Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Rendall, John |
Othernames |
"Honest John", John Rendall Sr. |
Born |
Feb. 25, 1827 |
Birthplace |
Parish of Rendall, Orkneys, Scotland |
Places of residence |
Parish of Rendall, Orkney Islands, Scotland Moose Factory (1846-1854) Returned to the Orkneys for a visit (1854) Collingwood, Simcoe County, Canada West Camperdown area of Collingwood Twp., Grey County (1860-1912) |
Nationality |
Scottish |
Notes |
John Rendall (b. 1827-d. 1912) and Elizabeth Brown were married in 1858. A simple blue paper marriage certificate, penned by an Owen Sound minister, James Gibson, records their marriage on September 13, 1858. The couple had rowed from Collingwood Township over to Owen Sound, Canada West, in order to get married. Mr. David Leask acted as their witness. The couple resided at Collingwood (Hens & Chickens), where Mr. Rendall worked as a Carpenter and Fisherman. Mrs. Rendall was a seamstress and milliner. After their first child was born in November, 1859, the Rendalls moved to Collingwood Township, Grey County, to a farm at the south half of Lot 23, Concession 7, and were there circa 1863. In the 1860s, the dwelling on this farm caught fire, and the Rendalls were able to save their children and some of the household contents, but lost the building. By 1867, the Rendalls had moved to the Brown farm (Cedar Bank Farm, Lot 27, Con. 7) and built their own log cabin near Mrs. Rendall's father's cabin. The Cedar Bank Farm had been settled on by her parents, William and Elizabeth Brown, who had emigrated from the Orkney Islands area of Scotland, and had arrived in Collingwood Township in 1852. Elizabeth's brother, William McLeod Brown, had been working in the area and the Browns joined him (he and his wife unfortunately both died in 1857). John and Elizabeth raised nine children on the farm, which continued to be known as "Cedar Bank Farm". The Rendalls had cattle and sheep, harvested maple syrup, and also established an orchard, where they grew Gravensteins, Greenings, Russets, Northern Spies and St. Lawrence apples, and berries. In 1883, the family had a brick farmhouse built on the farm. Some of the Rendall children stayed in Grey County, while some moved out west (to Manitoba and Alberta). The 1901 census of Collingwood Twp. shows that the Rendall family was at the north half of Lot 27, Concession 7, and the head of the family was John Rendall (b. Feb. 27, 1827, Scotland). He had emigrated in 1855, and was a Presbyterian farmer. His wife, Elizabeth Rendall (b. Nov. 9, 1831, Scotland) had emigrated in 1852. In 1901, their son John Rendall (b. June 6, 1872, age 28) resided with them and his occupation was "Farmer's Son". Their daughters Miss Mary Rendall (b. Feb. 14, 1868, age 32) and Miss A. Elizabeth Rendall (b. Sept. 3, 1876) also were still on the farm. In the 1891 census, there was an older daughter, Dinah Rendall (age 27), and two more brothers listed, James Rendall (age 18) and Archibald Rendall (age 16). Annie was 14 in that census. The 1881 census also listed the John Rendall family, and at that time another daughter was still residing with them, Isabella Rendall (age 19, b. 1862). In the 1911 census, John Rendall Sr. was the head of the household still, but a widower (his wife passed away in 1906), and Misses Mary and Annie, and their brothers James and Archibald, were still at the farm. Annie was then 34 years old. She was the last of her family to live on the farm. In 1981, her nephew (another John Rendall) sold the farm and its contents to Sandy Stevenson and her husband. There is an archival collection concerning this family in the Grey Roots archives. There is also a grouping of family heirlooms that were found at the former Rendall farm in the museum collection. |
Occupation |
Hudson's Bay Company employee Carpenter Fisherman Farmer Apple Grower |
Publications |
Isobel Reekie wrote a family history of the Rendall / Reekie family in 1970. There is a xerox of this book in PF416 at the Grey Roots archives, as well as other archival items (including a Rendall farm diary). |
Role |
Farmer |
Spouse |
Elizabeth Brown, Sept. 13, 1858 |
Children |
Jane Rendall (b. 1859) Dinah Rendall Isabella Rendall (b. 1862) John Rendall (b. 1872) James Rendall (b. 1872-d.1929) Mary Rendall (b. 1868) Annie Rendall (b. 1876) Archibald Rendall James Rendall |
