Memorable Manitobans: Andrew Douglas Rankin (1860-1926)

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Andrew Douglas Rankin
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Dry goods merchant.

Born at Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 10 September 1860, son of Robert Rankin and Agnes Douglas, he was educated at the Aberdeen public schools. He worked as a dry goods clerk from 1875 to 1880, then came to Montreal in September 1880, moving to Rochester, New York in 1881 and coming to Winnipeg in 1882 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company. He opened a dry goods store in partnership with A. Allan (now Collector of Customs) at Calgary, Alberta in 1884 then moved to Brandon in 1891 where he was a dry good merchant. He was a director of the Brandon Fire Insurance Company, and Vice-President of the Brandon Board of Trade. In 1911, he was proprietor of the firm A. D. Rankin & Company. He retired to Victoria, British Columbia around 1916, and the firm became known as Doig, Rankin and Robertson.

During the 1885 North West Rebellion, he served as Lieutenant of the Volunteer Home Guard at Calgary. In 1887, he married Emma Newcombe (1866-1908) of Hamilton, Ontario. They has three children: Walter G. Rankin (1888-?), Rena Adeline Rankin (1893-1962, wife of Alan L. Church, mother-in-law of John M. Isbister), and Ralph A. Rankin (1901-?). His second wife was Eleanor P. Holt (1864-1949). He was a member of the Brandon School Board, Brandon Club and the AF & AM. His recreations included lawn bowling, curling, riding, and gardening. He served as a School Board Trustee, and a councillor and director of the YMCA. He was Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the 99th Regiment in 1910.

He died at Victoria, British Columbia on 14 August 1926 and was buried there.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Marriage registration [Rena Adelina Rankin], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People by Prof. George Bryce, Toronto: The Canadian History Company, 1906.

“Mrs. A. D. Rankin died suddenly at Calgary Saturday,” Brandon Weekly Sun, 31 December 1908, page 1.

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

“Former merchant of Brandon dead,” Brandon Daily Sun, 16 August 1926, page 1.

“Colonel Rankin laid to rest,” Brandon Daily Sun, 23 August 1926, page 9.

Death registration [Eleanor P. Rankin], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary, The Daily Colonist [Victoria, British Columbia], 22 February 1949, page.

We thank Alan and Janis Brackman for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 3 October 2016

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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