Edwin Rennie was the second child of Richard Hutchinson Rennie and Jane Stanbury. He was born in Buninyong on November 30, 1861.
See family tree of Richard and Jane Rennie
Edwin's birth details (Buninyong Birth registration 20399/1861) indicates that he was originally registered on December 14 1861 as Edwin Rennie. However on January 9 1862 the registration was corrected. His name was altered to Edwin Stanbury, and the name and other details of his father Richard Rennie were crossed out. The word 'illegitimate' was also added.
Information on his death registration (East Melbourne Death Registration 14691/1899) indicates that he resided in Victoria for 33 years suggesting that he may have left that state around 1894/5.
It is known from the Marriage Register of the Wagga Wagga Wesleyan Church (now in the N.S.W. State Archives) that by about 1897 Edwin was residing in Perth, Western Australia. He probably moved to Perth at about the same time his younger brother Richard went to W.A.; about 1896. He is known to have lived near to central Perth and worked there in a boot shop as a salesman.
Edwin returned to the Eastern States, and on March 14 1898 he married Annie Maud Riley in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wagga Wagga. Edwin was then aged 36 and was described as
'a bachelor, born in Buninyong Victoria, a salesman residing in Perth W.A.'Annie Maud Riley (known as Maud) was the daughter of William Riley, a merchant, and Maria Roberts. William was deceased before the date of his daughter's marriage.
Maud was described as a
'spinster, born at Wagga, Private Life, aged 22 years and residing at Wagga'.Witnesses to the wedding were Albert B. Riley (best man) and Ernest A Riley (who gave the bride away), presumably brothers of Maud. A news clipping describing the wedding indicated that the bridesmaids were Misses E. and M. Riley (sisters).
The same news clipping stated that the couple were
'to honeymoon in Buninyong prior to their departure to their new home in W.A.'It appears that due to Edwin's ill health they never made it back to Perth. Edwin died in 1899, nineteen months after he was married.
Source unknown
Edwin and Maud had only one child, Edwin Arthur Rennie. He was born in Learmonth Street, Buninyong (the home of Edwin's parents) on March 12, 1899.
Edwin was to die soon after the birth of his son.
It is said that the son Edwin Arthur Rennie (known as Arthur Rennie) went off to fight in World War I (presumably in Europe). Doris Mansell (his niece) recalled a photograph of Arthur in uniform - with a peak cap and a long great coat - possibly a driver. After the war it is believed that he went back to the Wagga district, possibly farming.
Despite several searches in Victoria and New South Wales it
has not
yet been possible to locate any trace of Edwin Arthur after his return
from World War I.
The only child of Edwin and Maud was:
- Edwin Arthur Rennie
Although Edwin died quite early in life, he was still remembered in the 1970's by a number of relatives.
He was known as Ted and was described as a "reserved"
person.
In his later years he was said to be "a delicate man and very sick".
It appears that after his marriage, Edwin went as far as Buninyong for his honeymoon, but never made the journey back to W.A.
When he became very ill he was taken down to Melbourne by train, travelling in the guards van. He was taken to the Melbourne Hospital, but it was too late - they could not save him. He died of sarcoma of the sacrum on October 2 1899.
Edwin was taken back to Buninyong and buried in the Rennie family grave in the Buninyong Cemetery.
After his death it is believed that his wife went back to her
relatives
in Wagga, where she remarried. Her son Arthur is thought to have
also returned to that area after he served in the Great War.