George Renick (abt. 1680 - abt. 1737)

Born about 1680 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland

Husband of Margaret (Dugan) Renick — married 1700 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland

Descendants

Died about 1737 at about age 57 in Paxtang, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kay Schmidt [send private message]

This profile is part of the Renick Name Study.

Biography

George, whose parents are unknown, was born about 1675 at Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Ireland, by most accounts. He died before 25 Jan 1737/8 when his inventory was taken, at age 62, probably at Lancaster County, PA.^[1]

George married Margaret, of whom little is known, about 1700 based on Abingdon church records and the birth of their first child; children (surname RENICK):^[1][2]

1. William - b. circa 1704, d. circa 6 May 1741; m. Mary DUGAN
2. Elizabeth - b. circa 1707, d. after 21 Mar 1755; m. Robert POAGE Sr
3. Thomas - b. 1710, d. 16 May 1751; m. Mary Ann or Katherine
4. Robert - b. circa 1715, d. 25 Jul 1757; m. Elizabeth 'Betsy' ARCHER

• Other unidentified Renicks include Sarah, an Abington church member in 1714 (so prob. b. bef 1694) and Martha, wife of John Wilson (b. 1717), who is not included in family records.^[1]

On 7 Mar 1728, George and Margaret were excommunicated from the Abington Church for breach of covenant and causing divisions within the church (quote): "And likewise ye said Rennick's wife, and his son Wm. Rennick and his wife, also his son-in-law Robert Poke confederates in the same obstinacy with ye said Rennick." The General Synod later ruled that "said appellants shall be absolved from the aforesaid sentence, and so be free to join with what Congregation they please."^[3]

• 1719: The first traceable Renick ancestor (George) came around 1719 from Enniskillen, Ulster, Ireland to Pennsylvania.^[2]
• 1724: George's daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert Polke at the Presbyterian Church in Abington, Pennsylvania on January 2, 1724.^[1]
• 1730: George and his family owned 1000 acres in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna, Sohataroe and Paxtang Rivers in 1730.^[2]
• 1734: George was active in a Presbyterian congregation in 1734 and helped secure the services of a minister who served the Derry and Paxtang congregations for awhile.^[2]
• 25 Jan 1737/8: Inventory and appraisal of George Renick by Hugh Torrance and James Crawford in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.^[1]
• 6 Feb 1737/8: Administrative bond of George Renick signed by sons Robert and William and John Black.^[1]
• 1738: “This is all in the one original survey in Lansdown, Lancaster County PA, and bears all the earmarks of being the original tract of land entered by the aforesaid George Renick.” (Renick, The Renick Family of Virginia, Appendix C, p. 5)^[1]

George Renick Land Registry

An Early Settler on the Susquehanna "Whereas George Renick, late of Iniskillen, having about eleven years since arrived in the province with the first settlers of Donegal, yet has never obtained leave to settle on any of the proprietor's lands, without which leave he never would presume to attempt it, and being now desirous that himself and three sons, William, Thomas, and Robert and his son-in-law, Robert Polke, might be allowed to settle down on some tract together in one neighbourhood, I therefore think it advisable that pursuant to his request he and his said sons and son-in-law be suffered to enter on the quantity of one thousand acres, near Susquehanna, between Sohataroe and Pextan, and that the same may be marked out to him and his said sons in a regular tract by the surveyor of Lancaster county or his order at the said George's charge, upon this express condition, that he and his said sons and son-in-law shall comply with such terms as shall be proposed by the proprietors or their agents, when lands in those parts shall be granted, or other wise shall quietly quitt the same. Dated at Stenton, the 25th day of January, 1730-1. JAMES LOGAN^[2]

Disputed Origins

Many family trees say George had a brother Thomas in the first generation. Thomas supposedly owned property on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, operated a ferry, and had an only son, William (b. 1704 in Ireland; will proved 5 Jan 1763). William's dates, however, belong to a different William who was George's son.

According to researcher Glenn Gealy (quote):

"The main error with regard to the Renick family is that Egle lists William as the only son of George, and he shows Thomas, who we believe to be William's younger brother, as a brother of George, rather than a son. Thus while there was in reality only one Renick family in Paxtang, Egle shows there having been two. This error also shows up in Harlow's book, Renicks of Greenbriar."^[1]

In addition, the early account by William Renick in his Memoirs, Correspondence and Reminiscences of William Renick (Circleville, Ohio, 1880) claims the family migrated from Germany to Scotland because of religious persecution along with other fanciful stories. The German origin is doubtful at best—though Renicks (variously spelled Rennick, Renix, Rennock, Renwick, and Reynick) were found in the lowlands of Scotland in the 1300s.

Dorothy Renick Luttrell believes that the George of the 1714 Abingdon Presybterian Church records (Montgomery Co. PA) was an older brother of William, Thomas, Robert, and Elizabeth. If this is true, then the older George probably did not arrive before 1719.^[1]

Research Notes

FSFTID LC55-96H for information from FamilySearch profile. Rennick is another spelling found in the records. Alternative DOB is 1675.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Glenn S Gealy, "Henry and Martha Wilson Renick Family," 19 page report sent privately to Kay Schmidt, Apr 2005, p 1-3. Link to similar info by Glenn.[1]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Tom and Betty Renick, “Renick Family History,” Genealogy.com.[2]
3. ↑ Samuel John Baird, A collection of the acts, deliverances and testimonies of the supreme judicatory of the Presbyterian Church ..., (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1856), Internet Archive, p 91-2.[3]

See also:

• Excerpt from Rennicks In America