William Rankin

The Family of

William Rankin and

Mary Campbell nee' Moore

Mary Moore, married first, Thomas Campbell.

Second she married Wm. Rankin. They had many descendants, among which were Rev. Frank Rankin of Mount Holly, Dr. W.M. Moore, president of Union Theological Seminary, an uncle of Walter Moore (who lived in Gastonia; died a few years ago).

The very large Rankin family of Gaston County has its origin from Wm. Rankin. This old house has been in constant use by the Moore family since it was built. There is some uncertainty about what date this home was built. The family that lives here now says that 1765 is about the right date. Others say that John's son Alexander, built it just after the Revolution in 1780. This very old home is 1/6 mile off the Mauney Road, two miles off Route 371, and one and a half mile off of Stanley-Dallas Road."

William Rankin was the eldest son of Samuel Rankin and Ellen Alexander . According to his Revolutionary War Pension application, he was taken from Rowan County "to Tryon now Lincoln when five or six years old" and so we may infer that he was born in Rowan County, NC. Various sources have cited 10 April 1761 as his date of birth but his pension application is clear on this matter:

"On this 30th day of April 1833 personally appears in open court (Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions) of the County of Lincoln now sitting, William Rankin a resident of said County and State of North Carolina age seventy two years last January..."

William Rankin was born January 1761. He married in Lincoln County on 15 April 1791 to Mary Campbell nee' Moore born 10 April 1762 the sister of General John Moore and daughter of John Moore, Sr. of Lincoln County, NC. Mary's first husband was Thomas Campbell.

"After the death of her first husband, Thomas Campbell, she became the wife of William Rankin who also fought in the battle of King's Mountain. From the accounts given of her by her descendants, she seems to have been a brave woman and of character and intelligence."

According to a letter located in the DAR Library, its author, Arthur L. Rankin of Murfreesboro, Tennessee .; indicates that Tom and Mary had three children, Jane (Jenny) , Joseph and Anne. He further indicates that Anne went on to marry William's younger brother, David .; who later moved to Tennessee. It is also known that Jane Campbell, who was born about 1789, married on 1 Nov 1809 to Hugh Jenkins and that both she and Hugh remained in Lincoln County. Their daughter, Salena Kirkpatrick Jenkins , married John D. Rankin. of Lincoln County.

From the DAR Patriot Index, his pension application and the material presented above, we can determine the following concerning William Rankin's activities in the Revolutionary War. In 1777, he volunteered as a militiaman in the company of Capt. Robert Alexander in Tryon County, NC and served three months in an expedition against the Cherokee Indians in Rutherford County, NC.

In 1779, he again volunteered under Capt. Robert Alexander and served three months and fourteen days in the relief of Charleston under Gen. Lincoln. In April or May, 1780 he enlisted under Maj. Joseph Dickson and Gen. Rutherford to fight in the Battle of Camden, SC and the Battle of Ramsour's Mill versus Col. Floyd, a Tory on 16 Aug 1780.

Immediately after, he enlisted and served as substitute for Henry E. Locke .; of Lincoln, said tour lasting three months under Capt. William Armstrong and adjoining Gen. Rutherford's army to engage the army of Gen. Gates. The ensuing battle saw the defeat of Gen. Gates. While the British were stationed at Charlotte, William served one month under Maj. Dickson (later to marry his sister, Eleanor Rankin ) and Capt. Peter Forney.

He also served three different times in Lincoln and Rowan Counties against the Tories and British fighting at the Battle of King's Mountain. In 1781, he volunteered and served three months under Capt. James Little and Col. Malbody, a French officer, during which tour he was involved in the Battle of Eutaw Springs. William Rankin ended his services as a guard of prisoners in Salisbury, NC where he was discharged by Col. Locke when the prisoners were marched to Virginia. William's wartime service was evidently highly respected by the state of North Carolina which, by 1797, had granted him some 2,100 acres in Lincoln County.

Public minded and well-respected, he served as Sheriff of Lincoln County in the 1790s, and remained active in the politics of Lincoln County.

William was active in land speculation from the early 1780s. On 12 Aug 1785, he claimed and was granted 52 acres in Lincoln County on the "waters of Stanleys Creek...bordering Thomas Rhyne, James Graham and Samuel Rankin." In 1787, he was granted land by the State of North Carolin in Anson County, NC on Stanley Creek. On 6 Dec 1787, he received land in Lincoln County on Chanley's Creek from his father as he also did in 1788 according to an Anson county land deed. He and Joseph Rankin, whom we presume to be his brother, claimed 330 acres on the South Fork of the Catawba River (discontinued) and on 19 July 1794, William was granted 200 acres on the "waters of Dewharts Creek." On 2 Dec 1794, he was granted 300 acres on the "waters of Leepers Creek" and an additional 100 acres on the "waters of Long Creek." In 1795, he purchased 515 acres and another 220 acres in 1796. It has been estimated that William, by his combination of land grants and purchases, owned some 3,000 acres of land in Lincoln County, most of which is still in the possession of his descendents.

Mary died on 4 Feb 1849 and was laid to rest in the Goshen Grove Cemetery.

William joined her on 9 Dec 1853 and, by the time of his death at the age of 93, was the last Revolutionary War survivor in Gaston County.

He left no will as all of his possessions had been deeded or given to his children with his youngest son, Col. Richard Rankin, retaining the lion's share of the homestead.

He is said to be buried in the cemetary at Goshen Grove Church of which he was one of the founding members having deeded to the Church the property on which it was built.

The four children of William and Mary Rankin:

1. John Butch Rankin ? b. 1 Feb 1792 d. 12 Oct 1876 (further)

2. Mary C. (Polly) Rankin . 'Holland'; . (Rankin); ? b. 14 Feb 1794 d. 9 June 1865 (further)

3. Nancy Moore Rankin ? b. 1796 (further)

4. Col. Richard Rankin ? b. 24 Sept 1804 d. 14 Sept 1899 (further)

Several sources state that Eliza Rankin was a daughter of William and Mary Rankin of Lincoln/Gaston County and that she married Lawson H. Abernethy. A Lincoln County marriage bond does exist for a Lawson H. Abernethy .; and a Margaret Ermina Rankin who married on 22 Sept 1838. Lawson Abernethy (b. 1803) and his wife Margaret E. (b. 1816), married about 1838 and are found living in the residence of William and Mary Rankin in 1850 Catawba County, which is just north of Lincoln county and which was formed in 1842 from Lincoln County.

By 1850, our William was 89 years old and living with his son Richard in Gaston County, William's wife Mary having just died in 1849.

It has been firmly established that the Margaret Eliza Rankin who married Lawson Abernethy is actually the daughter of William Rankin of Catawba County and his wife, Mary Lourance. Evidence of another Eliza Rankin in Lincoln/Gaston County has not been located and certainly not of one who married a Lawson Abernethy.