Navy Singing Master
From the April 22, 1917, Boston Globe
Henry W Rankin was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1859. (His entry in the 1900 United States Census has his birth year as 1860.) He first worked as a photographer in Taunton, living with his uncle, who was also a photgrapher.
from the 1880 United States Census, Taunton, Massachusetts
Rankin would first move to Providence to work as a photographer.
from the 1885 Rhode Island Census, Providence, Rhode Island
By the early 1890s, he had an established photography business located on Thames Street in Newport and was boarding at the Brayton House on Pelham Street.
from the 1894 Newport City Directory
from the 1894 Newport City Directory
from the 1896 Newport City Directory
Henry Rankin was very involved in music and appeared in this performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore at the Opera House in 1895.
In 1900, Henry Rankin would be appointed the Singing Master at the Naval Training Station in Newport, with the rank of Musician 1st Class, still keeping his photography business in the city going.
from the 1900 United States Census, Navy in Newport
from the 1902 Newport City Directory
His job as Singing Master was to train every recruit and Naval Apprentice who came through Newport to sing. He would teach them voice lessons and how to sing patriotic songs. In 1900 he was tasked with teaching a new version of My Country, ‘Tis of Thee to the recruits. Newport composer J. Hazard Wilson composed the new version, and it was dedicated to Commander J.J. Hunter, commanding officer of Naval Training Station, Newport. This was announced in a number of papers in the northeastern United States.
from the November 17, 1900, Buffalo (NY) Commercial
Score from the Instrument Version of J. Hazard Wilson’s “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”
from the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rankin would continue to work both at the Training Station as the Singing Master and as a photographer in Newport.
from the 1917 Newport City Directory
The Newport Mercury sums up his accomplishments in this reprint of an article from the New Bedford Times.
from the “Newport Recruit” Volume 6, N.1, August 1918, Page 21
Rankin is the second from the left (we believe)
Rankin died at the Naval Hospital in Newport in February of 1923. He is buried in Taunton, Massachusetts with his wife of 51 years, Ella Wilber Rankin.
Obituary for Henry W Rankin
from the February 24, 1923, Newport Mercury
Grave of Henry W Rankin (1859-1923) and Ella Frances Wilber Rankin (1861-1917)
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Taunton, Massachusetts