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Mr. Robert Renwick
Depute Town Clerk, Glasgow
TIME was when the antiquary,
archaeologist, or historian was looked upon as something outwith the common
run of humanity, and he was considered to be a man who was so immersed in
the affairs of the past that he had little or no interest in the living
present. But all that is now changed, and he stands forth as a man of broad
sympathies, whose ability to make the past live again arises to a large
extent from his thorough knowledge of human nature. We are all attracted by
antiquarian research now-a-days, in fact it stands in danger of becoming
fashionable. This changed attitude of the general public owes its existence
almost entirely to the small band of patient investigators, who have spared
no pains to rescue the story of the past from the oblivion into which it had
passed. Too often their task was a thankless one, and their efforts to
preserve the precious relics of antiquity were too often thwarted by the
unthinking iconoclasts who never hesitated to pull down a thousand-year-old
ruin to use the material for building a pig-stye or a garden wall.
Mr Robert Renwick, the subject of our sketch, stands in the very front rank
of antiquarians and historians, but his work has come more under the notice
of the specialist than that of the general reader, and this has kept him to
a large extent from the glare of publicity. We are proud of him as a
Borderer, and believing that our readers will be pleased to know more of
him, and our young men feel inspired by the record of his unselfish and
painstaking research, we present this short biography.
Mr Renwick was born at Torbank, Peeblesshire, on 4th March, 1841. Having
passed through the usual course of education in the Parish and Burgh
Schools, he entered, in 1856, the office of Messrs Stuart <fe Blackwood,
writers, Peebles, who, besides having a large private practice, had the
chief share in the public business of the county. After being thoroughly
grounded in the rudiments of his profession during some eight years’
experience in the county lawyers’ office, he left for Edinburgh, having
obtained an appointment in the office of Mr (now Sir James) Marwick, then
Town Clerk of that city. In 1868 Sir James founded the Scottish Burgh
Records Society, .and he was ably supported by Mr Renwick in the prosecution
of this valuable work. A few years later, when Sir James Marwick was
appointed Town Clerk of Glasgow, Mr Renwick also came west, and since 1873
he has had charge of the conveyancing department in the Town Clerk’s Office
of St Mungo’8 City.
In 1885 Mr Renwick was appointed Depute Town Clerk and Keeper of the Burgh
Register of Sasines. Referring to this Register, a Glasgow paper says:—“In
this register all transfers of property within the burgh are recorded. It
serves, in the present day, the purpose of the protocol books of the
sixteenth century. As custodier of the City’s titles, Mr Renwick has charge
of an extensive collection of documents, ranging from parchments, hundreds
of years old, down to the conveyance of the most recent purchase. As befits
one occupying such a responsible position, Mr Renwick is a keen and
accomplished student of the days of old. He reads the mysterious caligraphy,
with its puzzling contractions, of scribes who wrote in the Scottish and
Latin tongues centuries ago, as easily as the average citizen cons his daily
newspaper. He possesses, too, the gift of clear and accurate expression of
his thoughts. Before recording these, however, this law-trained historian
takes nothing for granted. He must have chapter and verse for what he has to
say. Endowed with a penetrating insight, and an enviable faculty of taking
infinite pains, Mr Renwick has throughout his career been an enthusiastic
and unwearied worker in the field of old Scottish and old Glasgow' history.
Consequently his writings are accurate and reliable to the last degree.”
The same paper, “The Bailie,” referring further to the subject of our
sketch, continues: —“ To give an indication of what Mr Renwick had done in
unveiling and recording the past, the "Bailie" has pleasure in enumerating
the undernoted publications: (1) Half-a-dozen books dealing with the history
and antiquities of the Burgh and Shire of Peebles, the last being—“Peebles
during the Reign of Queen Mary,” published in 1903; accurate, and full of
interest. It goes without saying that what Mr Renwick is ignorant of
regarding Peebles and its shire is not worth knowing. (2) Stirling Charters
and Records, in three volumes, 1884-89. (3) Lanark Charters and Records,
1893. The Sons of the Rock, and the lieges of Lanark, have good reason to
feel proud of these carefully executed memorials of the past. (4) Glasgow
Protocols, eleven volumes, published in 1894-1900; full of the most curious
reading, and illustrated and dominated by a series of -interesting notes.
i(b). “Historical Glasgow,” issued as a handbook for the British Association
in 1901; a work which ought to find a place on the shelves of §very private
library in Glasgow. (6) The.Barony of Gorbals; an able and exhausjtive
paper, forming part first of the fourth series of the publications of the
Regality. Club published in 1900. It is illustrated by two excellent
etchings from the needle of our foremost Scottish master of the art, Mr D.
Y. Cameron, and by two interesting plans compiled by Mr A. B. Macdonald, our
capable city engineer. (7) In recent days Mr Renwick' was conjoined with Sir
James Marwick in editing the Records of Glasgow-, comprising the period from
1663 to 1690, already referred to. (8) Many and varied contributions to
magazines and newspapers on historical and topographical subjects, all
bearing the hall-mark of thoroughness and accuracy, combined with clear and
perspicuous writing. In addition to this excellent record of work, there
remains to be noted Mr Renwick’s in valuable services to the Old Glasgow
Exhibition, held under the auspices of the Glasgow Institute of the Fine
Arts in 1894. It was he who placed in ordered sequence a long series of
ancient documents, the property of the Corporation, throwing much light on
Glasgow’s past. He rendered similar service to the City’s great
International Exhibition of 1901. The article in the memorial catalogue of
the former of these notable shows, on “Charters and Manuscripts,” and that
in “Scottish History and Life,” the sumptuous memorial volume of the latter,
were both from the pen of Mr Renwick. The Corporation of Glasgow has reason
to feel proud of having such an able scholar and lawyer to take charge of
her ancient and interesting documents.
Mr Renwick is closely bound up in the work of his department and the
historical studies of his hours of leisure. Earnest workers in old Glasgow
history find themselves ever and again compelled to fly to him for
information and advice, and from his stores of knowledge they invariably
receive what they are in search of. His kindly nature is esteemed by all who
know him—most deeply by those who know him best. A crack with him on Old
Glasgow is a tieat of a high order to the student of the history of Saint
Mungo’s City.
At a meeting of the Corporation a letter, addressed to the Lord Provost by
the ex-Town Clerk, Sir James Marwick, was read, suggesting the desirability
of having the Charters and other constitutional documents of the City
continued till the passing of the Burgh Reform Act, and advancing good
reasons for this being done. The suggestion received the unanimous approval
of the members present, and authority was given for the preparing, printing,
and issuing a third volume of the Charters of Glasgow. That is, from every
point of view, a wise resolution.
Peeblesshire gave Mr Renwick the chief credit in compiling that valuable
work. While the volume was passing through the press Mr Renwick contributed
a series of supplementary extracts from Peebles records (1652-1714) to the
“Peeblesshire Advertiser,” and when the work was issued, he contributed to
the same newspaper, in a series of articles, a valuable analytical summary
of its contents.
Readers who are not acquainted with the publications of the Scottish Burgh
Records Society will understand their scope and purpose if we refer to the
prospectus which was prefixed to the earlier volumes issued by the Society.
It is there stated that the purpose was to extend to municipal institutions
the scientific system of historical investigation which had been pursued in
other channels by the Bannatyne, Maitland, Abbotsford, Spalding, and other
Clubs. The Society’s work, both directly and indirectly, has corrected and
amplified our knowledge in its chosen field in & way which has fully
justified its existence.
In his letter Sir James speaks of Mr Renwick as one "who knows more of Old
Glasgow, I believe, than any living person.”
To Borderers Mr Renwick’s works on Peebles have a special interest, and for
that reason we give their titles as follows:—“Gleanings from the Burgh
Records of Peebles, 1604-52;” “Historical Notes on Peeblesshire Localities;”
“A Peebles Aisle and Monastery;” “Peebles: Burgh
and Parish in Early History,” and "Peebles
during the Reign of Queen Mary.” In 1872, when the Scottish Burgh
Records Society published the Burgh Records of Peebles, the editor, Dr
William Chambers (another prefixed to the earlier volumes issued by the
Society. It is there stated that the purpose was to extend ta municipal
institutions the scientific system of historical investigation which had
been pursued in other channels by the Bannatyne, Maitland, Abbotsford,
Spalding, and other Clubs. The Society’s work, both directly and indirectly,
has corrected and amplified our knowledge in its chosen field in & way which
has fully justified its existence.
Mr Renwick is an untiring worked, and future historians will bless him for
the great amount of valuable material he has placed at their disposal.
Although he has dug so deep in the mine o! ancient lore, he is full of that
geniality of character which makes conversation with him peculiarly
pleasant. Mr Ren-wick makes no parade of his vast knowledge, but can
introduce his favourite topics in such an unassuming way that the listener
feels as if he were the speaker instead of Mr Renwick. The geniality we have
referred to is shared by Mrs Renwick and their family of sons and daughters,
and those who are privileged to meet them in their house are instantly made
to feel at home in an atmosphere of intellectual hospitality.
On 11th October, 1897, the Royal Burgh of Peebles, recognising the deep
indebtedness of the town to its honoured son, conferred upon Mr Renwick the
freedom of the Burgh at a special meeting of the Town Council held in the
Town Hall. The Burgess ticket was enclosed in a silver casket, bearing the
following inscription: —"Presented to Robert Renwick, Esq., Depute Town
Clerk of Glasgow, 11th October, 1897, with the freedom of the Royal Burgh of
Peebles, conferred on him in recognition of his services in historical
research, and specially in connection with the records of the Burgh of
Peebles.”
Bailie Ramsay, in making the presentation, said: —It gave him very great
pleasure to be the mouthpiece of the Council on that important and
interesting occasion. They had many men on their burgess roll of whom they
were proud. Such an one was Mr Gladstone, who was honoured and revered by
all, no matter of wbat political opinion. Of men of letters they had the
late Professor Veitch, the late Dr William Chambers, who wrote a “History of
Peeblesshire,” and others. Important as was Dr Chambers’ History, he (Bailie
Ramsay) believed that Mr Renwick’s “Gleanings from the Burgh Records,” went
much deeper and further. All honour to Mr Renwick for that, for Dr Chambers
was a man of great determination, and had great resources, both of time and
money, and did everything well. Mr Renwick’s "Records” must have taken much
labour and many months to complete, and while it might not be considered the
most congenial reading by many, yet other works, which were now read with
great eagerness, would be flung aside as useless when Mr Renwick’s were
becoming more interesting. For centuries to come Mr Renwick’s books would be
reckoned interesting and instructive. He had pleasure in presenting the
casket to Mr Renwick, who, he hoped, would not, like the Provost of Leith
and the Jubilee medal, look upon it in its intrinsic value, but would prize
it because of the honour which it represented; and when it was handed down
from generation to generation, those who came after him would see that the
Renwicks had had the honour and goodwill of the chief town of their native
county.
In his reply, Mr Renwick made an admirable speech, in which he thanked his
fellow-towns-men for the honour they had done him, and gave interesting
information regarding the Royal Burgh, which we produce as a separate
article under the title of “Peebles Privileges,” quoted from the report of
the proceedings which appeared in the “Peeblesshire Advertiser.”
We trust that Mr Renwick will be long spared in health and strength to
pursue his favourite studies and make the Scottish nation more deeply
indebted to him than ever for his valuable researches into the records of
the past. |
