Vancouver Island Masonic History Project
Vancouver Island Cemeteries – Masonic Interments
Clement Edwin Renouf (died April 1929) was a member of Victoria-Columbia Lodge No. 1 in Victoria.
He was prominent in Victoria business in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as a partner in a hardware retailing firm called Nicholles & Renouf. His former business premises is still standing at 631 Yates Street, on the south east corner of Yates Street and Broad Street in downtown Victoria.
Here is some biographical information about Clement Edwin Renouf taken from contemporary newspaper reports of his death and funeral:
“Mr. C. E. Renouf, Former Resident Of Victoria, Dies
VANCOUVER. April 29. — Word has been received of the death of Clement E. Renouf, pioneer business man of both Vancouver and Victoria, at the home of his daughter In Oakland, Cal. He died on Sunday morning after an extended illness.
Mr. Renouf came to what is now Vancouver in the early eighties and was employed in the office at the Hastings Mill, under both the late Captain Raymer and the late Richard Alexander. Leaving Vancouver Just before the fire of 1888, he went into business In Victoria under the name of Renouf & Nicholls [note: should be Nicholles & Renouf]. He served as an alderman In Victoria for two terms.
Later he was in the Federal customs service in Vancouver and in the Yukon. Leaving the service he went to San Francisco. He was born In Jersey. Channel Islands, and is survived by one sister. Mrs A. O. Macrae. of Vancouver.”
(Source: Daily Colonist, 30 April 1929)
“Ex-Alderman Dies
Mr. C.E. Renouf, Whose Ashes Were Brought Here, Was Prominent Figure
Following cremation, the remains of the late Clement E. Renouf, who died in Oakland, Cal., on April 28, aged sixty seven years, was buried at Ross Bay cemetery yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Renouf formerly was engaged in business here in the firm partnership of Nicholles & Renouf. He was an alderman in the council of 1891, and was associated with the old Board of Trade. He was a Liberal in politics.
Arrangements for the funeral were in the hands of Hayward’s B.C. Funeral Company.”
(Source: Daily Colonist, 9 August 1929, page 5)
Here are some 19th century newspaper advertisements for Nicholles & Renouf showing the appearance of its business premises, which is still standing at 631 Yates Street in downtown Victoria.
The Nicholles & Renouf busines premises is still standing at 631 Yates Street, although the building has been extensively renovated since the 1890’s.
Clement Renouf is buried in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, B.C.
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