RANKINE, John ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

It is possible that this was John Rankine's second marriage for we find, just a few months before his marriage to Grizell Howie, in Legal Records:

"Gray, Elizabeth 4/2/1704 spouse to John Rankine in Storehedge, parish of Slamannan
Testament Dative and Inventory Stirling Commissary Court CC21/5/11"

from Wills and Testaments


In the Ordnance Survey Name Books between 1858 and 1861 we find:

"OS1/21/48/42 MEIKLE DRUMGRAY Meikle Drumgray
Mr. John Rankin Factor Mr John Watt Andrew Allan 003.14 Trace 3
A farm steading so called the property of Mr Patrick Rankin now occupied by Andrew Allan."

Clearly this excerpt is from a much later date than the marriage of John Rankine to Grizell Howie, but we know that there were Howies at Drumgray around the time of this marriage in 1704.

In the 19th century, too, there were Rankins who had ownership of oil works at Drumgray and at Greengairs. Whether or not this suggests a direct link of Grizell Howie to the later Drumgray Howies is debatable, but the matter is worth further research.

It is also worth noting that the name Watt (see above) was also associated both with Glentore and Drumgray properties. In the same Ordnance Survey Name Books, a Tomb at Easter Glentore is noted as

"the family place of burial of Mr. Watt of Drumgray who formerly was the proprietor of the lands, but the tomb he still hold in his possession."

Elsewhere, too, in the Ordnance Survey Name Books, Little Drumgray is associated with John Watt. We also know that a John Watt was the spouse of Lybra Howie, born 1623, the daughter of John Howie, and that they were of "Eister Glentore", Lybra dying in 1665 and John Watt in 1670. ^{3 4 5}

  Research Notes:

WILLS AND TESTAMENTS

There were some Rankins in the parish of Slamannan, Stirlingshire in the middle of the 17th century:

- "Rankine, John 13/10/1654 of Southhouse, parish of Slamannan Testament Dative and Inventory Stirling Commissary Court
CC21/5/5"

- "Renkine, Johne 5/2/1659 of Castlehill, parish of Slamannan Testament Testamentar; Latter Will and Inventory
Stirling Commissary Court CC21/5/6"

- "Rankine, Robert 8/10/1677 portioner of Ballwhatstone, parish of Slamannan Testament Dative and Inventory
Stirling Commissary Court CC21/5/9"

- "Rankine, Robert 12/1/1715 of Castlehill, parish of Slamannan Stirling Commissary Court CC21/6/9"

from Wills and Testaments ⁵

John married Grizell HOWIE, daughter of Robert HOWIE elder, of Glentore and HOWIE MS UNKNOWN, on 29 August 1704 in Slamannan parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland.^{1 2} (Grizell HOWIE was born about 1670.)

  Marriage Notes:

"HOWIE
GRIZELL
JOHN RANKINE/FR536 (FR536)
29/08/1704
489/20 234
Slamannan"


Old Parish Registers
Slamannan parish Stirlingshire
Marriages

"(Three columns)
Proclaimed (?blotted) Names qn Married

Agust 19 John Rankine Agust 29 1704 before Rot Rankine and James Gilchrest
1704 Grizell howie"
^{1 2}