Baptisms 1740-1749 shared by Barbara
Eads.
Wilson, Howard McKnight, author / compiler. The Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom.
1954.
Home: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/
Linda Sparks Starr copyright (c) 2010
