Early Life
Rennell was born near Chudleigh in Devon. His father, John Rennell, an officer in the Royal Artillery, was killed in action shortly after the birth of his son; his mother made a "poor second marriage", leading to Rennell being brought up by a guardian, the Rev. Gilbert Burrington, vicar of Chudleigh.
Rennell entered the navy as a midshipman in 1756 at the age of fourteen, and was present at the attack on Cherbourg (1758), and the disastrous action of St Cast in the same year. In 1760 he went out to the East Indian station, and served in the Grafton under Captain Hyde Parker (1714–1782) during the three following years, when he saw some active service, including a cutting-out expedition at Pondicherry. He soon mastered the theory and practice of marine surveying, and, on account of his proficiency in this regard, Parker lent his services to the East India Company. He served for a year on board one of the company's ships bound to the Philippines, with the object 'of establishing new branches of trade with the natives of the intervening places'. During this cruise Rennell drew several charts and plans of harbours, some of which have been engraved by Dalrymple.
At the end of the Seven Years' War, seeing no chance of promotion, he entered the service of the East India Company's sea service. He at once received command of a vessel of two hundred tons; but she was destroyed by a hurricane in Madras roads in March 1763, with all hands. Fortunately, her captain was on shore, and he was at once appointed to command a small yacht called the Neptune, in which he executed surveys of the Palk Strait and Pamben Channel. His next cruise was to Bengal, and he arrived at Calcutta at the time when Governor Vansittart was anxious to initiate a survey of the British territory. Owing to the friendship of an old messmate, who had become the governor's secretary, Rennell was appointed surveyor-general of the East India Company's dominions in Bengal, with a commission in the Bengal Engineers, dated 9 April 1764. He was only twenty-one years of age when he met with this extraordinary piece of good fortune, and to this work he devoted the next thirteen years.
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