Sir James Rankin, 1842–1915
MP for Leominster
James Rankin was a Conservative politician who represented Leominster three times between 1880 and 1912. He championed the building of the Free Library in the town and made a significant donation towards its cost. The Rankin Constitutional Club, in Corn Square, Leominster, is named after him.
James Rankin was born on Christmas Day 1842, the eldest son of Robert Rankin, a timber merchant and ship-owner, and his wife Ann (née Strang). He earned a first-class degree in the Natural Science Tripos at Trinity College, Cambridge, before entering the family timber and shipbuilding company, Pollok, Gilmour and Company. He eventually becoming a senior partner in the firm.
He married Annie Laura Bushell in 1865, and the couple had four sons and four daughters.
Rankin first entered politics when he became the MP for Leominster in 1880. Although there were only 811 voters in the Borough the election was marked by scenes of violence and drunkenness as Tory hooligans roamed the town, insulting anyone thought to be a Liberal, tearing down flags and damaging property, amongst suggestions of bribery and intimidation. In the election of 1885 the Borough lost one of its members and the voters had to choose one member for North Herefordshire. They chose the liberal candidate in preference to Rankin. Seven months later they returned Rankin, who survived until the Liberal landslide of 1906, when he lost the seat by 28 votes.
The elections of 1910 were again fought with much bitterness, and it was said Liberal supporters went in fear of their lives from the Tory rabble. Despite windows of Liberal supporters being smashed and houses daubed with paint, Rankin regained the seat. He resigned in March 1912.
Politically, Rankin was against home rule for Ireland and advocated Tariff Reform to tax imported manufactured goods. He supported social reform, within limits, and votes for women, when ‘they were suitably qualified’. He gave short shrift to demands for labour reform, saying ‘to claim the labourers are downtrodden, especially by landlords, was mere clap-trap…it is not true.’
As President of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club he was an enthusiastic supporter of Free Libraries. It was through his generosity that the library in Broad Street Hereford was established. He also ensured the founding of the Free Library in South Street Leominster by contributing £1100 to the scheme. Appropriately, he performed the opening of this building in 1892.
He built a home at Bryngwyn Manor between 1868–70, and his Baronetcy was created in 1898.
The Rankin Constitutional Club, in Corn Square, Leominster, is named after him.
