Ellen (Kinard) Renwick (abt. 1858 - 1940)

Born about 1858 in Newberry, South Carolina, United States

Died 23 Sep 1940 at about age 82 in Helena, Newberry, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

Ellen (Kinard) Renwick is a part of US Black heritage.

Ellen, formerly enslaved, was 79 and living in Newberry, South Carolina when interviewed on May 31,1937 by Mr. G. Leland Summer for the Federal Writers' Project's Slave Narrative Project. The full interview can be accessed here [1], page 9.

Ellen was born into slavery on Captain John Kinard's land. Her parents were named Lucy and Eph Kinard. As a young child, she lived in the big house and when older, worked in the fields. After Emancipation, her family stayed on Capt. Kinard's lands. When Ellen married Tom Renwick she moved to Dock Renwick's place, where her husband worked. In the interview, she recounted that there were no schools available to her after the War, and she didn't learn to read or write.

Ellen's enslaver might be the John Kinard who died in Shenandoah in 1864.

Ellen appears in the 1870, 1900, 1920 and 1940 censuses. She died in 1940, when her age was given as over 100.^[1] The 1900 Census records her birthdate as January 1860, and her age at marriage of around 28.^[2]

Records of Ellen's family included her mother Lucy Kinard^[3], siblings Nora, Robert F., Joseph Davis, William, and Mary J. Kinard^[4]; her husband Thomas Renwick^[5][6]; a nephew John Kinard^[7]; a granddaughter Essie Renwick^[8] and nephew Abraham Renwick^[9]. The informant/witness at her death was Cornelia Renwick^[10], who was married to Abraham. Ellen had had 3 children, none were recorded as living in 1910.^[11]

Ellen lived in Newberry in 1937^[12], Reeders, Newberry in 1870^[13], Cromer Whitmires town, Newberry in 1900^[14], Cromer, Newberry in 1920^[15] and with her nephew's family in Helena, Newberry in 1940.^[16][17]

Slave Owner

• Possibly John Kinard, who died in Shenandoah in 1864.

Sources

1. ↑ "South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTW3-6PR?cc=1417492&wc=M6Y6-ZP8%3A30968401 : 18 April 2016), 004181092 > image 941 of 1697; Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia.
2. ↑ 1900 Census
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DZ2F-WF?cc=1438024&wc=KP82-K68%3A518655201%2C519340201%2C519353301 : 13 June 2019), South Carolina > Newberry > Reeders > image 54 of 60; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ 1870 Census
5. ↑ 1900 Census
6. ↑ 1920 Census
7. ↑ 1900 Census
8. ↑ 1920 Census
9. ↑ 1940 Census
10. ↑ South Carolina Deaths
11. ↑ 1910 Census
12. ↑ FWP Interview
13. ↑ 1870 Census
14. ↑ 1900 Census
15. ↑ 1920 Census
16. ↑ 1940 Census
17. ↑ South Carolina Deaths

• Federal Writers' Project: Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 14, South Carolina, Part 4, Raines-Young

(https://www.loc.gov/item/mesn144/) p.9

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-63KQ-MFV?cc=1325221&wc=9B7Y-44X%3A1030550901%2C1033020601%2C1033041401 : 5 August 2014), South Carolina > Newberry > ED 94 Township 4, Cromer Whitmires town > image 42 of 46; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRVM-QCG?cc=1488411&wc=QZJB-QHY%3A1036472401%2C1038371201%2C1038400501%2C1589332327 : 13 September 2019), South Carolina > Newberry > Cromer > ED 115 > image 26 of 29; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4DB-PBF : 11 January 2021), Cornelia Renwick in household of Abraham Renwick, Township 1 Newberry, Newberry, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 36-1, sheet 5A, line 2, family 94, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3827.