RENDER, THOMAS, HBC sloop-master; master of Moose Fort, 1730–31; fl. 1729–34.

Thomas Render was sent from London in 1729 in response to a request for a mate to keep “decorum” aboard the Beaver sloop while her master, William Bevan, was ashore trading with the Indians at his customary winter quarters on the Eastmain River. The following year, however, it was decided to establish a post on Moose River (an area unoccupied by the HBC since Pierre de Troyes*’s exploit of 1686). The London committee made Render master of the new sloop Moose River [I], which would be the transport link between Albany Fort and the new Moose Fort. The latter was sited by Render one mile above the original fort.

Because he himself could not take command at the new fort, Joseph Adams made Render “chief over the men”; John Jewer, the carpenter, was given charge of building operations. Apparently the discipline imposed by Render caused such unrest that in 1731 Adams replaced him by Jewer. How far the change was justified is questionable; afterwards Render was remembered by some as an honest man who would not allow his subordinates to be rogues.

In 1732, on instructions from London, Render sailed the Moose River (renamed Churchill) to Churchill River and, until he returned to England in 1734, was employed in transport work between Churchill and York Forts.

Alice M. Johnson