James Crawford Rankin b 1851


James Crawford Rankin (1851-c1935)
and Emily Cornelia “Carrie” Mullikin (c1851 -    )
South Carolina to Texas

Compiled and copyrighted July 2010 by Linda Sparks Starr

James Crawford Rankin, no doubt named for his uncle who had moved to Mississippi, was born 25 February 1851 in Anderson County, South Carolina.  He was the youngest surviving son of Thomas and Sarah Ann (Orr.)   He grew up during the struggling economic times and uncertainty created by the events leading to the national conflict.    He was ten years old when he watched his older brothers and uncles set off for the battlefront.  The four siblings who remained at the home front those years developed a special bond.   Although they didn’t leave South Carolina at the same time, all four ended up not that far from each other in northern Texas. 

James married Emily Cornelia “Carrie” Mullikin in (presumably) Anderson County 28 November 1869.  Although her specific lineage is not traced, the Mullikins (of various spellings) had lived in South Carolina at least as long as the Rankins.

We can only guess at the events leading to the late 1871 decision of his mother to request a change in the trustees for the trust fund her father had set up for her. The plan apparently was  to replace her brother and trusted friend, chosen by her father, with her sons,  James C. and George Alexander.  At the center was the 212 acres tract the trust owned, but on which the Rankin family farmed.  Subsequent events make it logical to assume that James and George A. wanted long-term assurance any improvements they made to the property, would not be lost. Improvements perhaps included the pressing needs of their growing families for separate and more commodious living accommodations. The problem was, all the trust fund’s money was tied up in the tract and the sole purpose of the fund (tract) was benefiting the boys’ mother, Sarah Ann (Orr).  If the trustees saw a need, they would not hesitate to sell the tract to raise cash.

It was obvious to everyone that these sons, with wives and families of their own, and a desire for this tract, would have a major conflict of interest should Sarah’s future needs require the sale of the lot. A deal was worked out.  $1350 was the agreed-upon current fair market value for the 212 acres lot. The contract said the boys would pay that amount plus interest in two easy, equal installments. Even though it was “all in the family”, everything was done legally and properly.  George A. and James C. signed a surety bond for $2700 and also a mortgage contract.  The trustees remained in place and the trust fund received payments. 

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On 12 December 1882 James C. purchased 70 acres from his brother Wilson N. and 64 acres from his brother George Alexander. The deed from Wilson identified the properties as "the tract where J. C. Rankin now lives". Additionally it was identified as part of the parcel from Col. George Rankin's estate that was distributed to his son Thos. F. Rankin. (Specifically, it was Thomas F. Rankin's land that was sold by the Sheriff in 1875 to pay his debts.)  That same day George A. Rankin sold 64 acres of Sarah's trust fund land to his brother James. The specific date James moved to Texas is not known. But a power of attorney signed by him in Grayson County TX gives us both the "before and after" dates of his move. Directed to Wilson N. Rankin of Anderson County, South  Carolina and dated 14 March 1889, Wilson was directed to receive payment on four mortgag notes, each signed by James A. Martin, January 1888. Once full payment was made, Wilson was to have the notes' releases documented in in the county's mortgage book. The POA, witnessed in Grayson Co. by his brother-in-law J. D. Blassingame (as the clerk recorded the name), provides a "by date" for that couple as well.  

According to Ann Jones and others, James and Carrie had nine children, most of whom were born in Anderson County, South Carolina.  I have the death of James C. Rankin as 1935 in Sherman, Texas but failed to cite the source for the information. Below is a list of their children using data from various researchers. Estimated birth years are from the 1880 census:

    Thomas born c1871
    Edward born c1873
    Agnes born c1875 married ____ Miller
    George born c1877
    Emma born c1879 married ___ Smith
    Benjamin Franklin
    Mary married ____ Wells
    Henry
    John



SOURCES


Anderson County, South Carolina Index to Deeds – Grantees (Rankin to 1881)

Anderson County records located at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History,  Columbus.

Eades, Barbara, descendant via Blassingames, researcher.

FamilySearch.org for 1880 census.

Jones, Dr. Ann Norton, descendant of W. R. Rankin, researcher.  She had access to all the family records and photographs of William Robertson Rankin of Calhoun, GA.

Starr, Linda Sparks, author  W. R. Rankin: Manassas to Appomattox  1990.

Wade, Helen Starr, descendant of W. R. Rankin


Linda Sparks Starr    copyright (c) June 2010
lsstarr@pilgrimage.us
Home: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/