There is a website I like to use for European countries. It's call the Surname Navigator: http://www.rat.de/kuijsten/navigator/ They list the United Kingdom as a search feature. They have the 1881 census and other data listed. You can also search the archives of the Renshaw mail list. There has been some data submitted in the past by list members. Go to this site: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl and type in Renshaw, and it will take you to the archives. Although most of us are in the US researching the Renshaw surname, our hope is to be able to link with our cousins in the United Kingdom. Since most of us have not been able to get across the ocean, we are still researching in the US. This does not mean no one welcomes you to the list. I know we have had members on the list from England and Canada and other countries. Tina Ellis ----- Original Message ----- From: "History Search" <history.search@btopenworld.com> To: <RENSHAW-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 3:15 AM Subject: Re: [Renshaw] Renshaws in Directories > Would it be possible to list the UK Renshaws too, please. > > I am interested in Renshaws from Lancashire, Cheshire, Sussex, London and > Scotland. > > Thank you > Chris > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Egrdn@aol.com> > To: <RENSHAW-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 5:46 PM > Subject: [Renshaw] Renshaws in Directories > > > > The following list is alphabetical by first name and then chronological. > > More information about the directories may be found on Ancestry.com. Note > that > > the information below does not include the more than 25 names from early > U.K. > > directories. > > > > >From Ancestry.com U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830 > > > > Renshaw (Male) > > Title(s): Captain > > Address(es): 102, Hicks, Brooklyn, New York > > Listed in Brooklyn Directory for the year 1830, > > > > > ==== RENSHAW Mailing List ==== > If you are new to the list,please consider to posting a short version of your line for all to view. One never knows when someone on this list may connected to your line! > >

>From http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/publications/volume28/vol28_10.htm ".....the little river Picatonica, which a short distance downstream joins the Rock River." Rock River is one of the boundaries of Henry Co., IL. Eleanor

Laura posted a citation to the list as follows: 12 Feb 1839 George McHenry, James Withrow, and John Hanna were appointed to locate a road from Stephenson to mouth of the Pickatonica as lies between Earl P Aldrich and George McHenry's commencing at Aldrich's, thence to Soloman Penny's, then north of E.E. Renshaw's to a line between N. Withrow's farms. running thence with a furrow made by plowing noroth of James Tabor, A.W. Beck's and Jospeh Broning, intersecting road near George McHenry's. [end citation] The answer seems to lie in Henry Co., IL. The 3rd image of the 1840 census for Henry County reads: 1. Earl P. Aldrich ..... 4. James Withrow 5. Solomon Penney .... 12. Elijah? C. Renshaw (alphabetized as Renskow) The previous page ends with George McHenry and includes Alfred Beck and James Tabor. I think, therefore, we conclude that the unknown citation applies to Henry County. I looked for Stephenson online, but aside from Stephenson County, which is not very close to Henry County, there is no other Stephenson currently in Illinois. I did find a website which stated that many small towns in Henry County had disappeared; possible Stephenson was one of those towns. Most of the people in the quoted paragraph, not including Elijah Renshaw unfortunately, are mentioned in The History of Hanna Township, found online at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilhenry/history/hanna.htm For the record, in 1850: E.C. Renshaw was age 35, a farmer, b. TN Ann Renshaw, 34, b. KY Children all b. IL: Rebecca 12 Jeams? 11 Wm 9 Felix? 7 Henry 6 Edw? 4 Mary 1 In 1860 E. C. Renshaw still lived in Henry County, in the town of Phoenix. Edward has become George and Mary has changed to Ellen. Several more children had been born -- Ann, Sarah, Delilah, Josephine. E. C., Ann and the youngest children were still there in 1870. On the 1880 census they are in Glen Elder, Mitchell Co., KS. The census states that E. C.'s father was born in SC and his mother in GA. My guess is that Laura's cousin copied the article because of its misleading reference to "E. E. Renshaw", which should have read "E. C Renshaw". We still do not know what Pickatonica refers to, but there are several creeks in Henry County..... Eleanor

On a recent trip to my cousin, I found the following note he had copied from a book. Unfortunately (and very unlike him as he usually makes copious source notes), the source is unknown: 12 Feb 1839 George McHenry, James Withrow, and John Hanna were appointed to locate a road from Stephenson to mouth of the Pickatonica as lies between Earl P Aldrich and George McHenry's commencing at Aldrich's, thence to Soloman Penny's, then north of E.E. Renshaw's to a line between N. Withrow's farms. running thence with a furrow made by plowing noroth of James Tabor, A.W. Beck's and Jospeh Broning, intersecting road near George McHenry's. [end citation] We'd thought this was possibly a reference to Pope County IL Renshaws as my g-grandfather was an E.E. Renshaw and there is also a John Hanna in my family. But a google search shows a Pickatonica in Iowa Co WI and a Pecatonica in northern IL near Chicago in Winnebago County. So maybe this will help someone else. Laura

Thanks, Gwen, for telling us but it still does not let those of us on the outside looking in know if there is a possibility of a connection with our PA/MD/DC Renshaw line. It sure would be nice if these now DNA connected Renshaw lines would give us their descendancy charts. Those of us and there are many who have no male Renshaw to participate in the DNA testing would love to know if they connect or not. I realize that privacy must be maintained but if the descendancy charts to within the last several generations could be exchanged here or privately by e-mail we all might either find a lot of new cousins or rule those Renshaw lines out of our research. I hope that all of you who had your DNA testing done will exchange descendancy charts with us so that we can pursue this further. I have posted our own Renshaw line to within a couple of generations in descendancy chart format, here so any one who wants to look at ours can find it in the archives of this list. http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/r/renshaw.html; http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=RENSHAW; http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/RENSHAW/; Anyone who wants to contact us can find my electronic mail address above as the sender of this message or in the archives. And, yes, our Renshaw line was from eastern PA to Montgomery Co, MD and Washington, DC in which area some of us still reside. We would love to connect with anyone in our line or at least see the descendancy. Thanking you in advance. Deborah in the Washington, DC suburbs snip >>>>>> My brother is George "Niels" Renshaw; he recently took part in the Renshaw DNA project. His test results were an exact match for not one of the test subjects but 6. > 1. Eleanor Gordon 2. Tina Ellis 3. Pat LaBrot 4. Laura Cordingley, 5. Grace Parke 6. Gwen Renshaw Maurer unsnip<<<<<<

The following list is alphabetical by first name and then chronological. More information about the directories may be found on Ancestry.com. Note that the information below does not include the more than 25 names from early U.K. directories. >From Ancestry.com U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830 Renshaw (Male) Title(s): Captain Address(es): 102, Hicks, Brooklyn, New York Listed in Brooklyn Directory for the year 1830, Renshaw, Hannah Address: 12, South Gay street, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1796] The Baltimore Town and Fell’s Point Directory Renshaw, James Address: 104, High street, Old town, Baltimore, Maryland Renshaw, William Address: Shop under 35, South Gay street, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1800-01] The New Baltimore Directory, and Annual Register [Preface states: the names were collected before the late fatal calamity prevailed in this city....] Renshaw, James (also, same listing in 1803 and 1804) Address: 104, High street, Baltimore, Maryland Renshaw, Robert Address: Montgomery street, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1802] The Baltimore Directory, for 1802 Renshaw, J. (Male) Address: High street, Old Town, Baltimore, Maryland Renshaw, Samuel Office Naval: Midshipman United States Navy Renshaw, James Title Naval: Lieutenant Office Naval: Acting Lieutenant, United States Navy Listed in, [Baltimore, 1807] Baltimore Directory, and Citizens’ register, for 1807. Renshaw, James Address: 74, High street, opposite, Old Town, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1810] The Baltimore Directory for 1810 Renshaw, James Title Naval: Lieutenant Office Naval: Lieutenant, United States Navy Listed in, [Baltimore, 1812] Fry’s Baltimore Directory, for the year 1812 Renshaw, James Address: 75, High street, Old Town, Baltimore, Maryland Renshaw, Thomas S. Address: 37, South Gay street, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1814-15] Baltimore Directory and Register, for 1814-15 Renshaw, J. (Male) Office Naval: Master Commandant, New York Navy Yard Listed in, [Baltimore, 1816] The Baltimore Directory and Register, for the year 1816 Renshaw, James Address: 75, High, Old Town, Baltimore, Maryland Listed in, [Baltimore, 1817-18] The Baltimore Directory, for 1817-18. Also listed in, [Baltimore, 1819] The Baltimore Directory, corrected up to June, 1819. Renshaw, James (Male) Address: 94, north High, Boston, Massachusetts Date: 1829 Listed in, [Baltimore, 1829] Matchett’s Baltimore Directory, corrected up to June 1829.

Eleanor, regarding the "late fatal calamity" perhaps it was this: > In 1800, the city was once again held hostage by a yellow fever epidemic > that began in August and lasted approximately sixty-five days. Scores of > businesses and residents evacuated the city, resulting in a suspension of trade > that brought the city to a near halt. The task of treating the ill was not > helped by the fact that all but two members of the city's Board of Health also > fled town and the signatures of a Board member and attending physician were > required for admittance to the hospital.<A HREF="http://www.mdhistoryonline.net/mdmedicine/cfm/#7">7</A> By the time the epidemic ended with the > first frost in October, nearly 900 residents had died, with over 46% of the > deaths taking place in Fell's Point.<A HREF="http://www.mdhistoryonline.net/mdmedicine/cfm/#8">8</A> > > <A HREF="http://www.mdhistoryonline.net/mdmedicine/cfm/pt1.cfm">http://www.mdhistoryonline.net/mdmedicine/cfm/pt1.cfm</A>

For several years I have been looking for information about my James Renshaw b. MD abt. 1781. The entry below for 1800 interests me because it refers to a "late fatal calamity [which] prevailed in this city....". Does anyone know what this calamity was? It could be a reason why some of the Renshaws moved to other states at about this time. >From Ancestry.com U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830 Renshaw, James (Male) Address: 104, High street, Old town, Baltimore, Maryland Date: 1800 Listed in, [Baltimore, 1800-01] The New Baltimore Directory, and Annual Register; for 1800 and 1801. Containing, The Names, Occupations, and Places of Abode of the Citizens, Arranged in Alphabetical order. Also, A List of the Duties, Payable by Law, on all Goods, Wares and Merchandise: together with, A General Abstract from the Revenue Laws; And many other articles of equal utility, for which see Contents, Page 5. [Preface states: the names were collected before the late fatal calamity prevailed in this city, and the sheets containing those names actually struck off. Many may probably be induced to inquire, why are they here inserted? the question is a fair one: yet we can reply, that though on business their names will not be inquired for, still it will produce a gratification to surviving relatives, while it preserves on record, to the memory of departed worth, the names of many of our fellow citizens; in this case, we do not deem their insertion improper.], 1800-1, WARNER & HANNA, Baltimore. By Warner & Hanna, Printers & Booksellers., No. 37, Baltimore street, corner of South Gay street

Hello all, this is Gwen… My brother is George “Niels” Renshaw; he recently took part in the Renshaw DNA project. His test results were an exact match for not one of the test subjects but 6. Now since privacy & identity of those test subjects is closely guarded. I can not reveal their names. However my brother has no problem with anyone knowing he was a test subject. I also have asked permission of the researchers of these Renshaw lines if I could mention their names since we are now cousins, with the connecting ancestor to yet be determined. Eleanor Gordon and I had long suspected our lines might match because both of our oldest ancestors were found in Pennsylvania, mine the eastern side of PA and Eleanor’s the western side. Each of us also had an ancestor named Leonidas; of all the lines we have looked at, ours are the only ones this name appears in. Tina Ellis and I also believed we were related as some of her ancestors come from Delaware & MD areas very close to where my PA Renshaws come from. But for Tina & me, who had exchanged photos of various relatives, the likeness between our relatives was uncanny. As Cousin Tina, put it did, we really need DNA to prove we were related? Answer here is YES as we still need to find the link. Pat LaBrot and I had corresponded in the past, but were sure our lines could not be related. Boy were we WRONG, hello cousin Pat! The last newly acquired relative is Laura Cordingley, who I am happily getting to know via e-mail. However the biggest surprise for me is that the two other matches as well as Pat's & Laura’s all seem to have originated in Harford County MD. Many of the Harford County Renshaws migrated into Rowan County NC, which Grace Parke Renshaw researched and wrote about in “Renshaw Reflections”. I was positive I did not connect to these lines but most likely to a line which originated in Philadelphia, PA. After all my, oldest known relative was born 1802 in PA. DNA test results have now proven I am most likely related to the majority of those researchers subscribed to this list… Hello to all my new cousins! I now have so many new areas to research. Gwen Renshaw Maurer

Dear list, Is there anyone out there with ties to any RENSHAW family in Mansfield, Notts, England? I have a few families from there and would love to find some connections. Many of my RENSHAW family moved to Nottingham also. Time period is from 1700-1860 in Mansfield and 1860-at least 1900 in Nottingham. There was another side of the family that moved to Birmingham, Warwickshire around 1871. There are just too many names for me to mention here. Sorry Please reply off list to: mr_y18@hotmail.com Regards, David _________________________________________________________________ MSN Shopping upgraded for the holidays! Snappier product search... http://shopping.msn.com

I just checked the Renshaw-L archives for information about Renshaws in Somerset Co., MD. There is a lot of good stuff there. Go to http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=RENSHAW The following will was not in the archives, so I am posting it for future reference: >From Maryland Calendar of Wills on Genealogy.com: Rensher, John Somerset Co. 4th Mch., 1710; 1st Dec., 1711 To son Samuel and hrs., 100 A. where he lives, being part of 350 A., "Aerlindise," on s. side Wiccocomico R. To son John and hrs., 200 A. "Leverton," on e. side Pocomoke R. To sons Thomas and Wood, residue of "Arlindise" afsd., and dwelling plantation at decease of wife. To daus. Mary (Renshaw), Frances (Renshaw), Ann (Renshaw), and to grandchild. William, John and Thomas Sauser, personalty. To wife Frances, extx., residue of estate (personal), and plantation afsd. during life. Test: John Ewing, Nich., Nicholson, John Jones. 13. 369 Note from Eleanor: Has anyone put together the family tree of this family?

Gwen pointed out to me the other day that finding a wife's name is very useful. With that in mind, here is another extract from the Maryland Calendar of Wills on Genealogy.com: Panter, John Somerset Co. 6th Feb., 1713-14; 2nd Aug., 1714. To Benja. Sauser, Jr., during life, 200 A., "Rowder," 50 A., "Newport Paywell," and 50 A., "Hausloop," also lower part of 100 A., "Wolf's Harbour." At his decease sd. lands to pass to his sons Thomas and Panter Sauser and their hrs. To Jno. Hall, Jr., residue of "Wolf's Harbour" and 150 A. adjoining part of "Somethingworth," also 50 A. of marsh adjoining Pigeon House Creek. To William Sauser and hrs., 150 A., part of "Somethingworth." To William Laws, son of Robt. Laws, and hrs., 50 A., "Littleworth," and residue of "Somethingworth." To Ann, wife of Sam'll Rensha, personalty. Wife Dorothy to live at dwelling plantation and land "Panter's Den," provided she allows cous. Robt. Laws afsd. to live there, otherwise to have dower rights only; they to be joint exs. Sd. plantation to descend to cous. Catherine Laws and her children. Overseers: Wm. Jones and John Jones. Test: Robt. Skein, Jno. Jones, John Waller, Major Waller. 13. 738 This is Eleanor again. I just looked up "personalty". It means "movable assets (things, including animals) which are not real property, money or investments." According to the above will, Ann Panter married Samuel Rensha.

Does anyone know the background of this one? If is from the Maryland Calendar of Wills, 1726-1732 on Genealogy.com: Roberts, William Somerset Co., 1st Jan., 1726 - 16th Oct., 1727. To George Martin, bro. John, Sarah Martin, bro. Rensha, sister Rachl, personalty. To wife Elizabeth, extx., real estate during widowhood, to pass to bro. Thomas and hrs.; he dying without issue, sd. lands to dau. ____; wife to share with child (unnamed) residue of personalty. Test: Thomas Rensha (Rencher), Undersood Rensha (Rencher), George Martin. 19,285. This is Eleanor again. Who was "bro. Rensha"? Was he married to "sister Rachl"? Was he one of the "Test:"?

Good Morning Eleanor and all My newly acquired Renshaw cousins, Aparrently "Grace Parke Renshaw" agreed with this variation of Renshaw being Rensha and also did researched Somerset MD records. RENSHAWS IN "OLD SOMERSET", MARYLAND Maryland, chartered by converted Roman Catholic Charles Calvert, given the' title, 'Lord Baltimore' in 1631, was to avoid many of the problems of the earlier Virginia Colony. Puritans, Quakers and many other religious sects flocked there, taking the Oath of Loyalty to the Crown rather than to the Church. Furthermore, colonists taking the Oath recieved thereby fifty acres of land and the right, to vote. (assets of one hundred pounds also qualified one to vote). Religious groups accepted the Oath as a political committment with freedom to worship in their own way. "T they were not disappointed. Many Roman Catholics also came, of course. By the year 1660, Maryland was a flourishing Colony and we find Renshaws establishing themselves there. At this writing we are not able to find a relationship with the Virginia settlers, or, indeed, with the line we are about to introduce, and our Thomas Renshaw who appeared in Baltimore County, Maryland, after 1706 taxes were made. Very early records of these Colonies were meager at best and not in condition to bear the ravages of time, I presume. Since the Head Right system of alloting land was also used in Mary­land, perusal of Deeds should be helpful but we have not been helped by it, which may indicate that we must look elsewhere for our immi­grants; perhaps to Pennsylvania. However, we feel that it is helpful to record the findings in Somerset County, Maryland. In land deed of 1 Aug 1662, Deed Bk 4, Somerset Co. Md., 550 a to Wm Claiborne, his wf, Ann and son, Wm. Among the other H.R.s are John Rensha and George Jackson. (Remember George Jackson, wf Ann and Sarah Renshaw, joint owners in Virginia?) As I have said, these lists contain not only the indigent, but tradesmen not wishing to farm, English business men on trips to the Colonies and others who traveled for a variety of reasons. More about John Rensha (the English often pronounced a sylable lightly, hence this phonetic spelling)-this signature was used in 1669 in "Address of Loyalty to the Crown", signed by John Rensha as well as many others. Also a separate list giving allegiance to the Church of England was signed by John Rensha, the Renshaws being loyal to the Church for several generations later John had signed the same pledge in August, 1662 and on March 8, 1663. The State Church was not organized in Somerset County until 1692 when, on 6 November, the Assembly issued this order: "Persons ap­pointed to assist ye Justices in Laying out and dividing ye County into Parishes as followeth viz Upon the 22d of this month, Hun­dreds (civil Districts-GPR)j from Mattapony Pocomoke, Mony, Mano­kin and Ninticoke four persons each. From Mony, George Betts, John Laws, John Rensha and John White". (We find the Renshaws marrying the Betts and the Whites later). Page 7 “Renshaw Reflections” by Grace Parke Renshaw The other three Parishes were specified and persons named; the four names above being it Somerset Parish, which consisted only of Mony and Manokin Hundreds. (Hundreds specifying a political Dis­trict which originally had one hundred persons each.) On 5 May, 1688 John Rensha had two hundred acres of land which he called, Cachance, on the east side of Little Creek in that part of the County which remains Somerset. The naming of land parcels in Maryland is significant. There are no descriptions of boundaries, 'to a white oak' or, to two hickery saplings'; farms had legal names given by the owner, sometimes clever or interesting; more often unimaginative or even silly; nevertheless a name. When he died in 1710, John had two other farms, 'Airendise', a six hundred acre home plantation on the south side of the Wicomico R. and 'Le­verton', having two hundred acres on the east side of the Pocomoke River. I have two reasons for giving you, my dear reader, as much informa­tion as I have about this family because there is a tendency on the part of new seekers of the Rowan County, North Carolina, line to believe that this is their link with the early Virginia settlers. The other reason is that I believe there is a link here with the connection yet to be found. Family of John Renshaw (accepted by that line as correct although all not documented), much data given me by Mrs. John P. Rencher (Renshaw) who is connected with the Roberts of this line, her hus­band being from a John Renshaw (Rencher), wf Elizabeth Grant, who came from Ireland ca 1750. He served in the Revolution: John's wife was Frances Clark. (I believe her to be a second wf, m ca 1688, dau of Robert Clarke. If so, name of 1st wf unknown) Ch: 1. Elizabeth Renshaw 2. Sarah Renshaw 3. Samuel Renshaw 4. John Renshaw 5. Thomas Renshaw 6. Frances Renshaw Onderwood Renshaw 8. William Renshaw 9. Mary Renshaw 10. Ann Renshaw 11. Susanna Renshaw a. Elizabeth Renshaw b 22 Mar 1678 m William Roberts b. Sarah Renshaw b 2 Jan 1680 c. Samuel Renshaw b 15 Nov 1682 d. John Renshaw e. Thomas Renshaw b 14 Apr 1687 m Brigett Shiles, dau of John and Brigett Betts Shiles f. Frances Renshaw, dau b 1 Jan 1689 g. Onderwood Renshaw b 1 Apr 1692. In Militia 1748-9 under Capt. Gillis and Lt. Chas. Ballard. His wf, Sarah, survived when he d early in 1750. His WILL was made 16 Jan 1750. I have a notation that he had seven ch but he mentioned onlv two in his will. Page 8 – “Renshaw Reflections” by Grace Parke Renshaw

Gwen's excellent post about William & Katherine Ranshaw, Joseph Renshaw, and Richard Renshaw in the Gloucester (Gloster) County and Elizabeth City County area in 1635-1667 sent me looking at maps and other genealogy sites for more information. First of all, from Ancestry.com: Virginia County Records, VI Elizabeth City County Book No. 1. Original Source Page Name: 193 Wm. Ranshaw 1635 Comment: 200 acres (Gwen gave us this one) Original Source Page Name: 264 Thomas Ranshaw 1635 Comment: 250 acres This means there were four Renshaw/Ranshaw men in the area: William, Joseph, Richard, and Thomas. As to maps, a good link is http://www.rootsweb.com/~vaglouce/goldbug.html Gloucester was formed from York in 1651 according to the information in the upper lefthand corner. Looking at the map itself, you can see Gloucester and York and below York a little spot labled EC. This was Elizabeth City County which was later absorbed into Hampton, VA according to information on another website. See http://www.rootsweb.com/~vaelizab/ I noticed that a Fanshaw(e) website also laid tentative claim to the above William Ranshaw. I suppose this is something to keep in mind, but with the Renshaw men nearby, I would think that William was a Renshaw not a Fanshaw. Eleanor

Hello All Just wanted to let you know we have committed to doing the testing for the John Grant Rencher line. My husband is a direct descendant. We received the kit yesterday and will be ready to send off the scrapings by Thursday this week. I am actively recruiting other family members to do the same. John Grant Rencher was born in Drogheda, Ireland (County Louth) about 1744 and the family is well documented for this time frame in Drogheda. The earliest documentation I have is Gerrard Rencher who married Dorothy Sinclair in Midlothian, Scotland ... He is listed as a member of Her Majesty's Service as a Coronet, b. 1635 in England. There were three children born (documented) .. they are Simon, b. 1654, Judith b. 1656 and Gerrard b. 1660 who is the progenitor of the Irish Renchers. John Grant Rencher is first documented in the colonies in 1773 as the recipient of a letter in Baltimore Md. His Revolutionary War history is also documented. He was cashiered out and took the "oath of fidelity" 1778 in Anne Arrundel Co., Md. There has not been a documented connection of John Grant with the Renshaws or Renchers that were in the colonies at this time. That seems just too incredible to me. Too many unanswered questions...... So.............Here's to finding the connection !!! ( champagne glass in hand.) ..........and many long lost relatives! Beverly Rencher....... wife of Clarence P Rencher lll, son of Clarence P. Rencher Jr., son of Clarence P. Rencher Sr, son of James Sanders Rencher, son of James Hinton Rencher, son of John Nelson Rencher, son of John Grant Rencher, son of John Rencher, Jr., son of John Rencher, son of Gerrard Rencher, son of Jerrard Rencher, b. 1635 in England.

Ancestry World Tree is on the free part of Ancestry.com. Today I noticed a feature of World Tree which I had not noticed previously. When you have searched for a surname there is a link on the first page of results on World Tree, just below the words "Family Trees", which reads "What is the meaning of this name?" Clicking on the link for Renshaw gives: English: habitation name from Renishaw in Derbys., so called from the ME given name Reynold + shawe copse (see Shaw). The name is still chiefly common in Derbys., S Yorks., and Lancs The Ancestry webpage also shows a United States map with a distribution of the name in 1920. When I checked this website for the origin of the name Ravenshaw, the response was "see Renshaw". Does anyone else have information on the origin of the Renshaw surname? This type of historic speculation is interesting in itself and also points to the part of England where the name originated. The posting yesterday which gave Renshaw as a derivation of Ravenshaw indicated an origin in Cheshire. If you look at the old county map of England at http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Britain.html you will see that Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire are grouped just west of the West Riding of Yorkshire. So, even though the two derivations are different, the location of the surname is in the same area of England. Eleanor

Cavaliers And Pioneers – Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants Abstracted by Nell Marion Nugent Vol Two: 1666-1699 Published Virginia State Library 1977 Page 12 DAVID MUNORGON. 696 acs. Gloster Co.. 2 Feb1666/7. p. 42. Up­on head hr. of Ware Riv. swamp, beg.at Will Culman's land nere Thomas Royston's, by Bryery br. &c. & along Rich. Renshaw. Trans. of 14 pers: Jno. Davies, Tho. Hoton : Doro. Hart, David Parker. Rich. Hickson. James Ambrose, Jane Tredings Lember, Wm. 'Wood, Barth. Clarke. Jno. Collins, Jon. George, Jno. Vest. Wm. Lewis. Page 24 WILLIAM RANSHAW, 200 acs. Eliz. City Co., 1 July 1635, p. 193. N. upon the mouth of Eliz. Riv., S. into the maine woods, bounded W. upon a Cr. & E. on another Cr. 50 acs. for his own per. adv., 50 acs. for per. adv. of his wife Katherine Ranshaw & 100 acs. for trans. of 2 pers: John Stephens, Tho. Pawford. Page 74 MR. THOMAS VICCARS & ROBERT LITTLEFIELD, 550 acs. Glos­ter Co.. bet. branches of Chiscake & Ware Riv., 16 Aug. 1669, p. 284, Adj. David Monorgond (Monorgon), Rich. Renshaw, John Saunders, or The. Chenye's, the Indian Path, Lawrence Smith, Col. Warner, & a br. of Peanke­tanke &c. Trans. of 11 pers.* Page 377 SAME. 610 acs., Jas. City Co; same date & page. Beg. at Moses' Run; along Travis' line, to N, side of the Oaken Sw., to a White (alias Long) Meadow; on Mr. Cowles' line, &c. Pur­chased of Edmond Brewer. 5 Dec. 1681 for 300 acs., more or less. Imp. of 7 pers: John Green, John Arnold, Tho. Brown; John Coates or Catt (?), Joseph Renshaw Mary Woodbone, John Thomason. Page 532 RICHARD RENSHAW, 300 acs. Gloster Co., 23 Mar. 1664, p. 426, (503). On the Bryre br. which issueth into the head of Ware Riv. in Mock­jack bay, beg. by the branch side run­ning N.W. by same &c. to Mrs. Cooks land &c. Trans. of 6 pers: Jno. Dicker­ing, Wm. Jones, Jno. Isbell, Jno. Darly (or Darby), Alice Wellmay, Richd. Dirbishire.

The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable American T Thomson, Mortimer ("Doesticks") THOMSON, John ,senator, was born in Pa, Sept. 25, 1800. He studied at the College of New Jersey, but was not graduated. His business took him to China in 1817, and while there he was appointed U.S. consul at Canton in l823.He returned to America in l825, made his home at Princeton N.J., and was married to a sister of Com. Robert F. Stockton. He became interested in the railroad business; was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey in 1844; was chosen to the U.S..senate in 1853, to fill the unexpired term of Commodore Stockton, retired, and was re-elected in 1857, serving l853-63. He was married secondly, to a daughter of Gen. Aaron Ward (q.v.), of Sing Sing, N.Y. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Princeton, 1846. He died in Princeton, N. J., Sept. 13, 1862.

History of West Virginia Old & New And West Virginia Biography Published 1923 Vol. II page 79 W. C.. WIICKHAM RENSHAW is a leading member of the bar at Huntington, former representative in the Legislature, and is a man of unusual gifts and accomplishments. Prior to becoming a lawyer he was in the civil engineering pro­fession. . Mr. Renshaw was born of American parents, but his birth occurred in a foreign land. He was born at Oratava, Tene­riffe, Canary Islands, November 19, 1882. His grandfather was William Renshaw, a native of Madrid, Spain, of Eng­lish ancestry. For many years he was in the British diplo­matic-service, and some of the more important posts which he held were in Spain and Venezuela.He married a Span­ish lady, Miss Beatrice De Medicis. Robert H. Renshaw, father of the Huntington lawyer, was born at Bristol, Penn­sylvania, in 1833, but was reared at Caracas, Venezuela, where he acquired his early education. He graduated A. B. from Harvard University in 1855, and for several years practiced law at Baltimore During the Civil war he was a captain in the Confederate army, and following the war he settled down to farming in Clarke County, Virginia, where he remained until 1900 and then retired to Charlottesville, where he died in 1910. He was a democrat, a member of the Episcopal Church and the Masonic fraternity.His first wife was Miss Lucy Carter, a native of Virginia and their only child, Charlotte, died in infancy. His second wife was Maria Carter, of Philadelphia. To this union were born two children: Charles C., now sales agent for a coal com­pany in Philadelphia, and Maria, deceased. The third wife of Robert H. Renshaw was Anne Carter Wickham, who was born in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1851. W. C. Wick­ham Renshaw is their oldest child; Frank is a civil engineer at Huntington; Robert is a road building contractor in Snow Hill, Maryland; and Julia is the wife of Alfred R. James, an architect at Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. Renshaw was married in 1920 to Dr. W, E. Byerly, retired professor of mathematics of Harvard University, and now lives in Waverly, Massachusetts. W. C. Wickham Renshaw grew up in Virginia, attended private schools, including the Clay Hill Academy in Clarke County, and in 1902 graduated Master of Arts in the Uni­versity of Virginia at Charlottesville. He is a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Greek letter fraternity. For three Years be taught at Chattanooga, Tennessee and then fol­lowed his career as a civil engineer, a profession that en­gaged him in various districts of Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. He first came to West Virginia in 1899. Mr. Renshaw continued his profession as a civil engineer until 1914, in which year he was admitted to the bar and since then has been busy with his work as a lawyer. He is a member of the firm Vinson, Thompson, Meek & Renshaw, with offices in the Holeswade Building. Mr. Renshaw was elected to represent Cabell County in the House of Delegates in November, 1916. During the session of 1917 he was chairman of the taxation and finance committees, and a member of the judiciary, mines and min­ing, labor and other important committees. He was elected as a democrat. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, the Kiwanis Club of Huntington, the Guyandotte Club, Man Country Club of Huntington, the West Virginia and American Bar associations, and is a director in the Hunting­ton Development and Gas Company and president and director of the Guyan Big Ugly & Coal River Railroad. His home is at 1105 Eleventh Street. In November, 1911, at Richmond, Virginia, Mr. Renshaw married. Miss Martha Chaffin, daughter of Richard B. and Sarah (Harvie) Chaffin.