a post in which he succeeded his father, he completed various works at Sheerness, Woolwich, Plymouth, Ramsgate, and the great breakwater at Plymouth, of which he published an ‘Account’ in 1848. Many years of his life were spent in making additions and alterations to various harbours on different parts of the coast, both in England and in Ireland. He completed the drainage works in the Lincolnshire fens commenced by his father, and, in conjunction with Telford, constructed the Nene outfall near Wisbech (1826–1831). He also restored the harbour of Boston in 1827–8, and made various improvements on the Welland.
Although he was early in the field as a railway engineer, he and his brother having designed a line from Liverpool to Manchester in 1825–6, his practice in this department was not very large. In 1852 he laid out a system of railways for Sweden, for which he received the order of Gustavus Vasa, and in 1855 he designed a series of railways and harbours for Portugal, none of which were, however, carried out.
Rennie was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 25 June 1844, and he became president on 21 Jan. 1845, retaining the office for three years. His presidential address in 1846 was a complete history of the profession of civil engineering (Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. v. 19). He also contributed papers on the drainage of the level of Ancholme, Lincolnshire (ib. iv. 186), and on the improvement of the navigation of the river Newry (ib. x. 277). He published, besides his ‘Account of Plymouth Breakwater,’ 1848, ‘Theory, Formation, and Construction of British and Foreign Harbours,’ 1851–4.
Rennie was the last of his race, and formed a connecting link between the Brindleys, the Smeatons, the Rennies, and the Telfords of the old system with the Stephensons and the Brunels of the new. He retired from the active duties of his profession about 1862, and died at Bengeo, near Hertford, on 3 Sept. 1874, just after completing his eightieth year. There is a portrait by James Andrews at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Great George Street, and an engraving appears in his ‘Autobiography.’
[Rennie's Autobiography, 1875; Obituary notices in Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. xxxix. 273, and in the Engineer, 11 Sept. 1874, p. 209; the latter contains particulars of his connection with the Liverpool and Manchester railway.]
RENNIGER or RHANGER, MICHAEL, D.D. (1530–1609), divine, born in Hampshire in 1530, received his education at Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. Afterwards he removed to Magdalen College, Oxford, and in 1546 he proceeded B.A. in that university. He was Greek lecturer in the college from 1548 to 1550, commenced M.A. in 1549, and was appointed college lecturer in natural philosophy in 1551. During the reign of Edward VI he was distinguished as a preacher. He became rector of Broughton, Hampshire, on 14 June 1552, on the presentation of Robert Renniger, and resigned that benefice in 1557.
Soon after the accession of Queen Mary he, with other members of Magdalen College who adhered to the reformed doctrines, retired to the continent and lived mainly at Strasburg, but in 1554 he was with the English exiles at Zürich. On the death of Queen Mary he returned to this country, was made one of the chaplains to Queen Elizabeth, and zealously championed the protestant religion. He was presented by the queen to the rectory of Crawley, Hampshire, on 1 Jan. 1559–60, and he was installed prebendary of Winchester on 3 Aug. 1560 (Le Neve, Fasti, ed. Hardy, iii. 33). He was appointed chancellor of Lincoln in 1566, and precentor and prebendary of Empingham in that church on 27 June 1567. He was inducted to the subdeanery of Lincoln on 16 Oct. 1568. He resigned the precentorship, but kept the prebend of Empingham, though not without opposition, for he was installed anew on 12 Sept. 1592 on the queen's title (ib. ii. 148). On 10 Oct. 1573 he proceeded B.D. and D.D. at Oxford. He became rector of Chilbolton, Hampshire, and archdeacon of Winchester on 20 May 1575; prebendary of the sixth stall in the church of Winchester on 9 April 1581, though he resigned it two days later; and prebendary of Reculverland in the church of St. Paul, London, on 1 July 1583. He died on 26 Aug. 1609, and was buried in Crawley church.
He contributed to ‘Carmina in mortem duorum fratrum Suffolciensium, Henrici et Caroli Brandon,’ London, 1552, 4to. His verses are the longest in that very rare volume. He published: 1. ‘De Pii Quinti et Gregorii Decimi tertii Romanorum Pontificum furoribus contra Elizabetham Angliæ, Franciæ et Hyberniæ Reginam,’ London, 1582, 8vo; dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. 2. ‘A Treatise containing two Parts: (1) An Exhortation to true Love, Loyaltie, and Fidelitie to Her Majestie; (2) A Treatise against Treasons, Rebellions, and such Disloyalties,’ London, 1587, 8vo. 3. ‘Syntagma Hortationum ad Jacobum Regem Angliæ,’ London, 1604, 8vo. A Latin translation of ‘A Defence for Mariage of Priestes,’ by John Ponet or
