Reverend John Renwick Family
Ireland and South Carolina



Reverend John Renwick
b. 1735 Dervock, Co. Antrim, Ulster, N. Ireland
d. 20 Aug 1775 Newberry, S. C.
buried: Aug. 1775 Cannons Creek A. R. P. Church Cem., S. C.

m. Elizabeth Simpson c1767
b. c1740's Ulster, N. Ireland
d. 23 Aug 1806 Newberry Dist., S. C.
buried: 24 Aug 1806 Cannons Creek A. R. P.Church Cem., Newberry, S. C.
her father: ? her mother: ?

his father: unknown, ? Renwick
his mother: unknown

Children
Agnes "Nancy" Renwick b. 2 Oct 1768 Ulster, N. Ireland d.1835 m. ?
John Renwick Jr. b. 31 Dec. 1770 on ship board 2 days before
landing in Charleston, S. C.
d.20 Nov 1836 at home,
Newbery Dist., S. C.buried: King's Ck Cem, Newberry Dist. SC
m. Jane Wright Bothwell
Mary Ann Renwick b. 8 Jun 1773 d. 18 Jan 1801 Newberry Dist. SC
buried: Cannon's Ck Cem,Newberry Dist. SC
m. John Cary Royston
Newberry Dist., S. C. (b. 1769)
James William (Miller) Renwick b. c1775 d. 18 Mar 1816 Newberry Dist. SC
buried: King's Ck Cem, Newberry Dist. SC
m. Elizabeth Abrams 27 Dec 1810, Kings Creek Church, Newberry, S. C. (dau. of James & Mary (Telford) Abrams) (b. 29 Dec 1782 Newberry Co., SC- d. 18 May 1863 Newberry Co., SC)

Reverend John Renwick was apparently born of a very religious family that had been very involved at one time in the religious wars of Scotland. His relative was James Renwick the last covenanter leader martyr of Scotland. Due to this fact the Renwick families along with many other supporters were forced out of Scotland, some were put onto ships and exiled to the colonies. Others took refuge in northern Ireland, as ours relatives were said to have done according to the family history written below. There are still a number of Renwick (pronounced "Renick" by the Irish) in areas of Belfast. They are probably still the protestant "Orange Men" that the Irish Catholics have long fought against.

There was a John Renwick, "convenanter" that was exiled out of Scotland for the colonies as early as 1684, which is four years before James Renwick was to have been martyred. Our particular relative was not supposed to have come to the colonies until 1770, or roughly a hundred years later. John Renwick did come to carry on the mission of the Presbyterians by establishing a church in Newberry County, South Carolina. His son, John Renwick Jr., marries Jane Bothwell. The Bothwell family was also very prominent in the Scottish history around the time of the Convenanter Raising.

More on the Convenanters of Scotland
This tribute to John Renwick was given in Newberry County, South Carolina in a 1988 article in the Newberry County newspaper.

"On this site stood the first log structure called the "Old Irish Church." this congregation of Scotch-Irish Seceders from County Antrim, Ireland was organised who followed Renwick to South Carolina in 1767, 1770, & 1772, is interwoven with the turbulent years of the Revolution. Renwick served both Kings's Creek and Cannon's Creek A. R. P. Churches, until his death, in 1775. (He was buried at Cannon's Creek churchyard.) About 1790 rev. David Bothwell, and probationer James Rogers came from Scotland to the churches, and Rogers succeeded to the pastorate, until 1814." [Renwick, Robert M., History of King's Creek A. R. P. Church, Newberry Co., S. C. ]

A memorial stone has been erected by his relatives at the Cannon Creek Cem. with this inscription.

Elroy's Covenanters History | Brian Orr's Covenanter History
Sources :
Return to Renwick Index || Return to Ancestoral Chart #16 || Scottish History


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