Agnes Renton

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Date of Birth: October 4, 1895 Date of Death: August 23, 1998

Biography

The relatives of Agnes Renton kindly took the time to visit us and share the following information. A huge thank you to them!

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Agnes Renton, nee McPhail (Her friends and family called her Aggie.)

Gender: Female

Date and Place of Birth: 4^th October 1895

Date and Place of Death: 23^rd August 1998, Livingston, West Lothian.

Nationality:

Childhood: N/K

Parents: Her father was John McPhail and mother Alice McPhail (nee Telford).

Parent’s occupations: Her father was an Ironmoulder.

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K

Occupation: Munition Worker and later at a hotel.

Place of residence at Gretna:

Job title at Gretna: Munitions worker. Her family has kindly shared with us that she worked at the nitrating pans.

Marital status: Married Alexander Renton, after WW1.

Children: Yes. Her family kindly have been in touch with us to share this information!

Travels: Her relatives kindly shared that Agnes travelled widely during her lifetime:

“She travelled to visit her sisters in Canada, America and her son… who was a Consultant in Australia.

Not to mention her several cruises the last when she was 80 years old.”

Awards/recognitions:

Trivia / any other information:

Thanks to relatives of Agnes Renton for kindly to sharing the following information with us.

Agnes had bright red hair. Her relatives also took the time to share that :

“She was very petite 4ft 10 if I remember.
Her grandchildren named her “Tiny Nana” but she was a strong lady in character.”

Prior to working at the factory she’d lived on the Cannongate in Edinburgh.

Aggie was 22 years old when she started working at H.M. Factory Gretna. She didn’t mind talking about her work at the factory to her family. The mixture she worked with stained her hands yellow, but it washed off eventually.

She also told her family about an explosion in one of the nearby huts during her time working at the factory and the woman who delt with it receiving a medal.

Following World War One, she married Alexander Renton. Alexander had been in the Battle of the Some and had been shot in the head at Ypres but survived! Following this, he returned to working as a farmer. This was his job when he married. After this, he became a railway porter.

During World War Two, Aggie worked in the North British Hotel in Edinburgh. Wealthy and important people stayed at the hotel, but she wasn’t otherwise involved in war work from what her family have kindly shared with us.

Agnes travelled widely. We know she went to Canada, America and Australia to visit relatives. She also went on several cruises. During her travels she took part in a ‘What’s My Line?’ cruise ship game, were a panel were challenged to guess a job she did and she beat them! No one could work out Aggie’s clues or her miming the stirring of the devil’s porridge.

In 1995 Agnes celebrated her 100^th birthday!

She lived until 102 years old.

References

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