Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of David Rankin, Sr.

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of David Rankin, Sr.

Generation No. 2

2. WILLIAM² RANKIN, SR. (DAVID¹) was born 1720 in Ulster, Ireland, and died October 1793 in Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County, PA. He married ABIGAIL TASSIA 1748 in Winchester County, Virginia. She was born 1722 in Frederick County, Virginia, and died December 1793 in High Spring, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for WILLIAM RANKIN, SR.:
[Global HAL.FTW]

SOURCE: History of Washington County, PA with Biographical Sketches. Boyd Crumrine, L. H. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, 1881.

Page 270- William Rankin took oath of allegiance and Fidelity May 24, 1779 in the Court of Yahogania County, Virginia.

Page 258- William Rankin of Smith Twp. registers as owner of 5 slaves on October 3, 1782.
__________________________________________________________________________ _______
SOURCE: Your Family Tree Vol II, WashingtonCounty Wills;

Rankin, William Smith Township, middle fork, Racoon Creek 10 Apr 1793-21 Oct 1793

Wife: Living
Sons: 1)David, land adjoining Leeches line, Richard McKibben, Humphrey Montgomery; 2-4) Matthew, Thomas, William, living in Virginia on place where testator formerly lived in that state called Turkey Spring; 5) Jesse; 6)Samuel; 7)Zachariah, deceased 8) John, deceased.
Daus: Abigail, wife of Charles Campbell, to receive one still holding 65 gallons; Mary, wife of Thomas Cherry.
G-ch: Abigail Rankin, daughter of Zachariah Rankin, deceased; John and Mary Cherry, James and Mary, heirs of John, deceased.
Mentions:William Campbell; John Lyle; Henry Rankin; negro slave Rose.
Exec: William Campbell, John Lyle
Wits: Henry Rankin, John Ross, William Martin
__________________________________________________________________________ _______

The Rankin Family, p. 620

RANKIN FAMILY. The first ancestor of the Rankin family who settled in Washington county was William Rankin, great-grandfather of our subjects, and a native of Winchester, Va., who, about 1774, made the hazardous journey across the mountains to Washington county with his wife and family landing October 31, 1774. He located in Mt. Pleasant township, this county, securing 1,800 acres of choice land, then a vast wilderness, which is now transformed into some of the finest farms of Washington county. Here he built a log cabin, and made such improvements as were possible, being in constant danger from the treacherous savages. But bravely and patiently he struggled on, establishing the pioneer home. After his sons had grown to manhood one of them, James, joined a party who went to establish a colony in Kentucky. They arrived safely, but during the return trip were attacked by Indians, and James was killed, his fate being but one addition to that of the many pioneers who were practically martyrs to colonization. Mr. and Mrs. William Rankin passed the remainder of their lives in the frontier home, both dying the same year.

Samuel Rankin, the youngest son of John, was born July 18, 1769, in Winchester, Va., and came to this county in 1774. On January 7, 1796, he was married to Jane McConahey, who was born February 18, 1775, a daughter of a pioneer settler. The following children were born to their union: William, John, David, Matthew, Samuel, Stephen, James, Matilda, Abigail and Jane, of whom Jane, the only one yet living, is a resident of Burgettstown, now aged seventy years, unmarried; the others lived to adult age, and were citizens of Washington county. Samuel Rankin became a wealthy farmer, and always lived on the old home farm which is situated about two miles northwest of Hickory. In politics be was a Democrat, and he was one of the famous " Minutemen." In religion he and his wife were members of the Union Church. He died in October, 1820, being followed by his wife July 20, 1869, in her ninety- fourth year; their remains lie in the U. P. cemetery at Hickory. Their children were as follows: William, born November 24, 1796, died January 13, 1884; John, born April 4, 1798, died in April, 1866. David, born February 15, 1800, died July 27, 1858; Matthew, born February 15, 1802, died in June, 1880; Matilda, born March 22, 1804, died in February. 1875, Samuel, born June 3, 1806, died May 27, 1834; Abigail, born in October, 1808, lived on the old homestead until November 17, 1892, when she died, James, born March 24, 1811, died July 27, 1887; Stephen, born August 20, 1813, died in February, 1877, and Jane, born February 6, 1817, living in Burgettstown.

William Rankin, eldest son of Samuel and Jane (McConahey) Rankin, was born in Mt. Pleasant township, this county, and remained on his father's farm during his boyhood, in the meantime receiving a subscription-school education. On December 16, 1819, be married Miss Nancy Lyle, who was born January 22, 1801, daughter of John Lyle, of Mt. Pleasant township, this county, and heir children were Elizabeth, born January 21, 1821, died February 14, 1880; Samuel, born July 19, 1823, died in September, 1845; John L., born October 16, 1826, married in 1849. Elizabeth Campbell; David, born May 30, 1829, died in September, 1845; William (a farmer of Mt. Pleasant township), born April 4, 1832; Jane, born March 24,1834, is unmarried, living in Burgettstown; and James, born September 2, 1836, married, in 1864, Elizabeth F. Barnes, who died in 1870, and in 1880 he married Maggie E. Forsythe, of Burgettstown. Mr. Rankin, by energy and perseverance, accumulated, in his agricultural pursuits, a good property. In politics he was a lifelong Democrat, and filled several township offices. He and his wife were consistent members of the Raccoon Presbyterian Church, afterward uniting with the church at Mt. Prospect. He died January 13, 1884, having been preceded by his life companion in 1870, and both are buried in Mt. Prospect cemetery.

John L. Rankin was born in Mt. Pleasant township, this county, on the farm where the earliest pioneer of the family had settled many years before. He grew to manhood on the ancestral acres, assisting in agricultural duties, and receiving a necessarily limited country-school education. On September 6, 1849, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Campbell, who was born September 11, 1829, near Monongahela City, Penn., a daughter of William and Nancy (Randolph) Campbell, who both died when Elizabeth was yet a child; she then lived with an uncle, John Campbell, until her marriage. Children have been born to the union of John L. and Elizabeth (Campbell) Rankin as follows: William D., a practicing physician in Allegheny, Penn.; John J., in Burgettstown; Nancy C., wife of A. C. McClure, of Burgettstown; Ella Jane, died April 8, 1886; Mary Elizabeth, died October 11, 1861; Ida May and Mary L., residing with their parents; Elgie A. C., in Allegheny; Alice B., Lizzie A., James T., Maggie L., residing with their parents. After his marriage John L. Rankin located on a farm about three miles northwest of Hickory, this county, where he resided sixteen years, extensively engaged in sheep raising. In 1866 he came to Smith township, purchasing a farm one mile south of Burgettstown, where he has since remained. Since his residence in that township, his home was completely destroyed by fire, but, with characteristic pluck and energy, he at once erected a building far superior to the one which had been burned. In politics Mr. Rankin has always been a Democrat, and has served his party in various capacities in both townships. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church of Burgettstown, in which he is an elder.

William Rankin was born April 4, 1832, on the home farm in Mt. Pleasant township, and received his education in the district schools. On November 23, 1858, he was married, in Wells county, Ind., to Martha Riddile, a native of Trumbull county, Ohio. She was a granddaughter of Samuel and Martha (Johnston) Riddile, the former of whom died in 1825, y, who settled in Smith township, this county, over seventy years ago. The Forsythe family are now limited to four sisters and one brother, of whom three sisters are living in Washington county. To the union of James and Maggie E. (Forsythe) Rankin four children have been born: Eldon Lee, Leslie, Ernest and Alvin Forsythe. Mr. Rankin votes the Democratic ticket, and has been a member of the school board. The home farm consists of 163 acres of well-cultivated land, and he keeps a fine grade of stock. The Rankin family trace their first settlement to Halloween, 1774. James Rankin and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Mt. Prospect.

Text taken from page 620 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).
Transcribed May 1997 by Dale E. Enlow of Lake Havasu City, AZ as part of the Beers Project.
Published May 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

William Rankin, in the fall of 1773, came to what is now Mount Pleasant township, and purchased sixteen hundred acres of land, a part of which had been improved, and returned to his home in Winchester, Va. In the following spring some of his sons came out, cleared the land, and planted corn. One or two cabins were erected on the place. In the fall of that year, 1774, William Rankin, with his wife and seven sons and two daughters, moved out to the new plantation, leaving at the old home two sons, David and William, who were married and settled there. October 31st, William and his family moved into a cabin which stood on the hill above the barn in the rear of James Rankin's present residence, and near a fine spring. Here they lived for several years, when William Rankin built a hewed log house, large and more commodious, north of the old cabin, where he lived till his death

More About WILLIAM RANKIN, SR.:
Burial: Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Washington Co, PA
Moved: 1773, To Mount Pleasant Twp, PA from Winchester, VA

Children of WILLIAM RANKIN and ABIGAIL TASSIA are:

5.	i.	DAVID³ RANKIN, b. 1749, Frederick County, Virginia.
6.	ii.	WILLIAM RANKIN, JR., b. Bet. 1748 - 1750, Frederick County, Virginia; d. Bef. February 22, 1830, Berkeley County, Virginia.
7.	iii.	ZACHARIAH RANKIN, b. 1752, Frederick County, Virginia; d. October 1785, Smith Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
8.	iv.	JOHN RANKIN, b. Bet. 1754 - 1755, Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia; d. April 1788, Smith Township, Washington Co., Pa..
	v.	JAMES RANKIN, b. Bet. 1756 - 1757, Frederick County, Virginia; d. 1790.

Notes for JAMES RANKIN:
[Global HAL.FTW]

SOURCE: Ohio Valley Genealogies Relating Chiefly to Families in Harrison, Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio and Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania, Charles A. Hanna GPC, 1968

(From Jane Topoly of Ft. Washington, Maryland)

Ambushed and killed by the Indians in 1790 on a return trip from Kentucky to Pennsylvania.

9.	vi.	MARY RANKIN, b. 1758, Frederick County, Virginia; d. Aft. 1822.
10.	vii.	MATTHEW RANKIN, b. Abt. 1760, Frederick County, Virginia; d. Abt. April 1822, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
11.	viii.	THOMAS RANKIN, b. September 12, 1760, Frederick County, Virginia; d. May 12, 1832, Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio.
12.	ix.	JESSE RANKIN, b. July 04, 1763, Frederick County, Virginia; d. September 21, 1837, Pennsylvania.
13.	x.	ABIGAIL RANKIN, b. Abt. 1766, Frederick County, Virginia; d. September 19, 1804, Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County, PA.
14.	xi.	MAJOR SAMUEL RANKIN, b. July 19, 1769, Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia; d. July 10, 1820, Washington County, PA.

3. DAVID² RANKIN, JR. (DAVID¹) was born 1726 in Ulster, Ireland, and died October 1795 in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky. He married HANNAH PROVINCE Abt. 1750 in Frederick County, Virginia, daughter of THOMAS PROVINCE and SARAH HACKNEY. She was born 1728 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died Aft. 1795 in Harrison County, Kentucky.

Notes for DAVID RANKIN, JR.:
SOURCE: Carol (Lewis) Townsend, Rt. 1 Box 4, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933-9703

Will is in Harrison County, Kentucky (September 22, 1795). Will Book I p. 13 (Carol has a copy).
1769 Moved to Washington Co., Pa. In 1790 the family moved to Harrison Co., Ky.

SOURCE: LDS FHC Microsfiche #6049440

Excerpts from his will from Carrie Baugh <freakcjb@geocities.com>. "Being sick and weak in body". He left to son William the 200 acres of land whereon he now lives and also his young negro boy Harry. He also mentions wife Hannah, sons Thomas and David and daughters, Jenny Blackburn, Sarah Roberts, Hannah Morrison, Mary Rawlings and Letty Hays. Named executors were sons David and William. Witnesses were W, Moore, Thomas Rankin and Isaac Rankin. Written September 22, 1795, probated October of 1795.

Notes for HANNAH PROVINCE:
[Global HAL.FTW]

SOURCE: Carol (Lewis) Townsend, Rt. 1 Box 4, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933-9703

Children of DAVID RANKIN and HANNAH PROVINCE are:

15.	i.	WILLIAM³ RANKIN, b. WFT Est. 1750-1773, Virginia.
	ii.	HANNAH RANKIN, b. Abt. 1750; d. 1846, Harrison Co., Kentucky; m. DOCTOR GAVIN MORRISON, M.D., Pennsylvania; b. Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.
16.	iii.	THOMAS RANKIN, b. December 18, 1751, Frederick County, Virginia; d. March 25, 1820, Cynthiana, Harrison Co., Kentucky.
17.	iv.	JANE "JENNY" RANKIN, b. 1755, Frederick County, Virginia; d. November 18, 1834, Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky.
18.	v.	SARAH RANKIN, b. 1759, Virginia; d. November 25, 1834, Kentucky.
19.	vi.	MARY RANKIN, b. Abt. 1762.
20.	vii.	LETITIA RANKIN, b. May 01, 1765, Near- Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia; d. January 22, 1852, Bloomingsburg, Fayette County, Ohio.
	viii.	DAVID RANKIN, b. June 16, 1768; d. Abt. 1804; m. SARAH WHITSON; b. Abt. 1765.

4. HUGH² RANKIN (DAVID¹) was born Abt. 1728 in Frederick County, Virginia ¹, and died WFT Est. 1744-1829 in Ohio¹. He married JANE SMITH 1742 in Frederick County, Virginia ². She was born WFT Est. 1711-1751 ³, and died WFT Est. 1744-1835³.

Notes for HUGH RANKIN:
[Global HAL.FTW]

Hugh Rankin owned land on Sleepy. Creek, Long Marsh, Bulskin Creek Run, all of which he had disposed of by 1767. These tracts possibly were in some case the place of family's first settlement. Hugh went to the "Pittsburgh County" which could mean around Ft. Pitt or any place in what became southwestern Penna., southeast Ohio, Kentucky, and southern Ohio, where there are his descendants now. Hugh Rankin was a chain bearer for George Washington in the 1750's when George Washington was surveym3 for Lord Fairfax. He had five sons known to have survived and one daughter. Since this family is a story interesting and lengthy, I'll give only the names of the children of Hugh Rankin and his wife Jane:

Smith Rankin
Hugh Rankin, Jr.
Solomon Rankin,
William Rankin,
David Rankin, and
Frances Rankin

Year Surname Given Name (s) County State Page Township or Other Info Record Type Database ID#
1764 RANKIN HUGH Frederick County VA Rental Rolls Rent Role VA Early Census Index VAS1a2489456
1759 RANKIN HUGH Frederick County VA Rent Rolls Rent Role VA Early Census Index VAS1a2489457

Children of HUGH RANKIN and JANE SMITH are:

	i.	DAVID³ RANKIN, b. 1743 ⁴; d. WFT Est. 1749-1846 ⁵; m. MILDRED UNKNOWN.
21.	ii.	SMITH RANKIN, b. 1745, Frederick County, Virginia; d. September 01, 1828, Bloomingsburg, Fayette County, Ohio.
	iii.	SOLOMON RANKIN, b. 1747, Pennsylvania ⁶; d. 1806, Lexington, Kentucky ⁷.

More About SOLOMON RANKIN:
Fact 1: Lived in KY⁷

22.	iv.	WILLIAM RANKIN, b. 1748, Old Hampshire Co. VA; d. 1823, Point Twp., Fayette Co., OH.
	v.	HUGH RANKIN, JR., b. 1753 ⁸.
	vi.	FRANCES RANKIN, b. 1758⁸; d. Martinsburg, Virginia; m. WILLIAM BLOYES.

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]