The Family of Alexander Fraser Rankin (1866-1935)




Alexander Rankin married Helen McLean (born 1860) in Inverness on 22 February 1895.  
They lived throughout the remainder of their lives at various addresses in Inverness and 
district.  Alexander was as with previous generations in the building trade and became a 
Clerk of Works.

Of the 6 children born to Alexander and Helen, only 2 – Andrew and Catherine – lived 
into adulthood.  Andrew left school (Inverness Royal Academy) and joined the Inverness 
Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery for the duration of the Great War.  He saw action 
with the ANZAC Mounted Division fighting the Turks through what is now Egypt and 
Israel.  Thereafter he studied law and obtained a M.A. degree from Aberdeen and a LLB 
degree from Edinburgh University.  Catherine qualified as a nurse and moved into the 
early development of  X-ray in the Northern Infirmary in Inverness finally retiring as 
Sister in the Radiography Department.  Sadly she fell victim to cancer as did most of 
those who worked with x-rays in its early days.

Alexander, Helen and the 3 daughters who died in childhood together with the stillborn 
baby are buried in Tomnahurich Cemetery in Inverness.