Jack Renton

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Jack Renton
Born1848
Aoba Island, Vanuatu
Occupation(s)Seaman, slave, headhunter

John (Jack) Renton (1848–1878), also known as The White Headhunter,[1] was a Scottish seaman from Orkney. In 1868, he was among four or five deserters from the American ship Renard, which specialised in the trade of guano. He and the other deserters travelled in a small boat for 2,000 miles, and eventually landed at Maana'oba (Manaoba), a small island off the north-east coast of Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands.[2] He became a slave of a bigman named Kabbou for 8 years, in which he learnt the Lau language, participated in the island's culture, and became a headhunter. While on Malaita, he befriended a local warrior, Kwaisulia, and taught him English.[3] He is the only European to have been a headhunter and was the first European to live for a long period on Malaita.[4]

Renton was rescued by a

Ambae Island, while on a ship called the Mystery.[7] Upon learning of his death, Kabbou and the people of the village Renton had lived in mourned his death by sacrificing 300 pigs in his name, telling tales of his life for 3 days straight, and building a reliquary house which acted as a shrine to his memory. The shrine survived for 85 years until it burned down in 1963.[citation needed
]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0786712562
    .
  2. ISBN 9980-68-000-8
    .
  3. ISBN 9980-68-000-8
    .
  4. ^ Moore, Clive; et al. (1 June 2013). "Biographical entry: Renton, John". Solomon Islands Historical Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  5. ^ "The Recovery of John Renton from the Solomon Islands". Rockhampton Bulletin. September 17, 1875. p. 2. Retrieved October 10, 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ a b c The Newsroom (March 2, 2003). "Secret life of the white headhunter". The Scotsman. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  7. ISBN 9980-68-000-8
    .

Further reading
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