David Rankin was born on August 26, 1829 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, the son of James Rankin and Mary Russell.
As a teenager, David's father worked as a weaver, however, when he was seventeen he joined the British Army as an infantryman with the 91 st
Regiment of Foot, which later became the Argyll Highlanders. The Regiment served in Portugal under Sir Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsular Wars against Napoleon.
The Regiment also distinguished itself in the Battle of Quatre Bras leading up to the Battle of Waterloo. After leaving the army, James returned to the cotton business.
Like many young men, at the time, David felt the effects of depression and economic hardship that was sweeping the Scottish Lowlands resulting in the lack of jobs and a precarious future. He made the momentous decision to seek his fortune in America. In 1846, at the age of 17, David sailed for Canada.
David settled in South Easthope Township, Perth County where he met Jane Palmer Dennis, the daughter of Robert and Mary Dennis. Jane was born in England in 1831 and emigrated to Canada with her parents in 1832. David and Jane were married on May 29, 1852.
The couple settled on a farm in what is now Harmony, which is about eight miles south of Stratford. The community was given its unusual name by local residents who provided food and shelter to a Methodist minister, the Rev. Thomas Cleghorn, who had become lost in the woods on his way from the Village of Shakespeare to the Township of West Zorro. The farmers were so impressed with Cleghorn's preaching and spiritual message that they decided to convert and form a Methodist congregation and call it Harmony.
David and Jane's family grew with the birth of four children: Mary (b. 1853); James Palmer (b. 1855); Jane Agnes (b 1861) and Jemima (b. 1863).
Their only son James Palmer Rankin had a very distinguished life. In 1878, he graduated from the Trinity Medical College in Toronto and subsequently the prestigious medical school of the University of Edinburgh. Upon graduation James established a medical practice in Tavistock and then moved to Stratford. Not only was he a popular physician but also a successful politician holding elected office, at various times, on the School Board, City Council and a number of terms as the area's Member of Parliament. In 1925, while serving as MP he was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Mackenzie King, a position he held until his death in 1934.
By the early 1880s David and Jane decided they would give up farming and had the yellow brick Ontario cottage built at 55 West Gore Street in Stratford. They lived in Stratford for the rest of their lives. Jane died at the age of 74 in December 1905 and David died on October 25, 1913. They are buried in Avondale Cemetery.