The Family of John Rankin (1774 - 1809)

John was born in the parish of Boleskine in 1784 and served as a private soldier in the Fraser Fencibles Regiment having joined in 1800 at the tender age of 16.  When this regiment was disbanded in 1802, he enlisted in the 42nd Regiment (which later became the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch) with whom he served first in Ireland and then from early 1809 in the Peninsular War.  He died in November 1809 at Elvas on the Spanish/Portugese border about 10 months after the battle of Corunna.

He had married Ann McGruer in December 1800 who was a daughter of Angus McGruer a shoemaker in the area to the northeast of Fort Augustus.  This marriage apparently caused a split in the family and he left home as a result. Ann outlived John by many years and died, as her death certificate put it, of "general debility" at the ripe old age of 87.  They had a son (James) born in August, 1803.

The military record of John has been researched through various Muster Records and Casualty Lists.  Although some dates seem slightly unreliable, it has been possible to trace most of his life from 1800 - 1809 in the Army.
1800  		Enlisted in Fraser Fencibles Regiment
1802 		by 1802 was serving in Capt Denholme's company in Tuam and Tullamore in Ireland before returning to Scotland (the rate of pay for a private was 1 shilling per day according to Company Pay Lists) 
			enlisted in 1st Battalion, 42nd Regiment on 24th February 1802 in Glasgow
1803-4 served both in 1st and 2nd Battalions based at Weeley Barracks in Essex in first Capt Dalrymple's company and then in Capt James J Fraser's.  Remained in 2nd Battalion after 1804
1809 served in Dublin from until March before being stationed at Linheres, Portugal in June.  He was reported to be sick trough September and October at Niza.  When the battalion moved on to Elvas, he died on 19 November 


From the Description Roll of the 42nd regiment, it is noted that Private John Rankin had fair hair and was of fair complexion.  He was 5ft 7ins tall (one of the taller men) with grey eyes and a "long visage" (as opposed to a round visage!)