Julie writes:
> Unless Benjamin Rankin purchased more than one parcel from John
> Stephenson, isn't this the Deed that I obtained from Don Wood
> in Berkeley Co. and transcribed already. I've attached the
> transcription.

Thanks; we should put that in
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~onthebullskin/Deeds/

Don't yet have anything there.

Some Rankin entries:

1 1772/3 Davis Wm Rankin Benjm L&R 474 15 mar 1773 829879-1-474

>From the Grantee book

p218
Mar 16/18 1773 Rankin Benj 2 Davis Wm L&R 1 474 real
Aug 16 1780 Rankin Benj 2 Willis Rich Mort 5 744 real 1x
May 17 1785 Rankin Benj Stephenson Jno BoS 6 415 real 3x+
May 17 1785 Rankin Benj Stephenson Ann BoS 6 416 Real
May 17 1791 Rankin re Judith Washington Tr Lehas? Deed 9 465
real x


(the "x" is the mark I made when I copied the document;
a number here would be its filing; the 1773 Davis entry
is above, from the grantor book.)

The 1780 transaction -- looks like some kind of mortgage.
I don't have it handy and won't be able to look for it
for a few weeks. We can't tell whether it's a contract
/ mortgage for sale or some mortgage on some existing land
Rankin owned; from the Frederick Co entries you can see
he had several transactions before Berkeley Co split off.

The Stephenson deed above is one of 2 from Ann & John
on the same day. (Richard S. ... I wonder if he's the
brother of Hugh who contested the will, claiming all of
Hugh & Ann's children were illegitimate.)

Notice from the Stephenson -> Rankin deed, 200 acres
were specified. I think this is the 2 x 100 acre tracts
that Jane Baxter Hammond & Fanny Rankin Hammond owned
after their mother's death about 1816. These will eventually
wind up in the William Hooff land of ca 1850, perhaps
along with a bordering 100 acre tract Rankin bought of
Wm Davis (perhaps the 1773 purchase). This is all inland,
on the Bullskin or north from it towards Evitts run.

Check the different sheets in
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~onthebullskin/Research%20files/Jeffer
son%20Deeds%201801-1831.xls
for deed index information (where the above comes from.

For the Rankins:
(1) where did the 300 acres come from, that went to Margaret
& Wm Helm?
(2) where did the 245 acres come from, that went first to
Thomas R Rankin & then to his sister Jane (Philip) Hooff?
(3) where did all the land at Mount Hammond (Shenandoah)
come from -- which is Rankins' and when, & which is Hammonds?

For the Beelers:
(1) Where did all of Benjamin Beeler Sr/Jr's 433/600/520
acres go? Can't account for transactions that changed
this allotment - the estate size ~ 1835 at partition doesn't
match
(2) The shannondale springs grant of 1790's borders Rankins'
(more important than I thought)
(3) Where did all the land of Christopher Beeler go?
and of course the grand prize
(4) and (2) above - is the Frederick Beeler's widow's
dower share?