William John Renton ^{1 2 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15}

  General Notes:

William was not found with his family for the 1870 US Census when he would have been about 5 years old. This is strange because all of the other children with the exception of his sister are listed including one even younger than William. None of his siblings were married so he could not have been living with one of them for the 1870 US Census.

However, there is one strange 1870 US Census listing for a William Renton, age 4, and a female listed as Marg J. Pheir, age 9, in the same Van Buren Township as the rest of his family. However, it must have been some distance away as the parent's house was listed as Page 45 while these two children were found on page 9. Both census pages show Bellville as the Post Office but no other locations are shown. The census for the parents was conducted on 16 June 1870 while the strange census entry for the 2 children was conducted on 3 Jun 1870.

1870 US Census
Page 9, Dwelling 72
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
(blank line for Head of Household)
Marg J. Pheir..9..CAN
William Renton..4..SCOT

But even this listing on page 9 is very strange in that the two children are seemingly shown all by themselves with no parents or adult guardians. In dwelling 70 listed above their names, there are two families: Charles Carrington and his family shown as family 76 and then family 77, Charles Sayre, or perhaps spelled as Saipt, along with his wife Ellen. The exact spelling of the surname is difficult to read. The enumerator skipped several lines showing the next dwellings 71 and 72 with just a dashed line through the family number area which would normally indicate a vacant dwelling. The names of William Renton and Marg J. Pheir appear on the line following the supposedly vacant dwelling 72.

I'm not sure what to make of this enumeration. William and the other young girl, Marg Pheir, surely both were too young to have been staying there by themselves. Their names are at the bottom of the page and the next page starts with a new dwelling and new family. Did the enumerator mean to show that they were being cared for by Charles Sayre, the young husband and his wife which were listed four lines above their names? Or did the enumerator just forget to list the name of the adults that were caring for the two young children?

It is my belief that this strange census record for the 2 children on page 9 are William J. Renton and Margaret Weir Renton. The age for William is nearly correct at 4 instead of 5 while Marg's age was shown as 9 instead of the expected 6. Her birth location was shown as Canada instead of Scotland. But who gave this information to the census enumerator? Certainly not the 4 and 6 year old children. I suspect the enumerator did not properly finish the household and came back 13 days later and listed the remaining family members to include the parents on a different page. I cannot explain why Margaret Weir Renton was listed as Marg J. Pheir nor why her birth location was incorrectly given as Canada.
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William apparently had three different wives. His first was Harriet "Hattie" Marvin, whom he married in 1889 in Michigan and they moved to Seneca Township, McHenry County, Illinois. They divorced sometime between 1903 and 1908 with William then returning to Michigan. All of their children remained with the mother, Hattie, who was remarried to Charles Puttman and they lived in Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois.

William was eventually remarried to May Richards in 1908 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. On the 1910 US Census, both indicated that this was their first marriage which for May Richards was true but for William, it was his second marriage.

Around 1920, William and May divorced and in 1923, William was remarried for a third time to Grace Conkey but I believe that Conkey may not have been her maiden name. The marriage license shows that her mother's name was Jennie Wood but even she herself also might have been remarried. Her father's name was given on the license only as Robert with no surname.
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William John Renton was born in Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, SCOTLAND in 1865. At the age of about 4, he was joined with his mother and six other siblings to emigrate to the United States aboard the sailing ship John Foster Jr. The arrived in New York City on 21 Sep 1869 where they were soon joined by the father, Robert Renton, who evidently had immigrated a year or so earlier.

The family quickly moved to Wayne County, Michigan where they all appeared in the 1870 US Census. About one year after his mother died in 1888, William was married to his first wife, Harriett A. Marvin in Wayne County, Michigan. His father died several years later in 1896 and by 1900 he had headed west where William and his family of 4 children are found living in McHenry County, Illinois. William fathered 5 children with his first wife until they were divorced sometime around 1903.

By 1908 William had moved back to the Ann Arbor area in Michigan where he was married to his second wife, May Adelaide Richards, on 23 Jun 1908. They had one daughter, Eleanor May Renton, born 4 Mar 1910 in Wayne County, Michigan. William and his second wife are found in the 1910 and 1920 US Census living in Wayne County, Michigan.

By 1923, William was divorced from his second wife and at the age of 58 was remarried on 24 Dec 1923 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to his third wife, Grace E. Barber, who was 16 years younger than William. Grace had been previously married at the age of 15 to Lorenzo Jake Conkey and had three children from him. William and Grace are found in the 1930 and 1940 US Census living in Calhoun County, Michigan and Washtenaw County, Michigan respectively. Some of Grace's supposed grandchildren are shown with them on those census records but in truth they are nieces of Grace and the father to those children was her brother, Guy Walter Conkey. William and Grace had no children of their own.

William died on 30 Mar 1946 in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan and was buried in the local Riverside Cemetery. There is no visible gravestone.

Less than six months after the death of her second husband, Grace E. Barber at the age of 66 was remarried to Albert Wodtke on 28 Sep 1946. She died 2 Jan 1950 in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan and is buried in the local Riverside Cemetery.
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  Birth Notes:

Name: William Renton
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 4 Mar 1865
Event Place: Edinburgh, Edinburghshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Gender: Male
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Elisabeth Weir

Citing this Record
"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7H4-YYQ : 12 February 2020), Elisabeth Weir in entry for William Renton, 1865.
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  Death Notes:

Name: William J Renton
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 30 Mar 1946
Event Place: Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 81
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 04 Mar 1865
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Father's Name: William Renton
Mother's Name: Mary Wier

Citing this Record
"Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFHQ-X66 : 12 December 2014), William J Renton, 30 Mar 1946; citing Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,202.

NOTE - This is believed to be the correct William Renton because of the accurate birth date and birth location. But the name of the father was given as William Renton instead of the expected Robert Renton and the name of the mother was given as Mary Wier instead of the expected Elizabeth Weir. I don't have to actual death image to know who the informant was but their information was close but not totally accurate.
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  Burial Notes:

Block 128, Lot 61, Grave 5. No visible marker

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8204238/william_j-renton: accessed March 18, 2025), memorial page for William J. Renton (4 Mar 1865\'9630 Mar 1946), Find a Grave Memorial ID 8204238, citing Riverside Cemetery, Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Frank Passic, Albion Historian (contributor 46564182).
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  Noted events in his life were:

1. Immigration: James Foster Jr, 21 September 1869, New York, New York, New York, United States. ^{18 19} Name: William Renton
Event Type: Immigration
Event Date: 1869
Event Place: New York City, New York, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 3
Birth Year (Estimated): 1866
Birthplace: Scotland
Ship Name: James Fustik

Affiliate Publication Number: M237
Affiliate Publication Title: Passenger Lists of vessels arriving at New York, 1820-1897
Affiliate Film Number: 318
GS Film Number: 000175674
Digital Folder Number: 004680249
Image Number: 00287

Citing this Record
"New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9Q-3N4Q : 11 March 2018), William Renton, 1869; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 175,674.
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2. 1870 US Census, 3 June 1870, Van Buren Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ¹² 1870 US Census
Page 9, Dwelling 72
Van Buren Township, Wayne, Michigan
(blank line for the name of the Head of Household)
Marg J. Pheir..9..CAN
William Renton..4..SCOT

(Highly probable that this is correct person; for some strange reason, he and his sister were enumerated separately from the rest of the family which appeared on page 45.)

3. Naturalization, 1875. ⁵ Year as indicated on the 1920 US Census

4. 1880 US Census, 10 June 1880, Van Buren Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ¹³ 1880 US Census
Page 474C, Dwelling 215, House 215, Roll 0610
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
William Renton..Other..14..Michigan..Servant

(Boarding with the Jonas Rappleye family.)

NOTE - Living next door was the Andrew and Janette Renton family in which their son also named William Renton was enumerated.

5. Occupation: Farmer, 1889, Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ¹

6. Residence, 1889, Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ¹

7. 1900 US Census, 19 June 1900, Seneca Township, McHenry, Illinois, United States. ² 1900 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 165, Dwelling 175, Family 178, Roll 321
Seneca Township, McHenry, Illinois
Married 11 years
William Renton..Head..Mar 1867..33..SCOT..Day Laborer

(Living with 1st wife and 4 children.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 4 Mar 1865 instead of in Mar 1867, his age should have been 35 instead of 33.

8. 1910 US Census, 12 May 1910, Nankin Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ⁴ 1910 US Census
Sheet 12A, District 298, Family 270, Roll 679
Nankin Township, Wayne, Michigan
Home owned, with mortgage
Married 2 years
William J. Renton..Head..40..SCOTLAND..Immig 1873..Naturalized..Foreman of lumber yard at Carriage factory

(Living with 2nd wife and their daughter.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 4 Mar 1865, then his age should have been 45 instead of 40.

9. 1920 US Census, 2 January 1920, Superior Township, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ⁵ 1920 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 160, Family 1, Roll 800
Superior Township, Washtenaw, Michigan
Farm Rented
William J. Renton..Head..52..SCOTLAND..Immig. 1870..Naturalized 1875..Dairy Farmer

(Living with 2nd wife and daughter.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 4 Mar 1865, then his age should have been 54 instead of 52.

10. 1930 US Census, 10 April 1930, Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States. ⁸ 1930 US Census
Sheet 11A, District 3, Family 274, Roll 978
Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan
1210 Adarus(?) Street; house rented, $18
William J. Renton..Head..65..SCOTLAND..married at age 24..Immigrated 1868..Farmer, General Farm

(Living with 3rd wife and her two daughters or granddaughters.)

11. 1940 US Census, 3 April 1940, Manchester, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ⁹ 1940 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 81-38, Family 24, Roll 1824
Manchester, Washtenaw, Michigan
House rented; $9
Residence in 1935: Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan
William Renton..Head..75..SCOTLAND..4th grade

(Living with 3rd wife and her grand-daughter.)

William married Harriett Adeline Marvin, daughter of Alexander H. Marvin and Theresa J. Bridger, on 7 February 1889 in Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States.^{1 2} The marriage ended in divorce. (Harriett Adeline Marvin was born on 24 August 1869 in Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States,^{1 20 21 22 23 24 25} died on 9 January 1952 in Illinois, United States ²⁶ and was buried in January 1952 in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Harvard, McHenry, Illinois, United States ²⁶.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage Image, 7 February 1889, Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ¹

2. 1900 US Census, 19 June 1900, Seneca Township, McHenry, Illinois, United States. ² 1900 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 165, Dwelling 175, Family 178, Roll 321
Seneca Township, McHenry County, Illinois
Married 11 years
William Renton..Head..Mar 1867..33.SCOT..Day Laborer
Hatlin Renton..Wife..Aug 1870..28..MI..4/4
Ernest Renton..Son..July 1890..10..MI
Ruth Renton..Daughter..April 1893..7..MI
Bertha Renton..Daughter..Mar 1896..4..MI
Clinence Renton..Son..June 1900..11m..IL

3. Divorce, Between 1903 and 1908.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: William Renton
Age (Expanded): 23 years
Birth Year: 1866
Birthplace: Scotland
Spouse's Name: Harriet Marvin
Spouse's Age (Expanded): 19 years
Spouse's Birth Year: 1870
Spouse's Birthplace: Michigan
Event Date: 07 Feb 1889
Event Place: Sumpter, Wayne, Michigan
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Betsy Weir
Spouse's Father's Name: Alexander Marvin
GS Film number: 2342487
Digital Folder Number: 4207811
Image Number: 495
Reference ID: v 3 p 411 rn 3136

Citing this Record:
"Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQWK-MF2 : accessed 27 March 2016), Robert Renton in entry for William Renton and Harriet Marvin, 07 Feb 1889; citing Sumpter, Wayne, Michigan, v 3 p 411 rn 3136, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,487.

NOTE - The marriage was performed one day after the license was taken out by Justice Joseph C. Merrill of Sumpter, Wayne County, Michigan. Witnesses were John C. and Lucy L. Jerrell also of Sumpter.
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William next married May Adelaide Richards, daughter of Nelson Calvin Richards and Lucy Electa Babcock, on 23 June 1908 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States.^{3 4 5} The marriage ended in divorce before 1921. (May Adelaide Richards was born on 30 March 1887 in Carleton, Monroe, Michigan, United States ^{4 5} and died on 1 December 1963 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage Image, 23 June 1908, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ³

2. 1910 US Census, 12 May 1910, Nankin Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States. ⁴ 1910 US Census
Sheet 12A, District 298, Family 270, Roll 679
Nankin Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Home owned, with mortgage
Married 2 years
William J. Renton..Head..40..SCOTLAND..Immig 1873..Naturalized..Foreman of lumber yard at Carriage factory
May Renton..Wife..23..MI..1/1
Eleanor M. Renton..Daughter..2m..MI

3. 1920 US Census, 2 January 1920, Superior Township, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ⁵ 1920 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 160, Family 1, Roll 800
Superior Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Farm Rented
William J. Renton..Head..52..SCO..Immig. 1870..Naturalized 1875..Dairy Farmer
May A. Renton..Wife..32..MI..Farm Laborer, Dairy
Eleanor M. Renton..Daughter..9..MI

  Marriage Notes:

Name: William J. Renton
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 23 Jun 1908
Event Place: Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1872
Birthplace: Scotland
Father's Name: Robert
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Weir
Spouse's Name: May Richards
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 24
Spouse's Race: White
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1884
Spouse's Birthplace: Carlton, Mich.
Spouse's Father's Name: Nelson
Spouse's Mother's Name: Lucy Babcock

Citing this Record
"Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCHP-RJR : 21 September 2017), William J. Renton and May Richards, 23 Jun 1908; citing reference ID Vol 8 p 177, various county clerks and libraries, Michigan; FHL microfilm 1,019,067.
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William next married Grace E. Barber, daughter of Robert Barber and Jennie Wood, on 24 December 1923 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States.^{6 7 8 9} (Grace E. Barber was born on 20 May 1880 in Mosherville, Hillsdale, Michigan, United States,^{7 8 9 27 28} died on 2 January 1950 in Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States ^{27 28} and was buried after 2 January 1950 in Riverside Cemetery, Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States ²⁸.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage Image, 24 December 1923, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ⁶

2. 1930 US Census, 10 April 1930, Albion, Calhoun, Michigan, United States. ⁸ 1930 US Census
Sheet 11A, District 3, Family 274, Roll 978
Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan
1210 Adarus(?) Street; house rented, $18
William J. Renton..Head..65..SCO..married at age 24..Immigrated 1868..Farmer, General Farm
Grace E. Renton..Wife..48..MI..married at age 15
Grace E. Conkey..GrandDaughter..6..MI
Velma L. Conkey..GrandDaughter..4-11/12..MI

NOTE - The young Grace and Velma Conkey were granddaughters to Grace Conkey-Renton and not to William Renton.The relationship to William should have been "step granddaughter".
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3. 1940 US Census, 3 April 1940, Manchester, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States. ⁹ 1940 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 81-38, Family 24, Roll 1824
Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan
House rented; $9
Residence in 1935: Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan
William Renton..Head..75..SCO..4th grade
Grace Renton..Wife..59..MI..8th grade
Velma Conkey..GrandDaughter..15..MI..7th grade

NOTE - Velma Conkey was a granddaughter to Grace Conkey-Renton and not to William Renton.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: W. J. Renton
Age (Expanded): 57 years
Birth Year: 1866
Birthplace: Edenburgh, Scotland
Spouse's Name: Grace Conkey
Spouse's Age (Expanded): 42 years
Spouse's Birth Year: 1881
Spouse's Birthplace: Litchfield, Michigan
Event Date: 24 Dec 1923
Event Place: Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan
Father's Name: Robert
Mother's Name: Betsy Wier
Spouse's Father's Name: Robert
Spouse's Mother's Name: Jennie Wood
GS Film number: 2342758
Digital Folder Number: 4210106
Image Number: 126
Reference ID: v 9 rn 645

Citing this Record:
"Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQS9-M32 : accessed 17 March 2016), W. J. Renton and Grace Conkey, 24 Dec 1923; citing Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, v 9 rn 645, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,758.
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William John Renton was born in Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, SCOTLAND in 1865. At the age of about 4, he was joined with his mother and six other siblings to emigrate to the United States aboard the sailing ship John Foster Jr. The arrived in New York City on 21 Sep 1869 where they were soon joined by the father who evidently had immigrated a year or so earlier.

The family quickly moved to Wayne County, Michigan where they all appeared in the 1870 US Census. About one year after his mother died in 1888, William was married to his first wife, Harriett A. Marvin in Wayne County, Michigan. His father died several years later in 1896 and by 1900 he had headed west where William and his family of 4 children are found living in McHenry County, Illinois. William fathered 5 children with his first wife until they were divorced sometime around 1903.

By 1908 William had moved back to the Ann Arbor area in Michigan where he was married to his second wife, May Adelaide Richards, on 23 Jun 1908. They had one daughter, Eleanor May Renton, born 4 Mar 1910 in Wayne County, Michigan. William and his second wife are found in the 1910 and 1920 US Census living in Wayne County, Michigan.

By 1923, William was divorced from his second wife and at the age of 58 was remarried on 24 Dec 1923 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to his third wife, Grace E. Barber, who was 16 years younger than William. Grace had been previously married at the age of 15 to Lorenzo Jake Conkey and had three children from him. William and Grace are found in the 1930 and 1940 US Census living in Calhoun County, Michigan and Washtenaw County, Michigan respectively. Some of Grace's supposed grandchildren are shown with them on those census records but in truth they are nieces of Grace and the father to those children was her brother, Guy Walter Conkey. William and Grace had no children of their own.

William died on 30 Mar 1946 in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan and was buried in the local Riverside Cemetery. There is no visible gravestone.

Grace E. Barber was apparently remarried once again to Woodtke. She died 2 Jan 1950 in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan.
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