Robert Rankin (1801-1870)
Encyclopedia
Robert Rankin was a timber
merchant
and shipowner
. He contributed greatly to the amazing growth of the shipbuilding and timber trades in 19th century Canada.
, Renfrewshire
, Scotland
. Between 1807 and 1813 Rankin received a good general education in Scotland.
In 1815 Rankin joined the office staff of the timber
-importing firm, Pollok, Gilmour and Company
. The firm had been founded in Glasgow
in 1804 by Allan Gilmour, Sr.
and Rankin's uncles John Pollok and Arthur Pollok. Rankin's elder brother, Alexander
, had served it since 1806. On December 15, 1816 he was transferred to the head office in Glasgow, where he soon gained the approval of Arthur Pollok through his competence as book-keeper and accountant, and was appointed cashier of the firm at age 16.
Young Rankin was clearly regarded as a "coming man" in the firm, and a possible future partner. He soon gained a reputation as a skilful administrator and a shrewd bargainer
with timber contractors. He was transferred to Miramichi
in 1818. In 1820 he made a "prospecting trip" to the Saint John River to assess the timber of the area and recommended to the head office that another branch-firm be founded at Saint John
.
A year later, however, he judged correctly that there would be a new timber boom and set up the firm of Robert Rankin and Company in Saint John. Within ten years, by his shrewdness in purchasing timber and dealing in imports of foodstuffs and lumbering stores, he made this branch-firm the most prosperous and successful of the Pollok, Gilmour, and Company enterprises, which also flourished in Bathurst
, Chatham
, Montreal
, Quebec
, Restigouche County
, and on the Miramichi.
On March 17, 1829 he married Ann, daughter of John Strang, a prominent Scottish merchant of St. Andrews, New Brunswick
.
By 1830 Robert Rankin was regarded as the leading shipowner and timber merchant of Saint John.
He became the guiding intelligence in the colonies of Pollok, Gilmour, and Company, a vast concern which by 1838 operated 130 vessels in the timber trade, making it the largest British shipowning firm. At Saint John, Rankin had added to his lumbering concerns the building of ships and the importing of textiles, foodstuffs, and building supplies on a large scale, reputedly for more than half of the numerous merchants in the town. His success in Saint John was so great that by the early 1830s he was even influencing affairs in the head office in Glasgow.
His plans were altered by a crisis in the affairs of the firm in Glasgow in 1837, following a bitter quarrel among the founders. Since all parties considered that only Rankin could settle the dispute and take the leadership of the over-all concern, he left Saint John in the summer of 1838 with his wife and family. In Scotland he speedily arranged to buy out Gilmour for £150,000 and to reconstruct Pollok, Gilmour, and Company. Rankin, his brother Alexander, and Allan Gilmour Jr. of the Quebec branch now became the controlling partners.
At Rankin's instigation, the head office was moved from Glasgow to Liverpool
, to take advantage of the greater commercial opportunities there, particularly in the lumber trade, and a new subsidiary firm was established under the name of Rankin, Gilmour, and Company. In order to employ its large fleet fully in the winter months, branch houses were opened in New Orleans and Mobile
, where the company entered the rapidly expanding cotton trade.
By 1851 he was a member of the Dock Committee of Liverpool, the "inner ring" of influential merchants and shipowners. He had purchased the large estate of Bromborough Hall in Cheshire, where he engaged in cattle breeding and other rural pursuits.
In 1857 he toured Canada and the United States with his family and was accorded what has been described as "an almost Royal reception" in many places, particularly in New Brunswick
. Until his death in 1870, he remained in active control of the Pollok-Gilmour-Rankin "empire." His prestige in Liverpool can be judged by his election in January 1862 as chairman of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board
, described as the highest honour Liverpool has to bestow. In 1865 he set up his son James as a country gentleman, buying for him two large estates in Herefordshire
.
, and orphans’ homes
, and he contributed several large sums for the laying of the first Atlantic cable in the 1850s and 1860s. Early in 1869 his health began to fail, and despite a long Mediterranean trip the decline continued. The death of his daughter, drowned in Menai Strait
, in August 1869, was a crushing blow to Rankin, who had already lost four of his seven children through childhood illnesses. He died the following June at Cheshire
, England.
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and shipowner
Ship-owner
A shipowner is the owner of a merchant vessel . In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain freight rate, either as a per freight rate or based on hire...
. He contributed greatly to the amazing growth of the shipbuilding and timber trades in 19th century Canada.
Early life
He was born May 31, 1801 to James Rankin and Helen Ferguson at MearnsKincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Between 1807 and 1813 Rankin received a good general education in Scotland.
In 1815 Rankin joined the office staff of the timber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
-importing firm, Pollok, Gilmour and Company
Pollok, Gilmour and Company
Pollok, Gilmour, and Company was a Glasgow-based timber-importing firm established in 1804 by Allan Gilmour, Sr and the brothers John Pollok and Arthur Pollok. The company soon became the leading British firm in the North American timber trade, chiefly through its Miramichi, New Brunswick operations...
. The firm had been founded in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1804 by Allan Gilmour, Sr.
Allan Gilmour, Sr.
Allan Gilmour, Sr was a prominent Scottish-born lumber merchant and shipowner.Born in 1775, Allan Gilmour, Sr. was the son of Allan Gilmour and Elizabeth Pollok. Initially dealing in the Baltic timber trade, he co-founded the Glasgow-based firm Pollok, Gilmour and Company, together with the...
and Rankin's uncles John Pollok and Arthur Pollok. Rankin's elder brother, Alexander
Alexander Rankin
Alexander Rankin was a Scottish-born merchant and political figure in New Brunswick. He represented Northumberland County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1827 to 1852....
, had served it since 1806. On December 15, 1816 he was transferred to the head office in Glasgow, where he soon gained the approval of Arthur Pollok through his competence as book-keeper and accountant, and was appointed cashier of the firm at age 16.
Young Rankin was clearly regarded as a "coming man" in the firm, and a possible future partner. He soon gained a reputation as a skilful administrator and a shrewd bargainer
Bargaining
Bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service dispute the price which will be paid and the exact nature of the transaction that will take place, and eventually come to an agreement. Bargaining is an alternative pricing strategy to fixed prices...
with timber contractors. He was transferred to Miramichi
Miramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
in 1818. In 1820 he made a "prospecting trip" to the Saint John River to assess the timber of the area and recommended to the head office that another branch-firm be founded at Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
.
Career
Rankin's career as an independent entrepreneur began early in 1822 when Pollok, Gilmour, and Company decided to set up the branch-firm in Saint John that Rankin had recommended. He had made an arduous overland journey from the Miramichi to Saint John in the spring of 1821 to transfer his capital in bullion form, but on arrival decided that the time was not quite ripe for commencing operations.A year later, however, he judged correctly that there would be a new timber boom and set up the firm of Robert Rankin and Company in Saint John. Within ten years, by his shrewdness in purchasing timber and dealing in imports of foodstuffs and lumbering stores, he made this branch-firm the most prosperous and successful of the Pollok, Gilmour, and Company enterprises, which also flourished in Bathurst
Bathurst, New Brunswick
Bathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay....
, Chatham
Chatham, New Brunswick
Chatham is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, Chatham was an incorporated town in Northumberland County along the south bank of the Miramichi River opposite Douglastown...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Restigouche County
Restigouche County, New Brunswick
Restigouche County is located in north-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county is named for the Restigouche River which flows through the county and is famous for its salmon pools, which have attracted wealthy American and Canadian tourists to the region's summer colonies for decades...
, and on the Miramichi.
On March 17, 1829 he married Ann, daughter of John Strang, a prominent Scottish merchant of St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
.
By 1830 Robert Rankin was regarded as the leading shipowner and timber merchant of Saint John.
He became the guiding intelligence in the colonies of Pollok, Gilmour, and Company, a vast concern which by 1838 operated 130 vessels in the timber trade, making it the largest British shipowning firm. At Saint John, Rankin had added to his lumbering concerns the building of ships and the importing of textiles, foodstuffs, and building supplies on a large scale, reputedly for more than half of the numerous merchants in the town. His success in Saint John was so great that by the early 1830s he was even influencing affairs in the head office in Glasgow.
His plans were altered by a crisis in the affairs of the firm in Glasgow in 1837, following a bitter quarrel among the founders. Since all parties considered that only Rankin could settle the dispute and take the leadership of the over-all concern, he left Saint John in the summer of 1838 with his wife and family. In Scotland he speedily arranged to buy out Gilmour for £150,000 and to reconstruct Pollok, Gilmour, and Company. Rankin, his brother Alexander, and Allan Gilmour Jr. of the Quebec branch now became the controlling partners.
At Rankin's instigation, the head office was moved from Glasgow to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, to take advantage of the greater commercial opportunities there, particularly in the lumber trade, and a new subsidiary firm was established under the name of Rankin, Gilmour, and Company. In order to employ its large fleet fully in the winter months, branch houses were opened in New Orleans and Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, where the company entered the rapidly expanding cotton trade.
By 1851 he was a member of the Dock Committee of Liverpool, the "inner ring" of influential merchants and shipowners. He had purchased the large estate of Bromborough Hall in Cheshire, where he engaged in cattle breeding and other rural pursuits.
In 1857 he toured Canada and the United States with his family and was accorded what has been described as "an almost Royal reception" in many places, particularly in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. Until his death in 1870, he remained in active control of the Pollok-Gilmour-Rankin "empire." His prestige in Liverpool can be judged by his election in January 1862 as chairman of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company , formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board , owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England...
, described as the highest honour Liverpool has to bestow. In 1865 he set up his son James as a country gentleman, buying for him two large estates in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
Later life and death
In his later years Rankin's public benefactions were numerous. He funded mechanics’ institutes, temperance societiesTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, and orphans’ homes
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, and he contributed several large sums for the laying of the first Atlantic cable in the 1850s and 1860s. Early in 1869 his health began to fail, and despite a long Mediterranean trip the decline continued. The death of his daughter, drowned in Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
, in August 1869, was a crushing blow to Rankin, who had already lost four of his seven children through childhood illnesses. He died the following June at Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England.