... My father, your other G-Uncle was born March 24, 1755, licensed to preach in Presbyterian Church Oct. 24, 1782 was married to Martha McPheeters Oct. 13, 1782, 11 days before licensed to preach. Moved to Lexington, Ky 1784, was there the first settled minister in Ky. He left the Presbyterians when they introduced Watts and other hymns and joined Associate Reformed Presbytery. Had care of his church in Lexington till Oct. 1827. He left for Philadelphia. We stayed first night with your father on our way. which is I suppose was the last time you saw any of us (I wrote that without thinking for I believe your father had not left when mother, brother and myself returned the next spring.)
Father died in 2 weeks after we arrived in Philadelphia and he’s buried in Spruce Street burial ground and at his request no tomb marks his resting place. We soon after returned to mother's native home in Augusta County, Virginia and after spending the balance of the winter with her brother, in the spring we returned to Lexington and after remaining there 12 months or so we moved to Columbia Tennessee where her other children were living and after keeping house there with brother and myself she died July 27, 1836.
She had nine children,
Samuel,
Alexander (who died an infant),
Adam
Jane,
Adam,
Annan,
William (which died age 5 years),
Rhoda (died an infant),
Jeremiah, and
myself [John Mason Rankin]. ...
