MySource:Cos1776/Rankin, John Mason. 1852 0924 Transcript of Letter

Source

Ancestry.com - 25 Jan 2008, khulsm posted these 3 documents pertaining to the family of John Mason Rankin.

1. Family Bible - Rankin, John Mason
2. Rankin, John Mason. 1852 0924 Transcript of Letter
3. Rankin, John Mason. 1854 0913 Transcript of Letter

Following a source inquiry, she kindly responded (30 Sep 2011) that she thought all three were from Robert Rankin (pos of McAllister, TX) and that she had received them sometime in the 1990s.

If anyone has access to original images of these documents, please let us know, so that we can add them to the pages. I have annotated the transcripts slightly by providing breaks in text between the information of various families and added wiki links to individual WR pages.
--Cos1776 19:58, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Transcript

San Augustine Texas Sept. 24, 1852
Dear friend,

I have written to my friends and relatives in Decator County in your state and have received no answer, that I know not whether they are all dead or removed. It has been some 18 or 20 years since I have heard from them. Last year I wrote to the Assessor or collector of taxes of Decator County supposing you had such an officer and requesting information if Adam, Joseph or Andrew Rankin or James, Samuel or Martin Logan or Adam Meek lived in his county or he could inform me where they lived, but received no answer. this year I was informed by a person who was from that state that the person who collects taxes is called Auditor. I then wrote a letter to him making the same request, but have received no answer.

Last week the Presbyterians held a presbytery here and a Mr. Byers, an associate of that church, late from your state ( who stayed at my house) informed me he knew you and gave me your address. , but was not certain whether it was James or Samuel Logan. I therefore address this letter to either of you requesting the same information. I asked of the auditor or assessor of Decator County, Ky. and also to write me all the information you can concerning your families and also of all our friends and relatives letting me know where they all live, how they all do and and

Father, I suppose, you heard sold out in Lexington and moved with us to Philadelphia where he died Nov. 25, 1827. Brother Jeremiah, Mother, and myself returned to her brothers in Augusta County, Virginia and spent the winter on her native place. In the spring we returned to Lexington, stayed there a year and then we moved to Columbia, Tennessee where all her living children were. Samuel, Adam, Annan, with Jeremiah and myself. She kept house with Jeremiah and myself for about 5 years till we married. She then lived with me about 3 years and died July 27, 1836 among her children; Brother Adam, Annan and Jeremiah moved to Mississippi in 1838. I moved to this place, in the year following brother Samuel moved to country, settled about 300 miles west of this, where died about 3 years after, his family live there yet.

I married in Columbia, Ten. Sarah L. Slaughter June 1833

Page 2

I have five children, a daughter, Martha Frances, about 18 years; son, John William, 14; daughter, Louisa, 9; daughter, Louisa, 9; and son Henry Adam, 4. The Lord has been merciful and kind to us, we have lost none. My health has not been good for some years, though rather better the last two years. My wife is not very stout. We have no minister of the associate reformed and none that I know of, who confine themselves, to the exclusive use of the scripture psalms or who use them at all, except myself and family. I have united myself with the Presbyterians, until someone of my own way of thinking come among us.

Our country seems to be prospering, great numbers of immigrants are yearly flocking to the state. Lands as rich as that about Lexington, can be bought at one to two dollars per acre, though scarce of wood, and produces when they have seasons, forty to fifty bushels of wheat and 50 to 73 of corn to the acre, though sometimes a drought calls it off to a fourth or fifth. Some parts of the country as tolerable sickly and some as health as I have ever seen. I have done very well fro some time past though I met with many losses in leaving Tennessee. I came here to speculate in land. I purchased about 22,000 acres costing be about $6,00with my expense of coming and I have been able to secure about 12,000 acres. the balance being spurious claims by which I was swindled. I lost also a good deal in Tennessee, being unable to leave her and trusting to agents these to collect. I however, have been very prosperous here. My income here for money at interest and as treasurer of this county and Justice of the Peace is from $325-$350 per month. But I sometimes meet with losses in loaning money, it is rather a hazardous business, but, I don’t know that it is more so than other trades except farming, which I would engage in if I could collect in my money, but as fast as I can collect, I am persuaded to loan it out again. Please give our love and respects to our relatives and friends that you may see. Please answer this as soon as you can and any information, you may request, I will take pleasure in giving if in my power. My love to yourselves and families.
Respectfully,
John M. Rankin

Written at the top of the 1st page, but not written by J.M. Rankin: It now has an envelope from Hanover College where J.M. Rankin taught. Since then it in the family I have to _________________ original envelope lost.

Written along the side of the second page is: Please direct your letter to me in San Augustine, Texas