Robert Rankin

Much of what is known of Robert Rankin, a resident of Tryon and Rutherford counties in North Carolina and Pendleton District, South Carolina prior to moving west, is due to the efforts of Francis C. Gill. Francis lives in South Jordan, Utah. In late 1994, he published an 800 page book containing information on many families from which he is descended. One of those is the family of Robert Rankin of Rutherford County.

According to Francis, Robert Rankin was born about 1749. A Lincoln County, NC marriage bond dated 7 Nov 1769 indicates that Robert Rankin married Mary Witherow . The bond was witnessed by James Witherow. Mary was born about 1750 in North Carolina, a daughter of John and Mary Witherow of Rutherford County.

While living in that part of Tryon County which became Rutherford County in 1779, Robert and Mary owned land on Hunting Creek, Little Camp Creek and Cane Creek all of which are branches of the Second Broad River. Robert also served as a chain carrier in 1770 for Alexander McGaughey for a land purchase on Cathey's Creek. By 1775, he was serving as a Captain in the Tryon County Militia commanded by William Graham. His company had the duty at the Montford Cove Fort to protect settlers from Indians and Tories. The land and court records of Rutherford County contain many entries concerning Robert during the 1780s and even into the 1790s.

Shortly before the battle of Guilford County, NC Courthouse in 1781, General Cornwallis camped for several days on the Rankin farm. A hollowed out rock near the Buffalo Creek and on the boundary line between the farms of these two brothers has been repeatedly pointed out by the old people as the trough in which Cornwallis fed his horse. The Rankin brothers were staunch Whigs and had to hide out while Cornwallis was there. The General's soldiers plundered the homes and farms of both brothers, and carried off all the grain, cattle , sheeps, hogs and fowls (except one old setting hen) from both plantations. We are pretty certain that these two brothers joined their neighbors in the battle at Guilford Court House a few days later. Dr. Eli W. Caruthers .;bears us out in this, for he says in his "Life of Dr. David Caldwell," page 232, that "All men in both these congregations (Buffalo and Alamance) who were fit for duty were either in the battle of employed in some other way under the direction of General Greene." Dr. Caruthers became the pastor of Buffalo and Alamance churches in 1821, just forty years after that battle. He took great interest in things historical, and write two of three volumes. He knew personally many of the men who took part in that battle and got his information first hand. He states in his history that he went over the battlefield with Robert Rankin who was in the battle, and Mr. Rankin pointed out to him the positions of both armies, and the tree by he himself stood while firing at the enemy. Furthermore tradition says that John and William Rankin were in that battle. Tradition in our family is direct. I was fifty-six years old when my father died, and he lived with my grandfather thirty-six years, and my grandfather lived with my great grandfather, John Rankin, (1736?1814) for thirty-four years; so these traditions have come only three steps, and through sons who lived with their fathers. They may have been with their neighbors in other battles. It is a pity that no roster of the Guilford soldiers in the Revolutionary War has been preserved.

It is thought that Robert and Mary divorced between 1781 and 1787.

By 1788, Robert had remarried and moved to Pendleton District, South Carolina where he lived on Big Reedy Branch. Many of his neighbors were from North Carolina. Among them were Caleb Edminsten, Nicholas Welch, Jesse and Joel Wood, Hugh Deveney, Andrew Tate, John Tuggle, Shadrack Chitwood and Alexander Orr.

Samuel Rankin, father of Robert Rankin deeded land to Robert on Stanley's Creek in January 1798. On March 31, 1800, Thomas Davidson deeded land in Lincoln County to Robert.

Robert married again to Leah before 1790. Four children were born to Robert and Leah between 1790 and 1795.

It is highly likely that Robert Rankin married in Lincoln County, NC on December 15, 1800 to Sarah McCallister.

Robert purchased 200 acres of land in Lincoln County from his brother, William on April 16, 1801. This dded was witnessed by Samuel and Richard Rankin.

Robert remained in Pendleton District until about 1804. Robert sold that same 200 acres to his brother, James. This deed was proved by his brother, William, and is the last record found concerning Rober Rankin in Lincoln County, NC. Robert migrated to the Kentucky frontier with other families, including the Orrs. They made their new home in Livingston County (later Caldwell County), Kentucky. While in Kentucky, Robert had close association with the Laughlin, Orr and Perkins families.

The 1810 census shows Robert living in Rutherford County, TN. The Court Minutes of Rutherford County, TN show a Robert Rankin as living in that area as of January 1810.

The 1820 census of Rutherford County where his brother David lived (also Samuel Rankin Jr. in that year) list Robert Rankin. This census indicates that Robert ws born prior to 1775. In his 1820 household are two sons, one between the ages of 16 and 18 years, the other between the ages of 18 and 26 years, and four daughters, two less that 10 years of age and two between the ages of 10 and 16 years. There is also on female between the ages of 18 and 26 years, who may be his daughter or a younger wife. If this female is his wife, Sarah McCallister Rankin had died. This wife may be Nellie Jenkins. Robert Rankin does not appear in further census records of Rutherford County, TN

Mary Witherow Rankin was mentioned in her father's will of 1795 filed in Rutherford County, NC. According to the Rutherford County land records of 1800, she sold the lands bequeathed to her by her father. It is not known conclusively what became of Mary. However, she is thought to be the Mary Rankin mentioned in the 1820 census of Hickman County, Tennessee living near her grandson, Moses Rankin.

Robert's second wife, Leah, died sometime after 1830 in Kentucky.