Samuel Rankin

On 14 July 1760, Samuel Rankin purchased 320 acres from David Alexander on James Cathey's Mill Creek in Rowan County, NC. That is his first known appearance in county records. David Alexander was the brother of Samuel's wife Eleanor "Ellen" Alexander.

Minnie Stowe Puett, historian of Gaston County, believed that Samuel and Eleanor married in Pennsylvania. However, Eleanor (nickname Ellen") Alexander's family had been in Anson/Rowan since before 1753, when she was still a child. Her mother Ann became her guardian when her father James died in 1753. Eleanor and Samuel probably married in Rowan in 1760; their eldest son William's revolutionary war pension application says that he was born there in January 1761.

Some researchers believe that John and William Rankin of Guilford County, NC, were Samuel's brothers. John and William were sons of Joseph and Rebecca Rankin of New Castle Co., DE. However, Y-DNA has proved that Samuel was not a son of Joseph and Rebecca. Likewise, some researchers believe Samuel may have been a son of Robert and Rebecca Rankin, also of Guilford County. That has also been disproved by Y-DNA testing.

Samuel and his wife subsequently sold the Rowan County tract and wound up on a tract on Kuykendall's Creek in what is now Gaston County, formerly Lincoln. Samuel and Eleanor appeared in several deeds in Rowan, Tryon, Mecklenburg, and Lincoln County.

Samuel and Eleanor had ten children, including seven sons and three daughters. One son, Richard, predeceased Samuel and isn't mentioned in his will:

Last Will & Testament:

In the name of God Amen.

I, Samuel Rankin of the State of North Carolina and County of Lincoln being of sound and perfect mind and (memory?), blessed be God, do this 16th day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and fourteen, make and publish this my last will and testament in manner

and form following (viz)

Item 1st I allow all my worldly debts to be paid out of my Estate.

Item 2nd I give unto my son William Rankin one dollar.

Item 3rd I give unto my daughter Jean Heartgrove one dollar.

Item 4th I give unto my son Samuel Rankin one dollar.

Item 5th I give unto my son David Rankin one dollar.

Item 6th I give unto my son Robert Rankin one dollar.

Item 7th I give unto my son Alexander Rankin one dollar.

Item 8th, I will unto my Daughter Anna Rutledge two cows which she has now in her possession and no more.

Item 9th I give unto my daughter Nelly Dickson one dollar.

The above mentioned monies that I have willed unto my children, I allow the same to be paid out of my Estate.

Item 10th I will and bequeath unto my son James Rankin and his heirs the plantation whereon I now live.

Item 11th I will unto my son James Rankin my sorrel horse and all my stock of cattle and sheep and my bed and furniture of every kind likewise and large kettled and one (- - - -).

And I hereby make and ordain my worthy son Alexander Rankin Executor of this my last will and testament in witness whereof the said Samuel Rankin has to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the day and

year above written, signed sealed published and delivered by the said Samuel Rankin the Testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us who was present at the time of signing and dealing thereof.

H. McGee

Blair McGee

George Graham

(signed) Samuel /his X mark/ Rankin

A bronze marker placed by D.A.R. on the stone wall surrounding Goshen Grove Cemetery where he is buried commends Samuel Rankin as patriot in Revolutionary war. Due to age, he probably gave supplies and services rather than serving in the army. See Revolutionary Army Accounts for North Carolina A:179, Historical Commission, Raleigh North Carolina: "For sundries furnished the militia of North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina as allowed by Brown, McKissick, auditors, Salisbury District September 1781 to Samuel

Rankin for wagon hire."

One of Samuel and Eleanor's daughters, Jean, married Benjamin Hargrove/Heartgrove and lived in Mecklenburg County, on the east side of the Catawba River across from her Rankin family. One of Jean and Benjamin's descendants visited the old Rankin homestead as a child. The then-owner of the house, Rev. Frank Bisaner Rankin, told them that Samuel's nickname was "Old One-Eyed Sam." Rev. Rankin didn't know how Samuel lost an eye.

Both Samuel and Eleanor are buried in the Goshen Cemetery in Belmont, Gaston County. Samuel's tombstone has disappeared. Eleanor's is still standing, although there is no memorial for her on Find-a-Grave. For a picture of her tombstone, see http://digupdeadrelatives.com/2020/10/19/eleanor-ellen-alexander-rankins-tombstone/

Several descendants of Samuel and Eleanor are members of the Rankin DNA Project. For more information about their family, please contact a project administrator at https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/rankin/about .