Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Richard Robert Rankin

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Descendants of Richard Robert Rankin

Generation No. 1

1. RICHARD ROBERT² RANKIN (WILLIAM ROBERT¹) was born 18 September 1753 in Fredrick Co VA, and died 30 November 1837 in St. Landry Parish LA. He married MARGARET BERRY 01 October 1781 in Fredrick Co VA, daughter of THOMAS BERRY and FRANCES KENDALL. She was born 16 February 1756 in Fredrick Co VA, and died 1850 in Polk Co TX.

Notes for RICHARD ROBERT RANKIN:
Article written by Herbert C. Rankin from the DeWitt Co History:
"Richard Robert Rankin, father of John Keith Rankin, was born in Virginia in 1753, son of William R. Rankin and Margaret Marshall Rankin, also of Virginia. Robert Rankin grew up in the region famous in American History, for its native sons; the Washingtons, Jeffersons, Nurrocs, Madisons, Marshalls, Ishiams, Keiths, Rankins, and Randolphs. Out of these came our ancestors. Robert Rankin, at the age of seventeen, began to learn surveying under his kinsmen, Thomas Marshall and George Washington. Tradition says he accompanied Marshall and Washington on surveying trips. At the age of twenty-three he enlisted in the Revolution Army on July 25, 1776, and served as a private and ensign in the 11th Virginia Troop. He was commissioned an officer on September 14, 1778. He took part in the battle of Brandywine, Germantown, Stony Point and the Siege of Charleston, where he and his Uncle Thomas Marshall were taken prisoners, but were soon exchanged. Robert was married on October 1, 1781 to Margaret Berry of Fredrick County. Virginia. Margaret was the daughter of Captain and Mrs. Frances Kendall Berry. The silver buckles worn by Margaret on this occasion are now in the possession of their son John Keith Rankin's descendants, in Texas. At the close of the war, on October 6, 1783, he with a large group of Virginia Line Officers met with General George Washington and formed The Society of Cincinnati in the state of Virginia. This society was formed to perpetuate the friendship of officers of the Continental Army and aid the wounded and widows of fellow officers, Robert Rankin gave one month's military salary to become an original member of the Society of Cincinnati, signing his name as few did. George Washington was made the first President-General of the Society after this gathering. Robert and Margaret immigrated to Kentucky with many relatives, all settling on land granted to them by the Government in 1784. From Kentucky he moved his family to Alabama, then to Texas. Robert Rankin had been a "pioneer" all of his life. He had carved out of forests, homes for his family He was too old to join the Texas Army in 1835, under the direction of General Sam Houston, but his home was near "Council Hill" where Sam Houston met with men of mature minds and vast experience. Two of his sons served in the Texas Army, and David Rankin's name is inscribed on the San Jacinto Monument as being in Sam Houston's Army. Sam Houston helped Peggy Rankin get a widows pension after husband Robert's death. Robert Rankin died at Cold Springs, Texas at the age of 84 in 1837. The State erected a monument at his grave in the year of the Texas Centennial 1936. Robert Rankin was the only officer of the Continental Army who is buried in the State burial ground in Austin, Texas. He held the rank of Lieutenant in the Continental Army but was generally known in Texas as Colonel Rankin. Robert Rankin's grave had been at Cold Springs cemetery, San Jacinto County, until his body was re-interred at Austin, with his descendants participating, with direct descendants acting as pallbearers. Descendants now live all over the United States."

Revolutionary War veteran Robert Rankin was born in the colony of Virginia in 1753. He entered the service of the Continental Army in 1776 with the Third Regiment of the Virginia Line and participated in the battles of Germantown, Brandywine and Stony Point, as well as the seige of Charleston where he was captured. He remained a prisoner of war until exchanged, at which time he received a promotion to lieutenant. On Oct.1, 1781 during a furlough, he married Margaret Berry in Frederick County Virginia. He returned to active duty on October 15 and served until the war's end. Robert and Margaret Rankin had three daughters and seven sons, one of whom was Frederick Harrison Rankin. The family moved to Kentucky in 1784. In 1786 Rankin was named by the Virginia legislature as one of the nine trustees (with Daniel Boone and seven others) for the newly established town of Washington in Bourbon County (later Mason Co) KY. In 1792 he served as a delegate from Mason County to the Danville Convention which drafted the first Constitution of Kentucky. He also became an elector of the Kentucky Senate of 1792. The last mention of Rankin in Mason Co KY is in the 1800 census. The Rankins moved to Logan Co KY in 1802 and to the Tombigbee River in Mississippi Territory in 1811, the area of their home eventually became Washington Co Alabama. Four of the Rankin sons fought in the War of 1812. The family suffered a severe financial reversal around 1819-1820 probably in conjunction with the land speculation and the panic of 1819. In July 1828 Rankin first made an application for a pension for his Revolutionary War service. In 1832 the Rankins moved to Joseph Vehlein's colony in Texas along with the William Butler and Peter Cartwright families. Rankin was issued a certificate of character by Jesse Grimes on November 3, 1834 as required by the Mexican government. He applied for a land grant in Vehlein's colony on November 13 of the same year and received a league and a labor in October 1835. The town of Coldspring, San Jacinto County is located on Rankin's original grant. Rankin had the reputation of being a just and diplomatic man. He was a friend of Sam Houston and his influence with the Indians in the region was well known. Houston reputedly called upon him in the spring of 1836 to encourage neutrality among the Indians during the crucial Texan retreat toward San Jacinto. Toward the end of 1836 Rankin became ill and he and his wife moved to St. Landry parish, Louisiana where he died on November 13, 1837. His body was brought back to the family home near Coldspring in the new Republic of Texas and buried in the Butler cemetary. In 1936 he was reinterred at the State Cemetary in Austin. His widow lived in Texas with her sons, William and Frederick in Polk, Montgomery and Liberty Counties until her death sometime after December 1852. - From the Texas Handbook online

RANKIN, ROBERT (1753-1837). Revolutionary War veteran Robert Rankin was born in the colony of Virginia in 1753. He entered the service of the Continental Army in 1776 with the Third Regiment of the Virginia line and participated in the battles of Germantown, Brandywine, and Stony Point, as well as the siege of Charleston, where he was captured; he remained a prisoner of war until exchanged, at which time he received a promotion to lieutenant. On October 1, 1781, during a furlough, he married Margaret (Peggy) Berry in Frederick County, Virginia. He returned to active duty on October 15 and served until the war's end. Robert and Margaret Rankin had three daughters and seven sons, one of whom was Frederick Harrison Rankin. The family moved to Kentucky in 1784. In 1786 Rankin was named by the Virginia legislature as one of nine trustees for the newly established town of Washington, in Bourbon County (later Mason County), Kentucky. In 1792 he served as a delegate from Mason County to the Danville Convention, which drafted the first constitution of Kentucky. He also became an elector of the Kentucky Senate of 1792. The last mention of Rankin in Mason County, Kentucky, is in the 1800 census. The Rankins moved to Logan County, Kentucky, in 1802 and to the Tombigbee River in Mississippi Territory in 1811; the area of their home eventually became Washington County, Alabama. Four of the Rankin sons fought in the War of 1812. The family suffered a severe financial reversal around 1819-20, probably in conjunction with land speculation and the panic of 1819. In July 1828 Rankin first made an application for a pension for his Revolutionary War service. In 1832 the Rankins moved to Joseph Vehlein's colony in Texas, along with the William Butler and Peter Cartwright families. Rankin was issued a certificate of character by Jesse Grimes on November 3, 1834, as required by the Mexican government. He applied for a land grant in Vehlein's colony on November 13 of the same year and received a league and labor in October 1835. The town of Coldspring, San Jacinto County, is located on Rankin's original grant. Rankin had the reputation of being a just and diplomatic man. He was a friend of Sam Houston, and his influence with the Indians in the region was well known. Houston reputedly called upon him in the spring of 1836 to encourage neutrality among the Indians during the crucial Texan retreat toward San Jacinto. Toward the end of 1836 Rankin became ill, and he and his wife moved to St. Landry parish, Louisiana, where he died on November 13, 1837. His body was brought back to the family home near Coldspring, in the new Republic of Texas, and buried in the old Butler Cemetery. In 1936 he was reinterred at the State Cemetery in Austin. His widow lived in Texas with her sons, William and Frederick, in Polk, Montgomery, and Liberty counties until her death sometime after December 1852. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Louis Wiltz Kemp Papers, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. Veterans Administration Records, U.S. National Archives, Washington. From the State Cemetary of Texas Website

Dec 3 1783 Washington Co VA Survey Records pg 195
James Wilson assignee of Robert Rankin, 225 acres Treasury Warrant on both sides of Powell's River where the Old Kentucky Road crosses, beginning on the north side of Wallen's Ridge corner to Cocke's and Christman's land.

County Clerk of Mason Co VA (KY) 5/26/1789

July 28, 1789 Deed Book A-4 Robert Rankin of Mason Co grantee sale of 3 lots in Washington Town.

15 Dec 1795 - Robert Rankin one of 24 Trustees establishing Franklin Academy (also includes Wm Ward and Alexander Marshall).

1800 Census Mason Co KY

1817 resident of Jefferson City in MS Territory

Rev War Pension - enrolled on March 3, 1826 while living in Washington Co Miss Terr/AL (under the Sept 1828 act of Congress) annual allowance of $320, W. Crawford agent

1830 US Census for Washington Co AL lists Robert Rankin and Peter Cartwright (William Butler born 1786 moved to Texas with these two men)

Notes for MARGARET BERRY:
Nov.1846 Deposition of William Butler in the case of Mrs. Peggy Rankin for Revolutionary War widow's pension
State of Texas - Polk County
Be it known that I, James P. Collins, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid do hereby state that William Butler of said county, about sixty years old, and well known to me as a sober, mature, truthful and honest man, personally appeared before me and made oath to the following facts (to wit): "In the year eighteen hundred and two when I was about sixteen years old., my father with his family resided in Logan County Kentucky. Robert Rankin with his wife Peggy Rankin and his family removed and settled within two miles of my Father, and that both families resided at their respective places for two years. They then separated and again resided near each other in the States of Alabama and Mississippi. In eighteen hundred three Thomas B. Rankin, the oldest son, was a bearded man and grown, and I am feeling satisfied that he must have been at least twenty years old. I have seen and examined the deposition of Williford Cartwright and I verily believe all the material facts therein contained as they correspond with my own recollection of details which I often heard as my father had been in the Revolutionary War at the same time with Robert Rankin. I have seen the family record (a transcript of which accompanies the deposition of said Cartwright) and I believe it to be genuine and true, as from the appearance, as from my knowledge of the various members of the family. Owing to the intimate and frequent intercourse of the families of my Father and Robert, I have often heard both Mr. and Mrs. Rankin speak of their marriage which they said took place while he was on furlough from the army; and that he left for the army again and did not return home until after the war which, to the best of my recollection, was about two years. My recollection of the Rankin family is more particular from the fact that Jno K.Rankin, the fourth son in the family, married a sister of mine in 1815 or 1816 and I have resided within eighteen miles of Mrs.Peggy Rankin in Texas for years and often see her and other members of the family. (signed) William Butler
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 13th day of Nov. 1846 - James P. Collins, Justice of the Peace

Children of RICHARD RANKIN and MARGARET BERRY are:

	i.	THOMAS BERRY³ RANKIN, b. 08 May 1783; d. War of 1812.
	ii.	ELIZABETH RANKIN, b. 27 January 1785.
	iii.	WILLIAM MARSHALL RANKIN, b. 24 August 1786.
	iv.	JOSEPH RANKIN, b. 04 November 1788; d. 1813, At battle of Ft. Mims.
2.	v.	JOHN KEITH RANKIN, b. 05 January 1791, Mason Co KY; d. 17 November 1884, De Witt Co TX.
	vi.	JAMES M RANKIN, b. 27 January 1792; m. ELVIRA JONES.
	vii.	FREDRICK HARRISON RANKIN, b. 15 February 1794; m. ELIZABETH (RANKIN).

Notes for FREDRICK HARRISON RANKIN:
Austin's colony extended to the Trinity River watershed. After receiving a commission from the Mexican government to settle this area, Joseph Vehlein, a German immigrant to Mexico, deeded 640 acres to Robert Rankin, an American Revolutionary officer and an ancestor of our old families. This acreage included the site of Coldspring. Frederick Rankin, a son of Robert and one of Austin's "300", was a personal friend and Indian agent of Sam Houston. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were also pioneer Methodists.

	viii.		HENRY RANKIN, b. 07 February 1796.
	ix.		FRANCES RANKIN, b. 1798.
	x.		MARGARET RANKIN, b. 1800; m. MATTHEW HUBERT.

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