Dr John RANKINE

1801 - 1864  (62 years)

• Name	John RANKINE  [1]
  Prefix	Dr
  Born	19 Oct 1801	Kirkintillock Ayreshire Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Biography Notes	Dr. John Rankine (19 October 1801 - 15 Mar 1864), was a landowner and politician in the early days of the Colony of South Australia. He is recognised as founding the township of Strathalbyn. Rankine (often spelled Rankin) was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, a son of James Rankine and his wife Jane Rankine, née Paterson. He may have visited Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) as ship's doctor on the Sir William Bentinck in August 1838. John and his wife Mary Miller Rankine, née Watson, together with his brother William Rankine and his wife Jane Rankine, née Rankine, and their seven children emigrated to South Australia on the Fairfield, arriving at Holdfast Bay in April 1839. John's 17 or 18 year-old nephew John Paterson and nieces Jane Gemmell Paterson and Elizabeth Paterson, aged 19 and 15, were also on the Fairfield. John Rankine later helped John Paterson found Pitchorum station. Other passengers on the Fairfield, including William Mein, George Hall (or Hall-Turnbull) (c. 1810- ), Oliver Keble Richardson (1800- ) purchased sections of the same "Special Survey". They purchased a 50-acre "Special Survey" section of the Hundred of Angas, founding the town of Strathalbyn. His Strathalbyn property, "Blackwood" eventually totalled 1,500 acres. His wife, Mary Miller Rankine, owned considerable property in her own right: three Sections in the Hundred of Bremer, and several moieties in the Hundred of Freeling. He leased a large section of Hindmarsh Island, where the family raised sheep and cattle, and in 1849 built a large house, the island's first, and operated "Rankine's Ferry" between the island and mainland. He began mining at Strathalbyn in 1848, and formed a company with E & C Stirling, AL Elder and WH Clark. Health failing, he returned to Scotland sometime after November 1856 and died at Helensburgh in 1864. Politics: He was elected to the Legislative Council seat of Hindmarsh, and served from July 1854 to April 1857. Family: He was an uncle of fellow South Australian parliamentarian James Rankine. Source: Wikipedia
  Biography Notes	1839	Strathalbyn SA
  	On 30 April 1839 Dr John Rankine, his two brothers and other immigrants from Scotland, arrived in South Australia. The Rankines settled in the district south of Adelaide around what is now the township of Strathalbyn. Some of the families who travelled out with the Rankines also settled in the area. Dr Rankine later purchased land on Hindmarsh Island, which he stocked with cattle, and built a large house there. In 1855 the doctor, who suffered from a heart condition, retired from active work and returned to Scotland for a holiday; he died there in 1864. His brother, William, continued to live near Strathalbyn. He married three times and six sons survived him to continue the family name in the district. Sources: * Harold J. Stowe, They Built Strathalbyn, Investigator Press, 1973. * Nancy Gemmell, Old Strathalbyn and its people , National Trust. * Historic Places of Australia, National Trust, 1978, pp. 570-583
  Cause of death	1855	Strathalbyn SA   [2]
  	In 1855 the doctor, suffered from a heart condition, returned to Scotland for a holiday;he died at home in Scotland;1864 retired from active work.
  Residence	Farms - Blackwood and Watson Park (near Milang)  [3]
  Died	15 Mar 1864	Helensburgh Scotland UK
  	1864 scotland uk found with no source nor citation provided except for some online narrative, no opr nor any other evidence. Awaiting reply...
  Buried	Glasgow   [3]
  Person ID	I-5830	Christina and Donald McLean
  Last Modified	29 May 2021

  
  

  Father	James RANKINE,   b. 1765,   d. 15 Jun 1850, Barr Village Ayrshire Scotland  (Age 85 years)
  Relationship	-3149
  Mother	Jane GEMMELL,   b. 1770,   d. 6 Apr 1854, Barr Village Ayrshire Scotland  (Age 84 years)
  Relationship	-3149
  Children of marriage	They had 8 children. Three of them migrated on the Fairfield in 1839 - Dr John, Matthew, & James Gemmell.   [4]
  Note	A Wikipedia entry for their son (Dr John Rankine) has the father as James Rankine - that is correct. But the entry has the mother as Jane Paterson - which is wrong because there is an OPR confirming that John's brother, William, married Jane Paterson in 1826 in Barr, Scotland. (This note by Don Gordon on 26th June 2021)
  Family ID	F-3143	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Miller WATSON
  Married	22 Jun 1827  [4, 5]
  	two more children of this marriage; 1.RANKINE James William Date of Birth: 15-Oct-1926 Father:James RANKINE Mother:Mildred WEBSTER Birth Residence:Point McLeay District:Wellington Book/Page:182A/18 2.RANKINE Roma Gertrude Date of Birth: 18-Mar-1928 Father:James RANKINE Mother:Mildred WEBSTER Birth Residence:Point McLeay District:Wellington Book/Page:209A/144
  Children of marriage	Aparently, John and Mary had no children.
  Last Modified	16 Jun 2021 23:32:36
  Family ID	F-3144	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  John Rankin

  
  

• Sources

  [S-261] DON GORDON-LIBRARIES-'Rankine Family' - in the Library directory on Don Gordon's computer, Rankine Family 1839-1982 cowritten by Jan Stephenson. [S-52] http://ancestry.com.au, ancestry.co.au with log in , 23 Feb 2021 Researcher Lorna McLean. Name:John Rankine Rank:Pte Record Type:Card Service Number: 275370/2074 Corps, Regiment or Unit:A & S Hrs 7th Title:WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers-Died Ranaghan P-Ransley W Reference Number: 1/D/35664 Next of Kin:Name Relation to Soldier;John Rankine MaryRankine: Mother [S-28] PUBLICATION "Old Strathalbyn" Nancy Gemmell, Page 15. [S-260] Pam Revell - ID 9351, FaceBook to Lorna McLean in May 2021. [S-75] BDM SA, https://www.genealogysa.org.au requires log in , 24 Apr 2021 Researcher Lorna Mclean. After return from WWI RANKINE James(his youngest child around 40yoa) remarried WEBSTER Mildred Marriage Date:16-Jan-1926 Marriage Place: Woolshed Mens Dining Room Yalkuri Groom Age: 48 Groom Marital Status: S Groom Father: John RANKINE Bride Age: 26 Bride Marital Status: W Bride Father: Henry LAMPARD District: Wellington Book/Page: 306/135