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a.
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Note: f his sons were killed. He came to America with his son William.
<u><http://home.swbell.net/tjgriffi/weir/alexander_rankin.pdf></u>.
<b>The Rankins of Ireland</b>
The descendents of Scots in Ireland are called the Scots�Irish although they are, for the most part, purely Scottish in blood. Historians tell us that they rarely intermarried with the native Irish. The Rev. Samuel M. Rankin in his book, <u>The Rankin and Wharton Families and their Genealogy</u>, did an excellent job summarizing the history of the British Isles in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His work provides deep insight into why our Rankins likely emigrated from Scotland to Ireland and, eventually, to the New World. He states that, �during the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there was an organized rebellion among the Catholic earls of the province of Ulster, Ireland against the English government. After much hard fighting, this rebellion was subdued, and the
earls fled to France. In 1603, King James VI of Scotland acquired the English throne and became King James I of England. He restored to these earls their former lands and titles. In 1607, it was reported, perhaps falsely, that another rebellion was being organized among these earls. The English government began the collection of an army. The earls became frightened and fled to other countries, leaving thousands of tenants and over five hundred thousand acres of land. James I confiscated these lands to the Crown, and ordered all the tenants remaining there to move to other parts of Ireland. He then offered these lands to his favorites of Scotland. History tells us that within two years, 1610�1612, over ten thousand Scots, mostly from the Lowlands of Scotland, settled in Ulster, Ireland. Large tracts of land were also given to London land companies who obligated themselves to have the land settled by Protestants.�
Another factor in this migration of Scots to Ireland was that �in 1610, Episcopacy,
which lasted for only a few years, was forced on the people of Scotland, and this
caused many Presbyterians to immigrate to Ireland. In 1663, Episcopacy was again forced on Scotland and there was another large movement from Scotland to Ireland. In fact, there was a constant movement, but greater at some times than others. In 1688, during the last two years of the reign of King James II of England, there were religious and rebellious persecutions in Scotland.� Alexander Rankin of Duart, a devout Presbyterian, lost two of his three sons as religious martyrs; one was killed on the highway and the other suffocated in a smokehouse while trying to escape pursuers. The third son, William, escaped with his father to Londonderry, Derry County, Ireland where, in 1689, they participated in the siege of Londonderry. Alexander�s name is on the Petition of Thanks to Almighty God, and William, King of Orange, for his timely assistance in raising the siege in August 1689. Alexander died that same year. His son, William, immigrated with his family to Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1721. More will be mentioned of this family shortly.
If religious persecution was a driving force behind the migration of Scots to Ireland,
what was the motivating factor in their move to the New World? Rev. Rankin continues, �John Fiske , the historian, tells us that by 1650, there were over three hundred thousand Scots in Ulster; and that by 1700, their number had increased to nearly one million, largely �picked men and women.�� He relates that in 1718, a miscellaneous bunch of three hundred and nineteen was called upon to sign a paper and that all but thirteen could write their names. This could not have happened in any other part of the British Empire at that time. He furthermore says that �in 1710, the percentage of illiteracy in Ulster was probably smaller than anywhere else in the world.� The industrious and thrifty Scots caused Ulster to become the most prosperous province of Ireland ... They improved their lands and built better homes. They first gave their attention to cattle raising, and shipped beef, cheese and butter to England. This was hurtful to the business of the cattle raisers of England, and Parliament was persuaded to pass an Act forbidding the shipping of cattle, beef, cheese and butter from Ireland to England or to any of the English colonies. This was a great hardship on the Ulster farmers.�
�They then began to raise large flocks of sheep, and were soon extensively
manufacturing woolen goods. This was hurtful to the business of the sheep raisers of England, and at their earnest request the English Parliament passed an Act in 1699 forbidding the exporting of wool and woolen goods out of Ireland. The woolen factories of Ulster were closed down and forty thousand hands were thrown out of employment.� That Act essentially ruined the Irish wool trade. The next year, twenty thousand Protestants, mostly Presbyterians, immigrated to America.
The Scots of Ulster then concentrated on the raising of flax which was manufactured into Irish linens. Again, to placate the fears of English merchants, the English Parliament passed an Act forbidding the export of Irish linen goods out of Ireland except to England which acted as middleman for these products. Concomitantly, taxes were constantly being raised as were rents�the Scots of Ulster became increasingly dissatisfied.
The English Parliament, in 1704, passed the Test Act which required all government officials as well as all towns, county and army officers, and lawyers, to take communion according to the rites of the Established Church of England. The intent of the Test Act was to ensure loyalty to the King of England who was the formal head of the Church of England. In 1714, Parliament passed the Schism Act which required all school teachers to secure a license from a bishop of the Church of England who could only grant this license to those who conformed to the Test Act�the intent was to eradicate Protestant (and particularly Presbyterian) ideas from formal education. Presbyterians would surely
resent both acts and, no doubt, many lost their jobs and patience as a result.
The Scots of Ireland were oppressed politically, economically and religiously by the English government. It is not surprising, then, that they immigrated to America in such large numbers, facing untold hardships and an uncertain future for the slightest opportunity at a better way of life. Nor is it surprising that the great majority of Scots� Irish in America engaged in a Revolutionary War against their historic oppressor, England.
<b>The Rankins in America through the 17th Century</b>
Every school-age child is taught that Columbus discovered America in 1492, that the first permanent settlement was made at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 and that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Though Rankins were not on the Mayflower, they did arrive in this country fairly soon after, even though the rate of immigration was quite slow. Though it is not entirely clear, it is believed that the first Rankins in this country are all descended from a common ancestor in Scotland. Very little is known of these earliest American Rankins.
Among the first of the name in America were Lawlin Rankin of Virginia in 1650, John Rankin of Roxbury, Connecticut before 1653 and Andrew Rankin of York, Maine. Andrew Rankin was a Royalist soldier captured in the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. He originally settled in New Hampshire and later settled in York, Maine in the 1650s. He died about 1678 leaving a widow, Martha and probably five children whose names are unknown. He is thought to be the father of Constant Rankin who was living in York in 1692. Constant may be the father of James Rankin, who was living in York in 1745, and the grandfather of Captain Constant Rankin of Thomaston, Maine who was born in York in 1747. The first Constant Rankin may also be the grandfather of Joseph Rankin who was married at Kittery, Maine in 1777 to Mehitable Dunnell.
<b>The Rankins in America from the 18th Century</b>
As mentioned above, the rate of immigration to America was quite slow in the 16th and 17th centuries. That situation had changed dramatically by the early 18th century. The Indians were all but conquered in the settled areas, transportation was readily available and the economic, political and religious climate in the Old World was intolerable. The busiest ports of immigration were those of the New England states. In 1719 and 1720, some five hundred Scots�Irish settled in the New England colonies and among these were three Rankins: Adam, Hugh and Andrew, sons of the Alexander Rankin who participated in the Siege of Londonderry.
<b>Alexander Rankin
</b>
Two of Alexander Rankin�s sons were martyred for Presbyterianism in Scotland: one was killed on a highway and the other suffocated in a smokehouse. Their names are unknown. Shortly thereafter, he fled with his family to Ulster, Ireland in 1688. Alexander and his sons Alexander and William were in Londonderry in July 1689 during the Siege of Londonderry. Alexander (the younger) served as a Lieutenant and was killed during the siege. Alexander Rankin (the elder) was one of 145 signatories on a petition of thanks to Almighty God to William and Mary, King and Queen of England, France and Ireland, for their timely assistance in raising the siege.
The entire genealogies of the Alexander Rankin family have been published
elsewhere therefore only brief descriptions are given here. Alexander�s (the elder) son, William, was born about 1663 in Scotland. He married Dorothy Black of Derry County, Ireland and is said to have had four children prior to immigrating to the New World: Adam, John, Hugh and Jane all of whom were born in Ireland except for Adam who was born in Scotland. William and his family landed in Philadelphia settling in Chester County, Pennsylvania about 1720.
Adam Rankin, son of William, was born 16 July 1688 in Sterlingshire, Scotland and married in Ireland to Elizabeth May. Elizabeth died shortly after their arrival in the New World probably in 1721. Adam then married Mary Steele and had the following children: James, William, Jeremiah (b. 1733) and Esther (b. before 1742). In 1736, this family moved to what is now Lancaster County, PA on Pequea Creek where Adam died on 4 May 1747. Esther married William Dunwoody and Jeremiah married in 1754 to Rhoda Craig .
Jeremiah and Rhoda lived in Antrim Township, Franklin County, PA where Jeremiah founded Rankin�s Mill. Born about 1720, he is said to have died at his mill about 1760. His children are Adam, William, Thomas, Jeremiah and Mary �Polly� Rankin. Thomas married in 1789 to a Miss Young of Woodford County, Kentucky. Rev. Adam Rankin was born 24 Mar 1755 in Greencastle, PA, married Mary McPhatter and went to Kentucky with a colony in 1784. There he established a Presbyterian church in the present-day city of Lexington where he died in 1827. He has descendents living in Texas and other western states.
John Rankin, one of the three brothers who came to Pennsylvania about 1720, was born about 1690 in Ireland. He married Jane McElwee and later Margaret? He had a rather large family which included Thomas, Elizabeth, Ann, Margaret, Catherine, Rebecca, Agnes and Richard Rankin. Thomas Rankin was born in 1724 and married Isabel Clendonin of Pennsylvania. In 1784, Thomas sold his farm in Pennsylvania and moved to Green County, Tennessee which is in the eastern section of the state. He served as a Captain in the Revolutionary War and is the ancestor of most of the Eastern Tennessee Rankins. Four of his grandsons were with General Andrew �Stonewall� Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. Many of his descendents are still in Tennessee though many migrated west. In this book, mention will be made of the �East Tennessee Rankins� which are understood to be mainly the descendents of Thomas Rankin. The descendents of Thomas Rankin hold a well-organized and well-attended family reunion every year in Dumplin Creek, Tennessee.
Richard Rankin, the brother of Thomas, married Jennett �Jane� Steele , later a Miss Douglas, and moved from Pennsylvania to Augusta County, Virginia shortly after the Revolutionary War. Some of his descendents are still there but most have moved west.
Franklin Co., PA Ancestry.com message board:
<b>Adam Rankin
</b>Posted: 22 Feb 2000 8:00AM
I realize your post was in 98, but thought I would put in my two cents worth just in case! My tree goes back to an Alexander Rankin b. abt 1630's, had three sons, two were murdered-religious persecution. Alexander, son William and family escaped to Scotland, poss. Ulster abt 1688. William had three sons, Adam, born in Scotland, John and Hugh born in Ireland. Adam and Hugh came to America in 1721 landing in Phil. PA. and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Adam married Mary Steele. Hugh was killed in a mill accident. My family branches from Adam's brother John so that is as far as I have on Adam. I hope this will help!
Note: This Alexander Rankin was persecuted for his religious beliefs and two o
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