Henry Cunison Rankin

Who was Henry Cunison Rankin?

Henry Cunison Rankin was a Scottish chartered accountant who served as treasurer to the Scottish National Party and as National Chairman of the Saltire Society.

Henry Cunison Deans Rankin was born at Hamilton, Scotland, on 14 October 1932 and was educated at the former Hamilton Academy and the University of Glasgow, graduating MA and LLB in 1958.

Joining the tax department of the Glasgow firm of Arthur Young McLelland Moores and Company in 1967, Rankin subsequently moved in 1970 to the Edinburgh firm of chartered accountants, Graham Smart and Annan, becoming tax manager. In 1973 Rankin was appointed a lecturer on taxation at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and in 1982 appointed the Institute’s director of student education. Rankin also wrote a classic textbook Corporation Tax for Students used by accountancy students across the U.K.

Rankin stood unsuccessfully on the Scottish National Party ticket as a parliamentary candidate for the Lanark constituency in 1966 and 1970, and for the North Angus and Mearns constituency in 1974. He served as SNP national treasurer from 1965–66, and as a member of its National Executive Committee from 1966–68.