Adam was born in Pennsylvania, the son of Jeremiah and Rhoda Craig, on March 24, 1755. He attended Washington and Lee University (then called Liberty University)where graduated, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He met and married his wife Martha McPheters there in Augusta, Virginia. Their first son was born in Virginia. Samuel was born on Feb 17, 1784. The Rev. Adam Rankin moved his young family to Lexington, Kentucky. He was one of the first minister in the area. He was also one of the first authors. He was a very controversial figure. He led a couple of splits in the church. His house still stands in Lexington, although it has been moved from its original location, and is a historical site as one of the oldest standing structures in Lexington. His children include:
Samuel Rankin
Alexander Rankin
Jane Rankin m. William Wallace
Adam Rankin (my line)
Robert Annan Rankin
William Rankin
Rhoda Craig Rankin
Jeremiah Rankin
John Mason Rankin

The Rev. Adam sold his property in Lexington in preparation of a trip to the Holy Land. He stopped in Philadelphia on his way, and died there on November 25, 1827, and is said to buried in the Spruce Street Cemetery, without a marker. Martha and her surviving children ended up in Maury County Tennessee within a year or two of the Rev. Adams death. Martha died there in 1836. The boys began moving after that. Adam (jr), Jeremiah and Robert Annan moved to Mississippi. Samuel and John Mason moved to Texas. I have information on the families as well.