This material is taken from the book "RENSHAW REFLECTIONS" by Grace Parke Renshaw" published in 1983.It is copyrighted and to my knowledge has not been filmed by LDS ( Mormons - Latter Day Saints) since copyrights are in effect for 75 years. The material in this book is now 16 years old, at the time the book was published Grace Parke Renshaw b. May 1, 1896, was certainly a lot closer to her resources than, those of us doing research today. Chances are most of what she has recorded is correct. I am sure there are some discrepancies, but for those of the Southern RENSHAW lines this is an excellent resource. This book is over 200 pgs.long and was published using the typeset of Grace' s type writer. Which up until recently was a nightmare trying to scan, using the dinky OCR program that came with my scanner. I recently purchased an excellent, Expensive OCR program and scanning portions of this book has become easier. Since I have had several requests for look ups. I have yet to prove any connection between my own lines,But I keep hoping! Grace herself felt that possibly the Southern lines might indeed look to Pennsylvania for their immigrant ancestors. I am now posting this portion to the list due to a recent query from George Leach, in regards to Elijah Renshaw & his wife. Unfortunately there are a few spots in the text in this portion only.That did not copy well. It is my understanding that Lorene Leach, also has a copy of this book, perhaps she can help with the few missing words. I know there are many of you working on these lines. Hope it helps some of you. Gwen Renshaw Maurer Pg. 26 St. George's Parish, Baltimore County, Md. Isaac came to Rowan County as a part of this family, as did Elijah and Ann. In 1778, Isaac was living in the household of, or near Thomas, his eldest brother. He was young and unmarried and subject to a very small amount of taxes. The next year, 4 Oct 1779, Isaac married Jane Bryan, daughter of a member of a famed "Torey" family of the Revolution. Since the Renshaws' sympathies were also with the Mother Country, there would have been no opposition to this marriage, Isaac himself and Abraham being Bondsmen. May I digress here and say a word about Bondsmen. In this new country where strangers came and went with no questions asked, a person's past was his own secret and in these circumstances a person could have several spouses with no fear of the facts being known. A bond represented a very large sum of money -perhaps as much as his land was worth, so that a relative or friend of long standing was asked to perform this favor. The Bryan family was one of the deep sympathizers with England in Rowan County and many times found it necessary to flee to the hills of Kentucky for safety. Life there was hazardous there, also, since the Indians were hostile. We have no further record of Isaac. 6. Ann Renshaw: Since we do not know the order in which the last three were born; it is only for the sake of clarity that we number them. Ann is documented as daughter of Abraham, by his signature of consent on her marriage license, to Daniel Sutherland 25 Dec 1776. Bondsmen were A(dali) Osborne and William Davie (later governor of the State). Ann was believed to be the second or third wife of Daniel, who was a prominent citizen. Later, they were in Wilkes Co., NC. and a generation later were in Bledsoe Co. TN. 7. Elijah Renshaw, probably b before 1754 since his age permitted him to be Bondsman for the marriage of Nancy Renshaw to Robert Buntain, 18 Jan 1775. He d in Bond Co. IL ca 1822 after by far the most adventurous life of any Renshaw we have encountered. It appears that Elijah had three wives, possibly four. One of them, perhaps his first, was Ann. They had a daughter, Mary Renshaw, who m Thomas West. Her gravestone reads, "To the memory of Mary, consort of Thomas West and dau. of Elijah and Ann Renshaw, d 9 Jan 1838 aged 55 yrs. m. 11 Jan 1804. How fortunate are Mary's descendants! One Samuel Roberts d 17 Apr 1799, left WILL witnessed by Elijah and Sarah Renshaw. Sarah was probably Elijah's second (or third) wife. She must have died in 1800 for Elijah m Margaret Pogue, a very young woman. The 1800 census shows Elijah with a large family of young ch-. four boys and five girls with four of these under ten years old, and the adult female (Sarah?) plus forty-five years. Margaret (the last wf) is believed by some to have m Elijah and had her first ch in 1800, but that son said in the 1850 census that he was b 1802 and was 48 yrs old, which appears to be correct. It seemed to be at this time that Elijah began to leave home and make trips into new areas. Also he often used a change of name-spelling -Wrenshaw or Wrencher. I think the Revolution, with its demand ties was too traumatic an experience for the men who in past generations had been loyal , when life had been so simple. Elijah and Abraham. Pg.25 gave some assistance to the Colonies and v but their hearts, too, were with the Moth( friends'. Only Thomas continued to declare on 4 Nov 1777, Inferior Court record we fi tation the following persons appeared in this , 1 Court and took the Oath of Fidelity to this State, viz Thomas Renshaw, James Dickey, William Cowan, Samuel Luckey.... 11 and thirty-eight other citizens, the above being close friends of the Renshaw family. It is a fact that no member of the Renshaw family in Rowan County took up arms against the Crown in the Revolution, although their relatives took an active part before the end of the struggle. Times were very bad. In 1804 Elijah was in Grainger Co. TN; in 1805 he was in Williamson Co. I wonder if he took his family on this long stay-we have no way of knowing. Things would have gone on just the same at home, I think He bought and paid taxes for several years on 242 a on McCutcheon's Creek, with 1 poll and six slaves. Was Agent for the sale of 250 a on Big Harpath R. (near by) for Wm. Harrison. He bought in Inventory 'Sale of William S. McMillant desc. Last record was taxes on 242 a An 1807 using the spelling, Wrenshaw in all these transactions. There were many young Elijahs, perhaps, but this was a mature business man with property, His name had been a proud one in the British Isles and in America. His family was secure in their surroundings of more than three decades-three households with mutual interest in the land. They were safe. While he searched for a new identity. In 1813 Elijah served on jury in Dickson County, Tennessee, west of Nashville. It is notable that Elijah was at home in 1801, after he had married Margaret Pogue, his last wife. It is doubtful that he took his family with him. In 1815 he was back, buying at Nisbett's Store: Dec. 23, 1815, Elijah Renshaw, debit: 1 Almanac 12 1/2 cents 0 1/2 pt rum .25 0 1 Hkff .62 1/2 cents 0 Dec 26, 1815 Elijah Renshaw, debit 1 gill rum .12 1/2 cents 0 I was amazed at the cost of the handkerchief until I realized that it was two days before Christmas. That would have been a suitable present in that day. The children would get a toboggan cap or a pair of mittens-knitted by Margaret, of course. A History of Sangamon County, IL written in the late 1800's tells us that "Elijah died in Bond County where the Nesbitts and the Renshaws had settled earlier". Elijah was an old man now. Census records show that Elijah brought his family with him. On trips home during his wanderings, Elijah had sold land to James, the son of Joseph, I believe, who was to become the most prosperous of the Renshaw's since Abraham: pg.26 Bk 22 1811-1814 Part of grant to Abraham Renshaw, conveyed to Elijah by a deed in fee simple. wit: Isaiah Renshaw and Richard Leach and proved by Richard Leach; 80 a for $20. Bk 23 1814-17 Also Abraham to Elijah. Wit: Rebecca Larson, Richard Leach and Frances Renshaw. 12 3/4 a $31.75 Proved, Richard Leach BK 26 1820-22 Part of tract of land where Elijah now lives, adj Baxter & Smoot. 811 a for $162-50 Feb Session 1821 wit; Reubin Ellis, etc. It appears that Elijah had sold land to finance other trips but, in Illinois his wandering was over. He made the final sale and made his home on the rich prairie soil of Central Illinois. But it was not for long. Miss Martha Montgomery, of Macon County, IL, the best authority on this family says he died 20 Nov 1823 in Bond County, IL. He would have been about seventy years old-his father was much older when he died after the 1800 census. I believe that Elijah had many children by wife Ann, the mother of Mary who married Thomas West; that he had at least two more wives, each having many children. I have hesitated to list Elijah's known children for fear of leaving the impression that I presume to know that the list is correct. These are children who are said on good authority,by their branches of the family, to be his children and is not intended to be a complete list. I trust I make myself clear in this matter. I shall begin with Mary Renshaw who is documented: Mary Renshaw Many others unknown Absolum Renshaw Jane Renshaw Wiley Pogue Renshaw Benjamin Thompson Renshaw Eldridge Renshaw Delilah Renshaw Margaret Renshaw Sarah Ann Renshaw 1. Mary Renshaw dau. of Elijah and Ann Renshaw was b. Rowan Co. N.C. Charles E. Johnson, of Charlotte, N.C. (now of Atlanta), an avid and successful genealogist, gave me the following concerning Mary, b 1773: "The marriage record is; Mary Wrencher married Thomas West 11 Jan 1804. Bondsmen were Abraham Hall and McCubbuns.11 Notice the spelling of Elijah's name. As we have said, he used this spelling on many documents after the War. Several years after their marriage Thomas and Mary West removed to Jackson County, Alabama, wither other of their families. Elijah Renshaw West, b 1805 d in Jackson Co in ousin, visited the area and found his grave. Renshaw' cemetery nearby which would be the Pg.27 burying ground of the family of Francis F there for several generations. Note from Gwen: the last above several lines did not completely copy. Perhaps lorene can help us out , It is my understanding she has a copy of this book Thomas and Mary removed to Washington Cot there and is buried in Bethlehem cemetery Lincoln, AR. Her gravestone reads: To the memory of Mary, consort of Thomas West and daughter of Elijah and Ann Renshaw, died Jan. 9, 1838, age 55 years". -J Only one other child of Mary and Thomas West is known to us. He is Thomas Jonathan West I b I Oct 1806 d 27 Apr 1863 Jasper Co M0, m Nancy McIntyre b 1 Jun 1806 d 1863 Mapleton, Bourbon Co KS. Their dau, Martha West, b 9 Sep 1835 d 19 Jan 1812, Carthage, Jas - Co. MO m Wiley Burk Oliver Johnson b 17 Oct 1834 d 27 Apr 1912, Carthage. Claude Sherman Johnson, son of Wiley B. 0. Johnson and wife Martha, 29 Jan 1873 d 1 Jan 1940, Berger, Hutchinson Co. KS, m Anna Melborn Perry b 10 Jul 1871 d 26 Jan 1949, Ada, Pontotoc Co OK. Floyd Sherman Johnson, son of Claude S. and Anna M. Perry Johnson b Jul 1902 m Hazel Ruth Baker b 22 Jan 1903, both in OK Terr. heir son, Charles Edward Johnson b 25 Sep 1927 m Colleen Harriet Tomkinson b 14 Mar 1928. Charles is on executive with Southern Bell, recently transferred from Charlotte, N.C. to Atlanta, Ga. Their home was formerly Charleston, S.C. where their four ch were reared -nd where the youngest is enrolled at Citadel. Charles has done excellent work on the Johnsons and other lines of ,heir families and has been of assistance to me in my efforts on behalf of the Renshaw family. We must recognize before going to the second child that we can record that Elijah certainly had other ch as shown in the 1790 census three sons -16 and three daus) and in 1800 when those would be ten ,ears older, he had one more son and three daus born since 1790.. Absolum Renshaw would be the son b after 1790. Absolum must have ,,One to Illinois with Elijah. In the 1820 cen of Madison Co IL. Abaolum is living next to Elijah. 'his causes me to wonder whether Elijah had other sons with him in its wanderings- we tend to think of him as a loner, but not nessecerily He may have had his entire family with him in Williamson County, TN where he was for several years. Living in a sort of commune with his parents and Joseph's large family, his house and land would have been put to use. We have shown that he parted with his land at intervals during these times but he did not sell the home place until after he was established in Illinois. He is ca age 67, has a young wife and a large family of young children. I believe this is accurate although some of the information is family lore carried down for several generations. This must be clear, Let us continue with our account of Absolum and his family.