I just found out yesterday that there is a strong possibility of proving a link of George Alexander Milton Renshaw, with the early antislavery movement in the US. Bear with me, this story is rather long winded. For anyone who doesn't know what the Manumissionist movement was, it was a group primarily endorsed by the Presbyterian, Quaker, and later Baptist, and Methodist churches from the 1790s (yes, you read that right, 1790s!) through the mid 1830s (when the concept began to evolve into the abolitionist movement). Manumissionists believed it was morally wrong to have slaves but it was also morally wrong to act illegally or to force anyone to emancipate against their will. They wrote and preached and tried to convince others to release slaves. They advocated laws to forbid selling slaves away from their families (no husband/wife or parent/child splits), for releasing slave families that had the skills and means to make their own livings, for giving free blacks full voting and citizenship rights, etc. This movement started and was strongest in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The connection with our Renshaws is this: a man named Isaac Anderson. Dr. Anderson received his doctorate from Princeton and later started Maryville College (near Knoxville TN) which is still around today. According to Presbyterianism in the Ozarks, Anderson personally went to the home of the widow Julia McCroskey Renshaw to request that he have her son, G.A.M. Renshaw, for training at college to become a Presbyterian minister. Renshaw was a ward of Anderson's and graduated with a masters in theology in 1834 and from sermons, a diary, and notes we still have, he always regarded Anderson as his role model. Renshaw went on to become a pioneer minister and establish the first Presbyterian church west of St. Louis....BUT The news I have is yesterday I received a photocopy of a manumission petition by convention attendees to the Tennessee state constitutional convention of 1817, and Dr. Anderson was a signer! That means not only my McLins were involved, but GAM Renshaw (as Anderson's No. 1 fan) was likely to be a follower as well. You might not know that Tennessee in its original constitution (1796) was the first state to grant full voting rights to free blacks and it also set up a court procedure for emancipating slaves (an act that had been outlawed in 1790 by its mother state of North Carolina). Admittedly, it did not adopt another manumission petition that year to constitutionally abolish slavery in TN, but I think it is significant that this petition to abolish slavery in 1796 was signed by 2000 of TN's white, land-owning men. I'm still looking into this for more info, but facts like these prove we have every right to be proud of the ancestors we have. Sheila McLin Endres

I HAVE PURCHASED THE A BOOK. THE BOOK IS TITLED: ROWAN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA MARRIAGE RECORDS 1754-1866 VOLUME III NAMES O-Z THERE ARE SEVERAL "RENSHAWS" LISTED IN THE BOOK. IF I CAN BE OF HELP TO ANYONE, LET ME KNOW. GARY RENSHAW

Hi List, I have a new email address, and thought I'd also re-post some of my information in hopes that some of these names might be familiar to someone. New email address - plabrot@swbell.net Patricia Renshaw LaBrot ***** I'm looking for any information on John W. RENSHAW (b. abt 1804 TN - d ??) - m. Elizabeth ?? (b. abt 1802) (Need Elizabeth's maiden name) Note: They lived in Henderson Co. TN - 15th district, not the same John RENSHAW that lived in 7th district. Their children: - Laviah L. (b. 1831) - Isaac H. (b. 1834) - Louisa P. (b. 1836) - Henderson B. (b. 1838) - John W. (b. 1841 - d. ?) m. Jane T. ?? (aka Tennessee Jane) (b. 10 Sep 1843 TN - d. 6 Sep 1902 Senath, Dunklin Co., Mo. ) (John and Jane are my great-grandparents) - Henry G. (b. 1843 - d. 29 July 1864) - Albert G. ( b. 1845) - m. Clarisa ?? My great-grandparents - John W. (b. 1841) and Jane had 10 children: - George H. (b. 1862) - Mary E. (b. 1864) m. William Paterson/Patterson - John A. (b. 1866) - James Thomas (b. 9 Mar 1869 TN - d. 13 Mar 1913 OK) m. Arminda Elizabeth RENFROE (have dates and children) (James T. & Elizabeth are my grandparents) - Nancy J. (b. 11 Nov 1871 - d. 5 Nov 1943, Senath, Dunklin Co. MO.) m. Henry Robert BROWN - Loiza May (b. 1874) m. Will FRAZIER - Matilda M. (b. 1877) m. James AUSTIN - Melissa (b. 1880) m. Fluke WELLS - Pearly (b. 1883) m. Silas WILSON (1882 - 1933) - Martha (Mattie) L. (b. 6 Nov 1885 - d. 2 Sep 1891 Senath, Dunklin Co., Mo.) As you can see, I'm lacking a lot of dates and descendant names. My biggest thrill for the moment would be to determine Tennessee Jane's maiden name & her parents, I'm also still trying to determine John W.'s (b. 1804) parent's names, and more information about his wife, Elizabeth. Is anyone else researching this particular line?? Thanks for any leads anyone can give me! Pat Renshaw LaBrot

Just wanted to share a site that was posted on another list. Old Style Abbreviations for given names http://www.amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/x-prop.html This is a great site. It has illustrations of the names abbreviated in the old, old handwriting. Happy hunting ! Gwen

I received this email and was wondering if any of you can shed some light on this for them. Help them with the origins of the name etc.. Have you heard of it used as a first name before? Send your response to Jean. Thanks, Anne Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 14:24:32 -0400 >From: Jean Belew <jbelew@bellsouth.net> >Reply-To: jbelew@bellsouth.net >X-Accept-Language: en >To: renchfam@sdcoe.K12.ca.us >Subject: Renshaw surname > >Hi I saw your name on one of the files I pulled up. My husbands name is >Wrenshaw Wm. Belew and his Grandfather was Wrenshaw Fielding Musick >from St Louis Mo. We have always heard that the name came from the >Renshaw Family but have never seen the name until now. We are in >Georgia, but he was born in St. Louis. Hope you can shed some light on >where the name came from. >Thanks I will be waiting to hear from you. >Jean > > > >

This morning Ebay had listed for auction the following book Rowan County North Carolina Marriage Records 1754-1866 Volume III; Surnames O-Z It includes the names Renshaw, Rencher, Rensher.... (to find it, just go to www.ebay.com ; type in the surname and be sure to check the box that says "search titles and descriptions") happy hunting bev rencher

Hi all, Here is another treasure from SLC LDS Trip! believe it will be of interest to those researching Rowan County, NC, lines! From the Yadkin River to West Branch "A history of Thomas & Mary Renshaw West and their descendants" written by, Virgil Talbot & Irene West (1924-1985) I have photocopied 37 pages of Renshaw & West data, from this book. It also includes two West ancestors, one is believed to be a picture of Thomas West, the other is that of Jonathan West. Some of the RENSHAW'S included in this book are: Elijah,Thomas, Abraham,, Wiley P. and others. some of the material may be a repeat of information already published by Grace Parke Renshaw, but I do believe there is material within that grace did not publish. It was a marvelous read. This one, Folks is copyrighted (1988) & I do not wish to infringe on that in any way. Just wish to pass on to fellow researcher's the knowledge of this book. Anyone interested may contact me for information on how to obtain copies. At mylhas@softcom.com Gwen

Hi Every one, In January, I made a week long research trip to Salt Lake City' LDS center. Yes I was there, same time last year. This may become an annual event. Sure beats the winter Blahs! A visit to the Joseph Smith building, which is where they keep all the published books on family lines, yielded this treasure: Name of the book is: Rodina Hrdlickova " The Family Hrdlicka" - Ancestors & Descendants of Ferdinand Hrdlicka -compiled 1988-1999, printed in 1999. Sorry I didn't copy the page with the author's name, if there was one. The whole section I copied is on Charles Ernest Renshaw b. 9/29/1877 in Catawissa, MO., son of John Oliver Renshaw (son of John Renshaw 7 Margaret Brooks) & Martha M. Cunningham. Charles' wife Barbara Hrdlicka, was b. 12/4/1888 in Newmans Grove, NE, both died in Oklahoma City, OK. They had six children, who they called by there middle names, rather than their given name. Also given is some descendancy for each of the sons & daughters as well as pictures. I think there may be several of you who would like to have copies. One of the sons was named Cleo Lloyd Renshaw, who went of course by Lloyd, his son is stated as being Gary Renshaw b. 1955, I am wondering if he is the Gary Renshaw that belongs to our list! Other children's names were : Blanche, Grace, Clarence, Leo & Leslie. I only photocopied the (7) pages which contained the Renshaw information. The book also has been filmed by the Mormons, LDS order #142518. Should you wish to read the whole book. Anyone wishing more info, please contact me at: mylhasa@softcom.net Gwen Renshaw Maurer

Sorry all forgot to paste it in. Here is an easier URL for the Renshaw from Sweedland. http://www.schoonersultana.com/musterbook.htm

Hi all, If you had a problem with the URL posted by Eleanor Gordon as I did. This one should work. Gwen

Here is still another James Renshaw, from a website about the crew of the schooner Sultana. I found the website through Google. Long website URL (a little complicated) is http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.schoonersultana.com/pdf/musterbook.PD F+%22james+renshaw%22&hl=en According to the website, James Renshaw was a 23 year old able-bodied seaman born in Sweedland. He enlisted on July 8, 1772 in Philadelphia and left the ship Sept. 2, 1772, also in Philadelphia. Eleanor

Hope all you grandma's enjoy this as much as I did . GRANDMA SHOES When I was very little All the Grandmas that I knew All walked around this world In ugly grandma shoes. You know the ones I speak of, Those black chunky heeled kind, They just looked so very awful That it weighed upon my mind, For I knew, when I grew old. I'd have to wear those shoes, I'd think of that, from time to time It seemed like such bad news. I never was a rebel, I wore saddle shoes to school, And next came ballerinas Then the sandals, pretty cool. And then came spikes with pointed toes Then platforms, very tall, As each new fashion came along I wore them, one and all. But always, in the distance, Looming in my future, there, Was that awful pair of ugly shoes, The kind that Grandmas wear. I eventually got married And then I became a Mom Our kids grew up and left, And when their children came along, I knew I was a Grandma And the time was drawing near When those chunky, black, old lace up shoes Was what I'd have to wear. How would I do my gardening Or take my morning hike? I couldn't even think about How I would ride my bike! But fashions kept evolving And one day I realized That the shape of things to come Was changing, right before my eyes. And now, when I go shopping What I see, fills me with glee For, in my jeans and Reeboks I'm as comfy as can be. And I look at all these teenage girls And there, upon their feet Are chunky, black, old Grandma shoes, And they really think they're neat.

My GM, Ada Bertha Renshaw, b.10-2-1892 in Watson,Atchison Co.,MO./d.9-29-1967 IA, daughter of Charles W. Renshaw, b.1869/d.1957 & Cinderella A. McCollum, b.1874/d.1959 (daug. of Enos McCollum & Mary Raven-full/half-blooded Am.Ind.?). Ada married my GF, (Ira O. Chambers, b.7-26-1888 in Homewood,Franklin, KS/d.2-22-1976 in NE) 9-30-1912, and had following children: Mildred Doris b.1913, Mabel Dorothy b.1914, Orville Bernard b.1916, Wilma Lucille b. 1919, and (my Mom) Velma Blanche b. 1921. This info comes directly from family records kept by my mother and her family. I'm seeking info going back from Charles W. Renshaw. My info states that his mother was born 1846/died 1931, but has no name. Willing to swap info anytime. Thanks, Ann ===== Let your gentleness be evident to all...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil.4:5-7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

Hi All this is Gwen, I belong to another mailing list and requested a look to see if there might be any RENSHAW wills in a book this lady had. I also mentioned I rarely ask for same. I thought I would post her reply as she did provide me with wills containing RENSHAW'S, she also makes a good point about sharing our resources.The following is her response: Why on earth don't you ask for lookups? That's the reason, in a way, for these genealogical rootsweb lists...for people of like interests to "join" together and share their knowledge and resources....and have some fun and make some friends doing it! As you live in CA, and find, I'm sure, getting to do local research impossible, you should be getting all the "long distance" help you can!, and hoping to find "cousins" who will aid you in your research! Now that you've taken the "plunge", so to speak, how about the rest of your family? There are no Chester or Del. co wills that mention the surname Renshaw, and the History of Chester, etc,,,,,, has no Renshaw in the index (it was published in 1889), and I can't find it in any of my other books, either....sorry, but I hope you'll find some goodies in the wills! S. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 STEEL, JAMES. Philadelphia. December 21, 1741. March 5, 1741. F.289. Wife: Martha. Children: Mary (wife of Charles Hillyard), Rebecca, Elizabeth (wife of William Shute), Anne (wife of Richard Renshaw), Ruth (Thompson) and Martha (Pennington). Grandchildren: James Thompson; James, Rebecca and Richard Sanders; James and Martha Pennington; James, Henry, Elizabeth and Hannah Steel (fathers' names not given). Kinsmen: Daniel and John Hammond. Exec: Charles and Mary Hilly and Richard Renshaw. Witnesses: Septimus Robbinson and Isaac Jones. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 SHUTE, THOMAS. City of Philadelphia. Yeoman. 8 mo. 4, 1748. December 10, 1748. J.5. Children: Christian, Joseph, William, Jacob, Isaac. Grandchildren: Elizabeth Hood, Elizabeth Milner, Martha Renshaw, Rebecca Mitchell. Sons-in-Law: Children of Samson Davis, William Davis. Great- Grandchildren: Rebecca Milener, Thomas Mitchell. Exec: Edward Warner, Joseph Fox, William Davis. Witnesses: Samuel Jones, Benjamin Hooton, Alexander Seaton. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 RENSHAW, JOHN. Phila. Co. Yeoman. April 11, 1768. April 8, 1768. Wife: Elizabeth. Sons John and Thomas. Execs. Elizabeth Renshaw and sons Job and Thomas and Rich Renshaw, Jr. Children: John, Sarah, Richard and Thomas. Grandson: Rich Renshaw, Jr. Witnesses: William, Elizabeth Shute and Thomas Rose. (O:224) Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 RENSHAW, THOMAS. City of Phila. Victualler. July 6, 1785. August 25, 1785. T.187. Wife and Exec: Isabella Renshaw. Wit: James Duffell, Peter Thomson, Thomas Randall. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 RENSHAW, ISABELLA. City of Phila. Widow. August 1, 1794. December 17, 1794. X.165. [Estate in Charles Town, South Carolina.] Sister: Mary [Widow of Seth Matlock [sic], December'd]. For Schooling Thomas Gull Martin, Joseph Turner Martin, John Shute Martin [Grand Nephews and Grandsons of Sister Mary Matlack]. To Ann Gull Martin. Friends: Catharine Wolf, Sarah Livingston. Exec: Sister Mary Matlack and her Son-in-Law John Martin. Wit: I. B. Childs, W. S. Thorn. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 RENSHAW, RICHARD. City of Phila. March 2, 1799. March 26, 1799. Y.153. Wife: Ann. Children: Richard, Samuel, James, John, Charles, Ann Thomson, Francis. Exec: Wife Ann, Sons Richard and Charles Renshaw. Wit: William North, Joshua Ash, Adam Shetzline. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 PEART, JANE. City of Philadelphia. August 23, 1804. September 4, 1804. 1.229. Bequests in money, furniture &c. to relation Dr. Benjamin Rush, Jacob Rush, relation Ann George, Edward Gough, William Peart Gough, Rachel Hood, James Hood, Mary Boyce, Harriott Glentworth, Frances Bostick, Frances Renshaw, Richard Budden, Richard Rush, relation Susan Stricker, Hannah Broom, Rachel Peart, Mary Peart, Jane Worrell, Rebecca Budd, Mary Gouge, Sarah Miller, Margrett Glentworth, Hannah Milnor, Lydia Ludnam, Susan Peart, Eliza Peart. Residue of furniture &c. to be disposed of and proceeds divided between William Peart and Benjamin Peart. Exec: Friend Joseph Budd and relations Mary Peart and Rachel Hood. Letters granted to Jos. Budd. Pennsylvania Wills, 1682-1834 NIEL, PATRICK. Lower Dublin Township, Co. of Philadelphia. September 19, 1808. February 22, 1809. 2.445. To Martha Walton, wife of Benjamin Walten. To Mary Renshaw, wife of --- Renshaw and dau. of Jacob Laughlen. To Daniel Walton, son of Daniel Walton by his first wife who was a dau. of Jacob Laughlin. To Mrs. Jackson, widow of Josiah Jackson. To Rebecca White, dau. of Jonathan White. To Jacob Ott, Senr., with whom he resides. To Jacob Ott, Junr. Abraham Blake is indebted to him and to Capt. James Butler, mariner. To Jonathan White of Lower Dublin. Residue of estate to Vestry and Church wardens of All Saints Church. Exec: Jonathan White and Jacob Ott, Junr. Witnesses: Stephen Sager, Nathan Liverzey, Junr.

When you change your email address, please re-post your family line to the RENSHAW list. All messages are archived at Rootsweb and available for new RENSHAW researchers. Image how frustrating it must be for a researcher to think he/she had found a family connection and fire off an email to the poster of the family line -- only to have it bounce back because the email address has been changed! Gwen Renshaw Maurer

Hi Bev, Welcome to the list. Don't forget to spend some time looking at the list archives. Many folks have posted lots of RENSHAW information on various lines. Thank you for making these bibles available to us. I myself was very interested and I am sure others will too! I do have a question, were all of these folks born in Maryland and do you know what county this is. Thanks again, Gwen Renshaw Maurer List administrator

I purchased from the Maryland Archives a copy of the "Renshaw/Rensher" Bible family records. If anyone is interested in seeing them, I stuck them on my web page at http://www.geocities.com/renchers2000/Renshaw1.html. It's nothing fancy, just the easiest way for anyone to look at it that wants to. The first page is "Renshaw-Anderson Bible 1832-1948", in possession of Leonard A. Renshaw Centreville, Md. and the second one is "Renshaw (Rensher) of Somerset Co. Md. 1797-1935" in possession of Andrew J. Smullen . Both indicate "copied by: Major Samuel Turbutt Wright Chapter NSDAR, Sudlersville, Md." (they are on the same page...) Bev Rencher "so many Renchers, so little time"

Many thanks Eleanor, for your message re, Isabella RENSHAW. I have found her in the past but unfortunately I don't think she is my Isabella. She belongs to a family of children of William RENSHAW and Elizabeth TORBITT. According to what I found on the online IGI they were married at Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland in 1857 and their children were as follows: Mary Jane RENSHAW b. 31/5/1858 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland Rachel Martha RENSHAW b. 13/10/1860 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland William RENSHAW b. 15/5/1862 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland Mary Jane RENSHAW b. 11/5/1864 Mullaghglass District, Armagh, Ireland William RENSHAW b. 21/6/1866 Mullaghglass District, Armagh James RENSHAW b. 2/6/1868 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland Sarah Elizabeth RENSHAW b. 27/3/1870 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland David RENSHAW b. 20/6/1872 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland Isabella RENSHAW b. 7/4/1877 Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland The only possibility (or is it just wishful hoping?) is that perhaps the second Mary Jane RENSHAW in this family of children could be my Herbert's mother. She was supposedly (not proven yet) a RENSHAW by birth AND married a Mark RENSHAW. Herbert was born in 1885 so Mary Jane would be 21 yrs old at this time. Does anyone have any connection with this family? Regards, Maria Hurrell

Is anyone out there researching Renshaws in Ireland (Northern) or Scotland? This is where my Renshaw's come from and I am having no luck at all. I'm back only so far as about 1885 and am getting no where. Most of the Renshaws from that part of the world seem to be in England. Mine must link back there but as yet I can get no connection. I am seeking information about the family of my great grandfather, Herbert Renshaw, who came to New Zealand in 1926 from Scotland and since then there has been no contact kept with any relations in Scotland or Ireland. Although we have no documented proof, he is believed to have been born in Portadown, Armagh, Ireland in 1885. His parents are listed on his death certificate here in New Zealand as Mark Renshaw and Mary Jane (possibly nee Renshaw). As Herbert died before his wife we are hoping that this information has been given by her and is correct. He had one sister, Bella. His parents died when he was a child and his aunt and uncle, David and Mary (nee McMillen) Renshaw brought him up. I don't know where he was brought up but the family was living in Bothwellhaugh, Lanarkshire, Scotland during WWI. No trace has been found of what happened to Bella. David and Mary (nee McMillen) Renshaw had a family of four children; sons William (married Agnes Hunter, had a daughter called Chrissie), James (killed 25-3-1918 in France in 1st world war), David, and one daughter, Edith. Edith was a school teacher in Scotland and this is is all we know about this family. Herbert, my great-grandfather, married in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1910 to Elizabeth Speirs Lindsay and had three children born in Scotland; David, Elizabeth and Herbert jnr. Herbert snr served in France during the 1st world war with the Scottish Rifles and we have a photo of him taken during this time on leave with "great-aunt Mary from Canada". We have no idea where this was taken or who great-aunt Mary was. She perhaps could have been the same aunt, Mary (nee McMillen) Renshaw who brought him up as a child but unless we can make contact with any living Renshaw relations to verify this I guess we'll never know. Any information on this family greatly appreciated. Maria Hurrell maria.ross@xtra.co.nz

The IGI isn't 100% correct, but it has a birth for Isabella Renshaw on 7 April 1877 in Bessbrook, Armagh, Ireland. Parents are William Renshaw and Elizabeth Torbitt. Maria Ross wrote to this list saying she was looking for a man named Herbert Renshaw, perhaps born in Portadown, Armagh, Ireland in 1885 who had a sister Bella. The above Isabella isn't an exact match but is close enough to at least provide a lead. From online information, I gather that Bessbrook is in the Portadown district in Armagh. Eleanor Gordon