The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-02-19
BIOGRAPEzY OF REV. JOHN
RANKIN,
with NOIIces Of Other Minis
IerS.

with NOIIces Of Other Minis
And VarIOus Occurrences dss-
ring EHls Life Of Eighty
Two Years.
az 1lIS Birth and Ancestors.
CHAPTER 1.
lIe was born in jefferson county,
Tennessee, on the 4th of February,
1893. His ancestors were Presbyte.
rians OF Scotch descent. His grand
father, Thos. Rankin, was brought
from Ireland by his parents when
three years old, and was brought
up in Pennsylvania. After having
come to mature age he married Isa-
bella Clendenon, by whom he had
twelve children, six sons and six
daughters. These he brought up in
the nurture and admonition of the
Lord, and all of them became pro.
fessors of religion. By selling his
farm for continental money, which
proved to be worthless, he was re-
du"ed to poverty. He left Penn.
sylvania and became one of the first
settlers of Tennessee. He procured
land and opened q farm in what lie
now Jefferson Co. This was his last
earthly home. Here his wife died,
after which he lived many years,
and died at the age of eighty-six
years. His christian character was
without blemish.
Richard Rankin, the father of
John, when a young man left Penn
sylvania, his native state, and went
to Augusta county, Virginia, and
wrought az blacksmith with Sam
uel Steel, and married his daughter
Jane. Samuel Steel and his wife
were both from Scotland. Richard
Rankin, after the birth of his first
son, who was named Samu el Steel,
in honor of his wife's father, m oved
to Tennessee and made his home in
what is now Jefferson county, five
miles from Messy creek, between
Frenchbroad and IIolston rivers.
Here, joining his fathers farm, for
a small consideration, he procured a
thousand acres of woodland, on
which he erected a smith shop and
a dwelling house of hewn logs,
which is still in good condition and
occupied by his son, Richard Duff
field. He and his wife were men,
bers of the Presbyterian church at
cambridge, and lived in accordance
with the acquisitions Of the gospel.
They had twelve children, one of
whom died on the day of its birth.
They brought up ten sons and and
one daughter. All these they con-
secrated to God in baptism when
they were infants. They set before
their children good example, in
structed them we'll in religious
truth, and provided for them the
public ministrations of the gospel.
With one exception, they all sus-
tanned good moral characters, and
four of them became ministers of
the gospel. Six of them have gone
TO the eternal world; five still live
in old age, for whom there is reason
TO hope that rest is prepared for
them in heaven.
The father lived to the age of
seventy-two years, and died in the
hope of a glorious immortality.
His mind was well stored with both
historical and religious knowledge.
lie was a good reader, and read
much. He was honest, truthful,
chaste and modest. He lived in q
very vulgar neighborhood, and yet
he was meyer known to speak an in
decent word. The mother lived to
the age of eighty-two years. She
was talented, read well, and read
much in the bible and religious
books, and obtained a thorough
knowledge of the doctrines of
christianity. She died in the hope
OF eternal life.
CHAPTER II-JoHN's BoYHooD.
lie possessed some peculiarities in
his temper and conduct. He was
exceedingly high tempered, and
very affectiOnate. He was easily
excited into extreme passion. When
this passed off he felt conscious of
guilt, and this induced him to make
efforts to govern his passion. In
this he succeeded so as to withstand
the risings of passion, even in offer
ed insults, and he was ultimately
enabled to become remarkable for
good temper. From his earliest
recollection he had serious impress
sions on the subject of religion, and
was disinclined to wrong-doing,
ami desired to become a minister of
the gospel. He was early taught to
read. The bible was his school
book, and he loved to read it more
than any other book. He read the.
illogical books so as 10 gain much
theological knowledge. He wrote
compositions on various subjects,
and in lonely places, where no one
would hear him, he delivered ora
'ions. By SO doing he made much
improvement in composition and
speaking. On week nights his ia
Their read history, and on Sabbath,
when not at church, he read in the
hearing of his children religious
books. By this means John gained
much knowledge of both history
and divinity. He farmed for his
father until twenty years of age.
In addition TO farming for him, he
made his gates, Harvesting for his
horses, and shoes for his family.
lie had an inclination to do every
thing that needed to be done. 1t
was predicted at his fathers house
that he would be a poor man, be-
cause he could do so many things.
lie often suffered great mental dis
iress on the subject of religion. He
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