John Renton (sailor)

John (Jack) Renton (* approx. 1850, presumably on Orkney , † 1878 on Aoba ) was a Scottish sailor who is said to have lived among the locals in the Solomon Islands for eight years .

Life

John Renton, known as the "White Headhunter " ( "White Headhunter"), probably in 1850, on the Scottish island of Orkney born. At the age of about 17 he was part of the crew on the ship Renard from Boston. In the Solomon Islands he fled with four other people, but was the only one to survive. He then lived possibly eight years as a slave with a tribe on an island called Malata. There he learned their customs and language. Captain Murray of the schooner Bob-tail Nag negotiated with the chief of that tribe, noticing Renton. Renton used a few English gestures and words but was unable to converse in English. In the evening Murray set out armed with two boats with the plan to free Renton. Eventually he bought Renton for ten to twelve tomahawks, a few yards of calico , some pipes, tobacco, and other items. After Renton was free to use his English mother tongue again, he decided to work as a translator for Captain Murray.

literature

Nigel Randell: The White Headhunter .Constable / Carrol & Graf, New York (2003) ISBN 978-0-7867-1459-9 .

Individual evidence

^ The Recovery of John Renton from the Solomon Islands . In: National Library of Australia (Ed.): Rockhampton Bulletin . September 17, 1875, p. 2 (English, gov.au [accessed June 6, 2019]).

personal data
SURNAME	Renton, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Renton, Jack
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Scottish navigator and adventurer
DATE OF BIRTH	around 1850
PLACE OF BIRTH	unsure: Orkney , Scotland
DATE OF DEATH	after 1875

[1] The Recovery of John Renton from the Solomon Islands . In: National Library of Australia (Ed.): Rockhampton Bulletin . September 17, 1875, p. 2 (English, gov.au [accessed June 6, 2019]).