Elizabeth Ann (Archer) Renick (1722 - 1809)

Born 1722 in Greenbrier, Colony of Virginia

Wife of Robert Renick — married 1741 in Augusta, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died 1809 at about age 87 in Greenbrier, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Elizabeth Archer, daughter of Rebecca Thompson and Sampson Archer, had come from northern Ireland in 1737 with her family, who took claim to 1000 acres near Natural Bridge, VA. In 1741, Elizabeth married Robert Renick, who had settled in Augusta County, VA, in 1740. They lived in what was then the Virginia frontier.^[1]

On July 25, 1757, a band of about 60 Shawnee Indians stole past the fort, which was near the Renicks’ wilderness home, and captured Elizabeth and her children Joshua, William, Betsy, Margaret, Nancy, Thomas, and Robert. The Shawnee went on to a neighboring house where Robert was visiting, and killed and scalped him in view of the children.

On October 13, 1764, as part of the peace treaty, Bouquet demanded the return of all white captives, in exchange for a promise not to destroy the villages or seize any of their land.^[2]

In compliance with this stipulation, Elizabeth was ransomed with two of her sons, William and Robert. Betsy, her daughter, had died on the Miami. Her son Thomas returned in 1783, but soon after left and settled on the Scioto, near Chillicothe. The return of the captives caused much bitterness among the tribesmen, because many of them had been forcibly adopted into Indian families as small children, and living among the Native Americans had been the only life they remembered. Some white Indians managed to escape back into the native villages; many others were never exchanged. However, Bouquet managed to return more than 200 white captives to the settlements back east.

Elizabeth Renick had to contend with children who didn’t know her, who didn’t know each other, who had adopted Indian ways, and who feared leaving the tribe. William Renick became a soldier and spent his life fighting Indians. He served in an expedition that resulted in the Battle of Point Pleasant, where the Shawnee leader Cornstalk was killed.

Elizabeth Archer Renick was brought to Staunton, VA in 1767, and lived out her days in the area where her home had been attacked.

Birth

Birth Date: 1722

Birth Place: Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States

Birth Date: 1722

Birth Place: Ireland

Death

Death Date: 1809

Death Place: Greenbrier, Virginia, United States

Death Date: 1748

Death Place: Greenbrier, Virginia, United States

Event

Event: Captured 1757, Released 1764 Ohio, returned to Staunton, Virginia 1767

Event: Place: Virginia, United States

Note

Note: Who married Mr. Wallace & Mr. Stuart?

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=a5d129a0-ee71-49db-94f9-7df32ba6ee22&tid=29961448&pid=419

Note: The Indians Attack

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=2b29b321-57f6-41de-9e1d-ac7b305822a9&tid=29961448&pid=419

Note: Captured by the Shawnee Indians

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=478132fc-f7d6-4083-9351-d41da4f99801&tid=29961448&pid=419

Sources

1. ↑ Women History: Elizabeth
2. ↑ Women History Blog: Elizabeth Archer Renick

• Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Archer-618 created through the import of Vicki Norman family tree v2 (3).ged on Aug 1, 2012 by Vicki Norman. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Vicki and others.