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John Thomson Rennie (1824-1878) was a Scottish ship-owner who played an important role in the South African shipping business from the mid-nineteenth century, carrying mail, cattle, and passengers. Two of his steamers were sunk in accidents not long after he received them but he continued in business with other ships.
John Thomson Rennie (1824-1878) was a Scottish ship-owner who played an important role in the South African shipping business from the mid-nineteenth century, carrying mail, cattle, and passengers. Two of his steamers were sunk in accidents not long after he received them but he continued in business with other ships.
Early life and family
John Rennie was born in Aberdeen in 1824, the son of George Rennie (d.1860) who owned a shipping business."Rennie's Steamer Service: Natal and Cape Colonies", R. N. Porter, ''The South African Philatelist'', Vol. 90, No. 6 (December 2014), Whole No. 927, pp. 178-182. He married Isabella Abernethy (1827-1905) and they had nine children, seven of whom survived into adulthood.Career
Rennie was destined for a maritime career from an early age, becoming joint owner with his father of the sailing vessel ''Sampson'' which was registered in his sole name when he was 21. He established his own business of John T. Rennie in Aberdeen in 1849 but subsequently moved it first to London and then to South Africa. There he transported cattle and had a contract from the Natal government to carry mail. He recognised the advantages of steam power and that coal from Natal's coal fields was cheaper than British coal. He had two steamers built by Scott & Company on the Clyde, the ''Madagascar'', and the ''Waldensian''. In 1858 the steamer ''Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
'' was lost after hitting a reef near East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
.
In 1862, the '' Waldensian'' was lost after it ran aground on rocks at Struis Point near Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa.
It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian ...
en route from Durban to Cape Town. There was no loss of life.
In 1874, the ''Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
'' was lost on her maiden trip from London causing 12 deaths.
Rennie eventually lost the contract to transport mails but continued in business in other shipping activities. His name survives in Rennies Ships Agency in South Africa.
Death
He lived his final years at "Dee Mount" in Aberdeen. Rennie died on 2 February 1878 and was buried inNellfield Cemetery
Nellfield Cemetery is a Victorian cemetery in south Aberdeen, Scotland. It lies on the Great Western Road (A93), near its eastmost end.
History
The cemetery was formerly the site of Nellfield House and its garden. It was last owned by the Gibbon ...
in Aberdeen, alongside his father.Rennie grave, Nellfield Cemetery
References
Further reading
* Ingpen, B. & Ingrid Staude-Griesel (Ed.) (2000) ''Horizons: The Story of Rennies, 1849-1999''. Johannesburg: Rennies Management Services.External links
*http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/rennie.shtml *https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_T._Rennie,_Son_and_Co {{DEFAULTSORT:Rennie, John 1824 births 1878 deaths People from Aberdeen Ship owners Scottish emigrants to South Africa