Medrox farm, Rankin, Mochrie, Smellie

I've just been reading "The Lairds of Otter"by Willie Logan, edited by John F Rankin.This started when I found a Patrick Rankin had bought South Medrox farm (about 1868) and my William McLean had built two houses in Tighnabruaich, the house at the back called Medrox Cottage (this was discovered when, as usual I was boring my postman friend about my ancestry and he recognised "Medrox").

When a walking group were over in Tarbert (via Portavadie) with a group from Campbeltown, I stayed in the village and by chance met a couple from Kilfilan..in my customary boring manner, I said my family were associated with the Rankin family...about whom they knew a lot. To cut a long story short, they phoned me to tell me about John Gillies (who stays 50 yards or so from me, and he let me read this short book, presented to him by John Rankin 5.4.2000).

Patrick Rankin b. 1640 of Riskend,
KilsythWalter(1671-1732)
Patrick(b.1732) was Laird of Mavisbank and lived in Mavisbank House.
Patrick(the 'old laird')(1788 -1873) a plaque at Kilfilan says he died 5.3.1873 aged 83, was born at Mavisbank House.....bought Auchengray about 1855 for £35,000 (in 1890 it was bringing in about £9,000 per annum) and bought South Medrox farm about 1868. He was a partner in SAddin Miller & Rankin of Langsloan Iron Works, the partnership was formed about 1837. Entailed his estates 1869(codicil 1872).

The rest is Rankin history ending with a William Black (I'm not sure what his connection was)..he became a writer to the Signet 1889 and was a Justice of the Peace(JP). During the first world war he served as a major in the 4th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (HLI) in India. He was a member of the New Monkland School Board, Chairman of New Monkland Parish Council, President in 1921 of the New Monkland Society, President of the Auchengray Agricultural Society, Captain - and in 1944 Vice-President - of Murrayfield Golf Club, Chairman of Wilsons and Clyde Coal Coy and the Darngavel Coal Coy.

This 90F weather is same as my visit to my daughter in Itawamba County, Fulton, Mississippi, near Tupelo, where Elvis was born...some one said to a local.."Itawamba, Isn't that an Indian name?" "I don't know", she said, "But I had to make contact with someone the other day and I just sent up a smoke signal!"

While there I came across "Wm Mochrie in Medrox, parish of Monkland 30 April 1670", and my William McLean married an Agnes Mochrie, so, another connection with South Medrox farm (Mochrie, Smellie, McLean), taking us back a little.