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{{Short description|English geographer, historian and oceanographer (1742–1830)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_suffix = [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], [[Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|FRSE]], [[Royal Geographical Society|FRGS]]
| name = James Rennel
| image = James Rennell 1799 (cropped).jpg
| alt = Profile engraving of James Rennell (1799)
| caption = Profile engraving of James Rennell (1799)
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1742|12|03}}
| birth_place = [[Chudleigh, Devon]], UK
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1830|03|29|1742|12|03}}
| death_place = London
| death_cause =
| resting_place = Westminster Abbey
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| father = John Rennell
| signature = James Rennell signature.jpg
| occupation = {{hlist|Surveyor|Cartographer|Historian}}
| employer = [[East India Company]]
| notable_works =
| spouse = {{marriage|Jane Thackeray|1772|1810}}
| children =
}}
[[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] '''James Rennell''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|Royal Society|FRS|FRSE|FRGS|sep=,}} (3 December 1742 – 29 March 1830) was an English [[geographer]], [[historian]] and a pioneer of [[oceanography]]. Rennell produced some of the first accurate maps of Bengal at one inch to five miles as well as accurate outlines of India and served as [[Surveyor General]] of Bengal. Rennell has been called the ''Father'' ''of'' ''Oceanography''. In 1830, he was one of the founders of the [[Royal Geographical Society]] in [[London]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf}}</ref>

==Early life==
Rennell was born at Upcot near [[Chudleigh]] in [[Devon]]. His father, John Rennell, an officer in the [[Royal Artillery]], was killed in action in the [[Low Countries]] in July 1747 during the [[War of the Austrian Succession]].<ref name=":0" /> His mother Anne subsequently married Mr Elliott, a widower with children of his own and unable to care for additional ones, leading to Rennell being brought up by a guardian, the Rev. Gilbert Burrington, vicar of Chudleigh.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Rennell, James|volume=48}}</ref> The ancient paternal Devonshire family name was formerly spelt Reynell and was of French origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Rodd|first=Rennell|date=April 1930|title=Major James Rennell. Born 3 December 1742. Died 20 March 1830|jstor=1784813|journal=The Geographical Journal|volume=75|issue=4|pages=289–299|doi=10.2307/1784813}}</ref>

Rennell entered the [[Royal Navy|Royal navy]] as a [[midshipman]] at the age of fourteen under Captain [[Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet|Hyde Parker]], who was in the process of commissioning the frigate {{HMS|Brilliant|1757|6}} (launched in October 1757) at the beginning of the [[Seven Years' War]].<ref name=":0" /> He was present at the [[Raid on Cherbourg]] (1758), and at the disastrous [[Battle of Saint Cast]] in the same year. In 1760, he went out to East India, and served in {{HMS|Grafton|1750|6}} under Captain Hyde Parker during the three following years, when he saw some active service, including a [[Boarding (attack)|cutting-out expedition]] at [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]. He soon mastered the theory and practice of [[Marine surveyor|marine surveying]], and, on account of his proficiency in this regard, Parker lent his services to the [[British East India Company|East India Company]]. He served for a year on board one of the company's ships bound to the [[Philippines]], with the object "''of establishing new branches of trade with the natives of the intervening places''". Rennell accompanied the hydrographer [[Alexander Dalrymple]] and drew several charts and plans of harbours on journeys in the schooner ''Cuddalore'' (1759–62), the ''London'' (1762-63) and the ''Neptune'' (1763–64).<ref name="DNB" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cook|first=Andrew S.|date=1981|title=Alexander Dalrymple's "A Collection of Plans of Ports in the East Indies" (1774–1775): A Preliminary Examination|jstor=1150784|journal=Imago Mundi|volume=33|pages=46–64|doi=10.1080/03085698108592514}}</ref>

In 1763, at the end of the [[Seven Years' War]], seeing no chance of promotion, Rennell entered the service of the East India Company's sea service. He at once received command of a vessel of two hundred tons; but it was destroyed by a hurricane in [[Madras Roads]] in March 1763. Fortunately, his captain was on shore, and he was at once appointed to command a small yacht called the ''Neptune'', in which he executed surveys of what is now called the [[Palk Strait]] and the [[Pamban Island|Pamban]] Channel. Rennell became a good friend of the Governor of Madras, [[Sir Robert Palk, 1st Baronet|Robert Palk]], who also came from Devon.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/reportonpalkmanu00greauoft#page/167/mode/1up/|page=167|title=Report on the Palk Manuscripts|year=1922|publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office|place=London|author=Anon.}}</ref> His next cruise was to [[Bengal]], and he arrived at [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] at a time when [[Henry Vansittart|Governor Vansittart]] was anxious to initiate a survey of the British territory. Owing to the friendship of an old messmate Mr Topham, who had become the governor's secretary, he was chosen for survey duties and was initially commissioned as an ensign in the [[Bengal Engineers]], dated 9 April 1764.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/biographicalnoti00thaciala#page/n29/mode/1up/|pages=11–20|title=Biographical notices of Officers of the Royal (Bengal) Engineers|author=Thackeray, Sir Edward T.| place=London| year=1900| publisher=Smith, Elder & Co.}}</ref>

==Survey work in India==
[[File:Hindoostan Rennell 1782.jpg|thumb|left|''Map of Hindoostan'', 1782]]
Rennell initially surveyed the Ganges river starting in the autumn of 1764, encountering in 1766 the mountains that he called the Tartarian mountains (the Himalayas). The main purpose of the survey was to find a navigable waterway from Calcutta to the northern regions. In the same year Captain Rennell was nearly killed when the party of surveyors were attacked by [[Fakir-Sannyasi rebellion|sanyasis]] on the Bhutan border.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Field|first=A. R.|date=1962|title=A note concerning early Anglo-Bhutanese relations|jstor=29754621|journal=East and West|volume=13|issue=4|pages=340–345}}</ref> Injured badly in the shoulder blade, he was taken by boat to Dacca, a journey that took six days. He was treated by Dr Francis Russell and was fortunate to recover although he never gained full function of his right arm. On return Rennell's work was much appreciated and he was recommended for a handsome salary of £1000 a year. Rennell immediately sent money home to his mother and sister while also showing gratitude by sending gifts to Rev. Burrington's children. In 1767 [[Robert Clive|Lord Robert Clive]], the then Governor of Bengal and Bihar, appointed him as [[Surveyor General|surveyor-general]] of the East India Company's dominions in Bengal. After this Rennell was always accompanied by a company of [[Sepoy]]s.<ref name="DNB" />
[[File:Britannia detail, Hindoostan (20118721954) (cropped).jpg|thumb|The cartouche of the 1782 map depicts, according to Rennell: "Brittannia receiving into her Protection, the sacred Books of the Hindoos, presented by the Pundits, or Learned Bramins: in Allusion to the humane Interposition of the British Legislature in Favor of the Natives of Bengal, in the Year 1781. Brittannia is supported by a Pedestal, on which are engraven the Victories, by means of which the British Nation obtained, and has hitherto upheld, its Influence in India: amongst which, the two recent ones of Porto Novo and Sholingur, gained by General [Eyre] Coote, are particularly pointed out by a Sepoy to his Comrade."]]
The headquarters of the surveyor-general were at [[Dhaka|Dacca]], and in the successive working seasons he gradually completed his difficult, laborious, and dangerous task. Mapping was accomplished on the field by army men with distances measured using a perambulator - a calibrated wheel whose revolutions were counted to calculate distance - and a compass.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Heaney|first=G. F.|date=1968|title=Rennell and the Surveyors of India|jstor=1792959|journal=The Geographical Journal|volume=134|issue=3|pages=318–325|doi=10.2307/1792959}}</ref> Economic pressures further forced a reduction in pay and there was dissatisfaction among the native ranks on the question of double ''batta'' (part payment). The surveys were sometimes dangerous, a party of his men were attacked by a leopard and Rennell had to use his bayonet to save his men. Malaria was common and in 1771 he was briefly diverted to military duties in an expedition against a band of raiders. The mapping project was originally a general survey of newly acquired lands, but the job soon gained a wider scope under [[Warren Hastings]], who was appointed as Governor-General in 1773. One of Hastings' first projects was to begin a Domesday style reckoning of property, land, people, and culture for taxation of revenue. As for Rennell's part in this, his project was carried out much like a military survey, searching for safe passage through territory, with information gathering a secondary object.<ref>{{cite book|title=The journals of Major James Rennell|author=Rennell, James|place= Calcutta|publisher= Baptist Mission Press and Asiatic Society|year=1910|url=https://archive.org/details/journalsofmajorj00renn}}</ref> Rennell received the rank of major of [[Bengal Sappers|Bengal engineers]] on 5 April 1776, and retired from active service in 1777. The government of [[Warren Hastings]] granted him a pension of £600 per annum, which the East India Company somewhat tardily confirmed.<ref name="DNB" /><ref name=":0" />

The remaining fifty-three years of his life were spent in [[London]], and were devoted to geographical research chiefly among the materials in the [[East India House]]. He took up his residence in Suffolk Street, near [[Portland Place]], where his house became a place of meeting for travellers from all parts of the world.<ref name="DNB" />

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180px">
File:1776 Rennell - Dury Wall Map of Bihar and Bengal, India - Geographicus - BaharBengal-dury-1776.jpg|1776 map of Bengal and Bihar
File:1777 Rennell - Dury Wall Map of Delhi and Agra, India - Geographicus - DelhiAgrah-dury-1777.jpg|1777 map of northern-central India
File:1786 - A map of Bengal, Bahar, Oude & Allahabad - James Rennell - William Faden.jpg|1786 map following the Ganges River
File:1793 Faden Wall Map of India - Geographicus - India-faden-1793.jpg|1793 map of the Indian peninsula and Ceylon
File:1800 Map of Peninsular India-1795.jpg |1800 map of the Indian peninsula and Ceylon
</gallery>

==Achievements==
[[File:AncientEgyptJamesRennell01.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Ancient Egypt.|James Rennell's map of ancient Egypt, based upon the works of [[Herodotus]].]]
Rennell's first and most influential work was the ''Bengal Atlas'' (1779) which was followed by the first detailed map of India (1783), the ''Geographical System of [[Herodotus]]'' (1800),<ref>{{cite book|first=James |last=Rennell|title=The geographical system of Herodotus examined and explained, by a comparison with those of other ancient authors, and with modern geography|volume=1|year=1830|publisher=C.G.J. and F. Rivington|place=London|url=https://archive.org/details/geographicalsyst01renn|edition=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=James |last=Rennell|title=The geographical system of Herodotus examined and explained, by a comparison with those of other ancient authors, and with modern geography|volume=2|year=1830|publisher=C.G.J. and F. Rivington|place=London|url=https://archive.org/details/geographicalsyst02renn|edition=2}}</ref> the ''Comparative Geography of Western Asia'' (1831), and important studies on the geography of northern Africa—apparent in introductions to the Travels of [[Mungo Park (explorer)|Mungo Park]] and [[Frederick Hornemann|Hornemann]]. He however forged the geographic data of Park by introducing a mountain range, the [[Mountains of Kong]], supposedly located in the western part of Africa. The fake was intended to support his own theory on the course of the [[Niger River]]. The Mountains of Kong remained present in maps until the early 20th century.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bassett|first1=Thomas J.|last2=Porter|first2=Philip W.|date=1991|title='From the Best Authorities': The Mountains of Kong in the Cartography of West Africa*|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/from-the-best-authorities-the-mountains-of-kong-in-the-cartography-of-west-africa/25D7E0376A0889142FFA6DF737285E98|journal=The Journal of African History|volume=32|issue=3|pages=367–413|doi=10.1017/s0021853700031522|s2cid=162635776 |issn=1469-5138}}</ref> He also contributed papers to ''Archaeologia'' on the site of [[Babylon]], the island of [[Paul of Tarsus|St Paul]]'s shipwreck, and the landing-place of [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]] in Britain. Rennell published a book titled ''[[iarchive:memoirofmapofhin00renn|Memoir of a map of Hindoostan]]'' (1788) and dedicated to Sir Joseph Banks.

[[File:Rennel map 1799.png|left|thumb|380px|Map of the currents in Atlantic and Indian Ocean around Africa, created by James Rennell in 1799. Amazing is the accuracy of the marine currents and winds in contrast to the nearly fantasy-like depiction of the inner parts of Africa (unknown to the Europeans until 1877).]]

Beside his geographical and historical works, James Rennell is known today for his [[Hydrography|hydrographical]] works on the currents in the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] oceans. He started his research on these topics when he was travelling by a sailing ship with his family from India to Britain after his retirement in 1777. During the extraordinary prolonged voyage around the [[Cape of Good Hope]]<ref>In his own work ''"On the geography of Herodotus"'', he estimated a travelling time of four months for the voyage from London to Bombay by modern sailing ships (in the year 1800). For the return to England in 1777/78 he needed 11 months. Although there was a stopover in [[St. Helena]], where his daughter was born, the voyage had already lasted six months before their arrival there in October 1777.</ref> he mapped ''"the banks and currents at the Lagullas"'' and published in 1778 the work on what is today called the [[Agulhas Current]]. This was one of the first contributions to the science of [[Oceanography]]. He was the first to explain the causes of the occasional northern current found to the south of the [[Isles of Scilly]], which has since been called as [[Rennell's Current]].<ref name="DNB" />

After the death of his wife in 1810, he returned to the oceanographic topics. His numerous naval friends gave him a mass of data from their [[Logbook|logs]], which he assimilated into a chart of all currents in the Atlantic Ocean. During his last years, he wrote his last work ''[[iarchive:aninvestigation00renngoog|Currents of the Atlantic Ocean]]'', published posthumously by his daughter Jane in 1832.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bravo, M.|year=1993|title=James Rennell: Antiquarian of ocean currents.|journal=Ocean Challenge|volume=4|issue=1–2|pages=41–50}}</ref>

He was elected a [[fellow of the Royal Society]] in 1781; and he received the [[Copley Medal]] of the Royal Society in 1791, and the gold medal of the [[Royal Society of Literature]] in 1825.<ref name="DNB" /> James Rennell has been called the ''Father of Indian Geography,''<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crosthwait|first=H. L.|date=1924|title=The survey of India|jstor=41356458|journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts|volume=72|issue=3716|pages=194–206}}</ref> and for his pioneering work on oceanography as the ''Father of Oceanography''.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Pollard, R.|author2=Griffiths, G.|year=1993|title=James Rennell, the father of oceanography.|journal=Ocean Challenge|volume=4|issue=1&2|pages=24–25}}</ref>

In later life Rennell suffered from gout and in 1829 he fell from a chair and broke his thigh. He died on 29 March 1830 at his home on Suffolk Street. He was interred in the nave of [[Westminster Abbey]], and there is a tablet to his memory, with a bronze bust by Ludwig Hagbold, near the western door.<ref>'The Abbey Scientists' Hall, A.R. p49: London; Roger & Robert Nicholson; 1966</ref> The year of his death saw the foundation of the [[Royal Geographical Society]].<ref name="DNB" /> His collection of books were gifted by his heirs to the Royal Geographical Society.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Alison M.|date=1982|title=The Rennell Collection|jstor=634241|journal=The Geographical Journal|volume=148|issue=1|pages=38–42|doi=10.2307/634241}}</ref>

In 1851, botanist [[Pieter Willem Korthals]] published ''[[Rennellia]]'', a genus of [[flowering plant]]s from [[Indo-China]] and western [[Malesia]], belonging to the family [[Rubiaceae]] and it was named in James Rennell's honour.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Rennellia'' Korth. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A35244-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=16 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-44.jpg|thumb|left|Tombstone inscription of daughter Jane Rennell: 1774. Dhaka Christian cemetery]]Rennell was "of middle height, well proportioned, with a grave yet sweet expression of countenance. He was diffident and unassuming, but ever ready to impart information. His conversation was interesting, and he had a remarkable flow of spirits. In all his discussions he was candid and ingenuous".<ref name="DNB" /> Rennell was however irrational in proposing that the Niger ended in a lake without reaching the sea. He was also strongly opposed to the methods of [[William Lambton]] in his proposed [[Great Trigonometrical Survey|trigonometrical survey]]. His opposition had to be neutralized by Sir [[Nevil Maskelyne]] before Lambton's plan was approved.<ref>{{cite ODNB|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|author=Cook, Andrew S.|year=2004|chapter=Rennell, James (1742–1830)|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/23369}}</ref>

While at Dacca, Rennell became a close friend of [[John Cartier]]. It was in Cartier's home that he met Jane Thackeray (d. 1810), daughter of [[Thomas Thackeray|Dr Thomas Thackeray]], headmaster of [[Harrow School|Harrow]], and a great-aunt of the novelist [[William Makepeace Thackeray]] and he married her in 1772. Their older son Thomas (born 1779) died unmarried in 1846, while the second son William (born 1781) worked in the Bengal civil service and died in 1819 without leaving any children. One daughter named Jane (born 1773) died young and was buried in [[Christian cemetery, Dhaka|Dhaka]], whilst another daughter, also Jane, born in 1777 on St Helena where he had stopped on his way to England married Admiral Sir [[John Tremayne Rodd]], [[Order of the Bath|KCB]] in 1809. Lady Rodd devoted several years publishing her father's current charts and revising new editions of his principal works. She died in December 1863.<ref name="DNB" /><ref name=":0" />

{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

;Attribution
{{DNB|wstitle=Rennell, James|volume=48}}


==Further reading==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/JRD/history/rennell.php|title=Biography of James Rennell from the James Rennel Division for ocean circulation and climate|publisher=National Oceanography Centre, Southampton)|access-date=21 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808061535/http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/JRD/history/rennell.php|archive-date=8 August 2007|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/majorjamesrennel00markuoft|title=Major James Rennell and the rise of modern English geography.|author=Markham, Clements R.|publisher=Macmillan and co.|year=1895|place=New York}}
* {{cite book|author=Sandes, Lt Col E.W.C.|title=The Military Engineer in India, Vol II|year=1935|publisher= The Institution of Royal Engineers|place= Chatham, Great Britain}}
* [https://archive.org/stream/biographicalnoti00thaciala#page/n29/mode/2up Biographical notices of officers of the Royal (Bengal) engineers]

==External links==
*{{OL author|1855148A}}
*''The journals of Major James Rennell ... 1764 to 1767.'' Print edition, 1910. [[c:File:California Digital Library (IA journalsofmajorj00renn).pdf|Wikimedia commons]], [https://archive.org/download/journalsofmajorj00renn/journalsofmajorj00renn.pdf Internet Archive]

{{Copley Medallists 1751-1800}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennell, James}}
[[Category:1742 births]]
[[Category:1830 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Navy officers]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Copley Medal]]
[[Category:English geographers]]
[[Category:People from Teignbridge (district)]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War]]
[[Category:Burials at Westminster Abbey]]
[[Category:History of the Corps of Engineers (Indian Army)]]
[[Category:Bengal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:English oceanographers]]
[[Category:18th-century English historians]]
[[Category:19th-century English historians]]
[[Category:English surveyors]]

James Rennell - Revision history

Bot at 10:29, 24 December 2022