Find Living Relatives

I am looking for any relatives of my paternal grandfather, Walter Rankin - or people who knew his family. He was born in Belfast in c.1885-1890 (d. 1980): his father, David Rankin, came from Co. Derry (or Londonderry - not sure which is more correct?!) and his mother, Elizabeth Bradford, from Co. Armagh. He lived all of his life in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast. I know that his sister, Mabel, married a man called Gerald (or Gerard?)Reid, became a Catholic (having previously been Church of Ireland) and had an adopted son, Basil. That's all I really know because contact was minimal during his and my grandmother seems to have cut off all links with my grandfather's family. It's a big gap in my knowledge: I should add that I live in London and have only ever had minimal contact with Ireland.

Have you looked for them on the Irish census

1901 census

Residents of a house 21.1 in Shaftsbury Square (St. George's Ward Belfast, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
Johnston John 28 Male Boarder Methodist Co Leitrim Shopman Read and write English Single -
Rankin Mabel 2 Female Daughter Irish Church Belfast - Cannot read English Not Married -
Rankin David 35 Male Head of Family Irish Church Co London, Derry occ Buttler Read and write English Married -
Rankin Walter 5 Male Son Irish Church Belfast Scholar Read and write English Not Married -
Rankin Lizzie 32 Female Wife Irish Church Co Armagh House Keeper Read and write Irish and English Married -

So had a sister Mabel


Name: Mabel Rankin
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1898
Registration district: Belfast
Birth Country: Ireland
Volume: 1
Page: 430
FHL Film Number: 101067


Walter Rankin
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1895
Registration district: Belfast
Birth Country: Ireland
Volume: 1
Page: 318
FHL Film Number: 101065

Has a brother by 1911

Census Years1911
AntrimSt. George'sShaftesbury Square
Residents of a house 21 in Shaftesbury Square (St. George's, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living
Rankin David 46 Male Head of Family Church of Ireland Co Derry occ Butler Read and write - Married - - - -
Rankin Lizzie 44 Female Wife Church of Ireland Co Derry - Read and write - Married - 4 3 3
Rankin Walter 15 Male Son Church of Ireland Belfast Draper Read and write - Single - - - -
Rankin Mabel 12 Female Daughter Church of Ireland Belfast Scholar Read and write - Single - - - -
Rankin Herbert David 6 Male Son Church of Ireland Belfast Scholar Read - Single - - - -
Minchin Henry Michael 24 Male Boarder Church of Ireland Co Donegal Clerk Draper's Read and write - Single - - - -
Johnston John 29 Male Boarder Presbyterian Co Leitrim Draper Foreman Read and write - Single - - - -


Herbert David Rankin
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1904
Registration district: Belfast
Birth Country: Ireland
Volume: 1
Page: 278
FHL Film Number: 101070

David Rankin
Death Date: 19 Nov 1918
Death Place: Belfast, Antrim, Down, Ireland
Probate Date: 15 Mar 1927
Registry: Belfast

Of 21a Shaftesbury Square Belfast died 19nov 1918 admin to Walter Rankin drapers assistant and Mabel Rankin spinster effects £210 in England sealed London 21st March

Births:

Walter Rankin
Born: 17th December 1895
Place: 43 Damascus Street, Belfast
Father: David Rankin (Shopman)
Mother: Lizzie Rankin (nee Bradford)
Birth registered by Ellen Tweedy (present at Birth)

Mabel Rankin
Born: 16th October 1898
Place: 105 Templemore Street, Belfast
Father: David Rankin (butler)
Mother: Elizabeth Rankin (nee Bradford)
Birth registered by Lizzie Rankin (mother)

Herbert David Rankin
Born: 27th November 1904
Place: 21 Shaftsbury Square, Belfast
Father: David Rankin (butler)
Mother: Elizabeth Rankin (nee Bradford)
Birth registered by Isabella Ireland (of 93 Lindsay Street- present at birth)

A day out from his birth date- but looks to be Walter:

British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924
name(s) Walter Rankin
Service number F10100
Birth date 18 Dec 1895
Birth place Belfast
Birth county Antrim
Archive The National Archives
Archive reference ADM 188/580/10100
Record set British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924
Occupation: Mechanical Driver

Walter's parents were cutting it fine with their marriage:

Marriage: 4th June 1895
Parish Church Kildarton, Armagh

David Rankin, full age, bachelor, butler
Father: David Rankin (farmer)

Eliza Bradford, full age, spinster, housemaid
Father:Robert Bradford, (mason)

Witnesses: George Rankin & Martha Bradford
----------------------------------------

David's death:

David Rankin
Death: 19th November 1918
Age: 53
Address: 21 Shaftesbury Square
Married, Occupation- Waiter
Cuase: Influenza 15 days, Bronchitis & Cardiac failure
Informant: Walter Rankin son, in attendance 21 Shaftesbury Square
----------------------------------------------

David's death announcement:

Belfast News-Letter - Thursday 21 November 1918

DEATHS:
RANKIN- Nov 19 at 21a Shaftesbury Square, David, dearly beloved husband of Elizabeth Rankin. His remains will be removed for interment in Wood's Churchyard, Magherafelt, today, Thursday at 10 o'clock. Friends will please accept this intimation.
Inserted by his sorrowing wife and family.
------------------------------

Elizabeth died 3rd July 1926 at 21a Shaftesbury Square.

Will Calendars
Rankin Elizabeth of 21a Shaftesbury Square Belfast widow died 3 July 1926 Probate Belfast 3 December to Walter Rankin drapers assistant and Mabel Rankin spinster. Effects £182 3s. 1d.
---------------------------------------

So if Mabel married it was after 1926. There are a couple of references to a Miss Mabel Rankin in the Antrim papers up until 1927- working as a superintendent of a children's centre.

Walter's marriage:

Marriage: 28th July 1919
Malone, Belfast

Walter Rankin, full age, bachelor, shop assistant
Father: David Rankin (deceased)

Anna Douglas, full age, spinster
father: James Douglas (deceased)

Witnesses: Lily Hamilton & William Hamilton

Snippets possibly related:

Northern Whig - Tuesday 10 June 1952
Ulster Success at Dublin University

Three Ulster students won all the classical awards at Trinity College this year it was announced yesterday. Ther students are Allan Darlington Lowe... James Chambers Lyttle... and Herbert David Rankin of Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, a former pupil of Belfast Royal Academy.
-----------------------------------------

Perhaps in Australia?

Monash University,
Classical Studies
1965-1972
Herbert David Rankin
MA Dub.

Googling 'Herbert David Rankin brings up several results relating to the classics- including books he has written. Unsure if they are related to your search.
-----------------------------------------

Shirley and AustinQ, what can I say? Thank you so much for that and I shall be writing to both of you by PM to say a personal thank-you. Your research has unlocked a hidden world for me.

A few comments:

I had been told that David 'ran a catering business'. Butler is a bit of a come-down but also more interesting in some ways.

I knew that my great-grandmother's name was Elizabeth but hearing her referred to as Eliza and Lizzie made her sound like a 'real' person for the first time. I presume that George Rankin and Martha Bradford (George and Martha - shades of Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf') were the brother and sister of the groom and the bride.

Herbert David was the younger brother - I believe that he was a musician who died early in Glasgow but know nothing more than that. My father was the academic named after the uncle he never knew, but always known as David. My grandmother, Anna Douglas, only conveyed very sketchy information about my grandfather's family and cut herself (and my father) off from them for some reason.

Mabel I think married quite late for that era: I had no idea that she worked with children.

The most interesting detail is that David's 'remains' were taken to a place called Magherafelt, of which I had never previously heard. It is in the South of Co. (London)Derry (I'm still not sure how to refer to that County!) and I have found two pronunciations online: Ma-ha-ra-felt and Mackrafelt! All this suggests that David came from Magharafelt or environs and there might be relatives still living there.

Not seeing a death in Glasgow or anywhere in Scotland for a Herbert David Rankin but there is this marriage (and no corresponding birth).


1928 in Blantyre
RANKIN
HERBERT DAVID
MORTON
MARY MCDOUGALL

That's a very interesting twist. I had no idea that there was a marriage.
Blantyre is in western Scotland and so this makes sense: Herbert David would have been 24 at the time.
Perhaps he didn't die in Glasgow after all: I was told that he caught pneumonia but nothing else was said.

Looks like the wife of that Herbert David died near Glasgow


RANKIN
MARY MCDOUGAL
75
1982
650/ 163
Eastwood and Mearns


You would need to buy credits to check that it's your Herbert David who married that lady.

The above lady remarried in Glasgow in 1952 so perhaps Herbert David was deceased by then.

I couldn't see Herbert's death either.

I've found Elizabeth/ Eliza's family- :

Elizabeth's sister Martha Bradford married Samuel Robinson 3rd July 1895 Armagh. She and Samuel had two daughters Martha Matilda (b.16th Feb 1898 Belfast) and Violet (b.16th April 1899 Belfast).

marriage: 3rd July 1895
St Mark's Church, Armagh

Martha Bradford, full age, spinster
Father: Robert Bradford (mason)

Samuel Robinson, full age, bachelor, horse trainer.
Father: David Robinson (horse dealer)

Witnesses: A.H Cummins & M Cullen
---------------------------------------------------------

However, it looks as though the marriage broke down as on the 1901 census sister Martha is listed as single and the daughters have taken the Bradford name. This is Martha with her parents in 1901- (note Drumennis/ Druminnis was the address for Eliza and David when they married)

1901
house 10 in Drumennis (Hamiltons Bawn, Armagh)

Bradford Robert 70 Male Head of Family Irish Church Co Armagh Farmer and Mason Married -
Bradford Martha 50 Female Wife Irish Church Co Armagh Married -
Bradford Martha 30 Female Daughter Irish Church Co Armagh Farmers Daughter Not Married -
Bradford Robert 20 Male Son Irish Church Co Armagh Farmers Son Not Married -
Bradford Emma 18 Female Daughter Irish Church Co Armagh Farmer's Daughter Not Married
Bradford Martha 3 Female Grand Daughter Irish Church Co Armagh Not Married -
Bradford Violet 2 Female Grand Daughter Irish Church Co Armagh -
-----------------------------------

Same family 1911 (note little Martha is now under correct surname):

house 9 in Drumennis (Hamilton's Bawn, Armagh)

Bradford James 40 Male Head of Family Protestant Episcopalians Co Armagh Farmer Single
Bradford Robert 28 Male Brother Protestant Episcopalians Co Armagh Farm Labourer Single
Bradford Emma 30 Female Sister Protestant Episcopalians Co Armagh Single
Robinson Martha 13 Female Niece Protestant Episcopalians Belfast Scholar
--------------------------------------------

Elizabeth's father, Robert, died 1906 at Druminnis of pneumonia (age 70)- daughter, Martha Robinson was present at death.

Elizabeth's mother, Martha died 1902 at Druminnis- apoplexy & cardiac failure (age 60). Daughter, Emily Bradford present at death.

Rootworker,
Thanks for that. It's certainly interesting because there was never a reference to a marriage. My father (b.1931) had the impression that Herbert died in the 1920s but his information came through the distorted lens of my grandmother, who was to put it kindly an unreliable narrator.

In your information about Mary there are two spellings of her middle name - McDougall and McDougal. Also, if she remarried in 1952, why is her death listed as Mary McDougal Rankin? Is there any evidence of children? It's one of these things that could be very significant or could be a dead end. Very interesting anyway and I am grateful to you for this.

Aiden- the Scottish death indexes record a death under all surnames (present and previous). Mary's death is listed under three surnames- but all the same lady as the reference is the same:

LAWRENCE MARY MCDOUGAL
Age: 75
death: 1982
Ref: 650/ 163
Eastwood and Mearns


MORTON MARY MCDOUGAL
Age: 75
death: 1982
Ref: 650/ 163
Eastwood and Mearns


RANKIN MARY MCDOUGAL
Age: 75
Death: 1982
Ref: 650/ 163
Eastwood and Mearns
-------------------------------------

The easiest way to tell if it's your Herbert David is to purchase credits on Scotlands People and view the marriage certificate online (The minimum spend is £7 for 30 credits and I think a marriage certificate to view online is 6 credits). More recent birth, deaths and marriages are not online and need to be ordered.

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

There is no divorce showing in Scotland for Herbert David Rankin and Mary McD Morton so I would think he died elsewhere before 1952. Your first step would be to view that 1928 marriage registration to either confirm or eliminate it as your Herbert.

There is a birth for a Herbert Rankin in the Springburn area of Glasgow but whether he is a child of that marriage there is no way of knowing without buying the certificate. I would be a wee bit doubtful as Springburn is north of the Clyde and Mary remarried south side of Glasgow.

There is a marriage in the 50s in England for a Herbert D Rankin but, again, no way of knowing if that's your man. Using FindMyPast worldwide, I'm not seeing a death for your Herbert anywhere.

Just back tracking a little- this is where the caterer occupation came from:

This is from the PRONI Will calendars:

Mr David Rankin

Administration of the Estate of the late David Rankin, 21A Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, Caterer, who died 19 November 1918, granted at Belfast 7 February 1919 to Elizabeth Rankin, the widow. Effects: £1563 6s. Unadministered grant issued at Belfast 17 February 1927