Janette Alexander ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

  Noted events in her life were:

• She has alternate birth information of 1844.This birth year was referenced by her age of 36 on the 1880 US Census.
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• She has alternate birth information of 1846.Her gravestone indicates a birth year of 1846. ^{6 7}

• She immigrated in 1851.
^{4 5} On her 1910 and 1920 US Census, she indicated that she had immigrated to the US in 1851.
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• She was naturalized in 1856. ⁵ On her 1920 US Census, she had indicated that she was naturalized in 1856.

• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 17 June 1870. ⁶

1870 US Census
Page 47, Roll 710, Family 414
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Jennette Renton..23..SCOTLAND
(Living with husband, children, and mother.)

NOTE - Living next door to Andrew's married sister, Janet Renton.
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• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 10 June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 19C, Dwelling 216, Family 216, T9-610, District 267
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Janett Renton..Wife..36..SCOTLAND..Keeping House
(Living with husband, 6 children, and widowed mother.)

NOTE - If her birth date was in Jun 1845, then her age should have been 34 instead of 36.
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• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 18 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 13A, District 205, Family 320, Roll 755
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
farm owned, no mortgage
married 38 years
Janette Renton..Wife..54..Jun 1845..SCOTLAND..Immig. 1851..10/7
(Living with husband and 2 daughters.)
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• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 6 May 1910. ⁴

1910 US Census
Sheet 8A, District 308, Family 434, Roll 679
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Farm owned, no mortgage
Married 48 years
Jennett Renton..Wife..64..SCOTLAND..Immig. 1851..10/7
(Living with husband and daughter, Carrie.)
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• She appeared on the 1920 US Census in Wyandotte, MI on 3 January 1920. ⁵

1920 US Census
Sheet 4A, District 792, Family 77, Roll 821, Ward 2
Wyandotte, Wayne County, Michigan
80 Walnut Street; Home owned, no mortgage
Jeanette Rentan..Mother-in-Law..75..Immig. 1851..Naturalized 1856..SCOTLAND
(Living with husband and daughter, Carrie, at home of Archibald Smock, her widowed son-in-law.)

NOTE - If her birth date was in Jun 1845, then her age should have been 74 instead of 75.
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• She was buried in 1923 in the Hillside Cemetery in Belleville, MI.

Find A Grave Memorial #60130041
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Janette married Andrew Renton, son of Andrew Renton and Agnes Wallace, in 1862.^{1 2 3 4 5} (Andrew Renton was born on 3 June 1835 in Innerwick, East Lothian, Scotland ^{2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11}, baptized on 21 June 1835 in Innerwick, East Lothian, Scotland,⁸ died on 4 March 1925 in Wyandotte, MI ^{1 11} and was buried on 7 March 1925 in Belleville, MI ¹¹.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1870 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 17 June 1870. ⁶

1870 US Census
Page 47, Roll 710, Family 414
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Andrew Renton..34..SCO..Citizen..Farmer
Jennette Renton..23..SCO
Sarah J. Renton..7..IL
James Renton..5..IL
William W. Renton..1..MI
Alice Alexander..65..SCO..Retired Housekeeper

NOTE - Alice Alexander was Janette's mother. Living next door to Andrew's married sister, Janet Renton.
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• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 10 June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 19C, Dwelling 216, Family 216, T9-610, District 267
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Andrew Renton..Self..45..SCO..Farmer
Janett Renton..Wife..36..SCO..Keeping House
Sarah Renton..Dau..17..SCO
Jane Renton..Dau..15..MI
William Renton..Son..12..MI
Nettie Renton..Dau..8..MI
Alice Renton..Dau..6..MI
Levora Renton..Dau..2..MI
Alice Alexander..MotherL..79..Widowed..SCO
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• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 18 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 13A, District 205, Family 320, Roll 755
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
farm owned, no mortgage
married 38 years
Andrew Renton..Head..64..Jun 1835..SCO..Immig. 1851..Farmer
Janette Renton..Wife..54..Jun 1845..SCO..Immig. 1851..10/7
Vota Renton..Dau..22..Apr 1878..MI..Teacher
Carrie Renton..Dau..9..Mar 1891..MI..At School
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• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 6 May 1910. ⁴

1910 US Census
Sheet 8A, District 308, Family 434, Roll 679
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Farm owned, no mortgage
Married 48 years
Andrew Renton..Head..74..SCO..Imm 1851..Naturalized..Farmer
Jennett Renton..Wife..64..SCO..Imm 1851..10/7
Carrie E. Renton..Dau..19..MI..School Teacher
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• They appeared on the 1920 US Census in Wyandotte, MI on 3 January 1920. ⁵

1920 US Census
Sheet 4A, District 792, Family 77, Roll 821, Ward 2
Wyandotte, Wayne County, Michigan
80 Walnut Street; Home owned, no mortgage
Archibald Smock..Self..48..MI..Widowed
Andrew Rentan..FathL..84..Immig. 1851..Naturalized 1856..SCO
Jeanette Rentan..MothL..75..Immig. 1851..Naturalized 1856..SCO
Carrie Rentan..SisL..28..MI

NOTE - According to the relationships given on this census, Archibald Smock must have married one of the daughters of Andrew and Jeanette Renton, but which one? The one Renton daughter that was listed, Carrie, did eventually marry George A. Smock in 1921 who might have been a brother to Archibald Smock.

There is a 1910 census in Osceola County Michigan for an Archie Smock, born about 1876 in Michigan but I can't be sure if this is the same one. He could have married the Renton daughter soon after 1910 and perhaps she died before this 1920 census record. But there is no evidence of any marriage between an Archie Smock and any Renton daughter.
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  Marriage Notes:

In the 1900 US Census, Janette indicated that she had a total of 10 children with 7 still alive. Myself and other researchers can account for only 9 children including the female born in 1876 that lived only 3 months.

This is further complicated by the 1920 US Census in which Andrew and Janette are living with their widowed son-in-law, Archibald Smock, but to which daughter was this Archibald Smock married? Of the 7 known daughters, the fate of 4 of them is known: Nettie married George Smock in 1897, the female infant died in 1876, Levora married Sidney Hosmer in 1902, and Carrie married George Smock in 1921 who must have been divorced from Nettie by this time. Sarah and Jane were still living with their parents in the 1880 census while the younger sister Alice was living in a boarding house in Detroit and working as a dressmaker. What happened to any one of those 3 after the 1880 census is unknown.

That means that the wife of Archibald Smock could have been Sarah or Jane Renton, or she could have also been the 10th child of whom we know nothing. Because the parents ending up living with Archibald, I am more tempted to believe that he married either Sarah or Jane, instead of Alice who had moved to Detroit and was living on her own. The marriage may not have lasted long until the wife died because apparently there are no children born to this marriage. More research is needed.

UPDATE, May 2012:
A statement by Janette on the 1900 US Census that she had 10 children may be misleading or not factual. Recently discovered gravestones at the Otisville Cemetery for three of her children now push that possible total names to 11. Perhaps Janette was not including the female infant who was born in 1876. Perhaps this child was stillborn and Janette was not considering this as one of her children. Another alternate idea is that this un-named female may actually be the same one buried with the gravestone marked as Ellen Renton which has no year of birth or death. In that case, the total would be the 10 children as stated by Janette.
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