Mr Peter Henry Renouf was born in St Sampsons, Guernsey in the Channel Islands on 27 April 1878.

He was the son of William Henry Renouf (b. 1845), a painter and later a fisherman, and Martha Mary Richard (b. 1850). He had two known siblings: Thomas (b. 1876) and Herbert (b. 1880).

The family appear on the 1881 census living at Vale Road, St Sampsons and on Doyles Military Road on the 1891 census. Back on Vale Road living in "Linwood" by the time of the 1901 census Peter is the only child of his parents still at home and he was described as an unmarried house decorator and painter.

Peter was later married to Lillian Elizabeth Jefferys (b. 1882), a native of St Peter's Port, Guernsey but they would have no children. The couple emigrated to the USA in 1907, leaving Southampton aboard the St Paul on 15 June when he described himself as a carpenter and accompanying them was his brother-in-law Frederick Jefferys. They appeared on the 1910 census living in Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey and they lived at Florida Street in that city, along with Lillian's brother Frederick and a cousin Charles Cann. Well known in his district, Peter was a member of the Grace Church and the Hawthorne Athletic Club.

Peter and Lillian returned to Guernsey in 1911 to visit relatives, including his widowed father and recently widowed father-in-law. For their return to New Jersey they boarded the Titanic at Southampton as second class passengers (ticket number 31027 which cost £21). Travelling with them were his two brothers-in-law Clifford and Ernest Jefferys alongside several other Guernsey folk: William Douton, Lillian Bentham, Emily Rugg and Albert Denbuoy.

On the night of the sinking Peter and his brothers-in-law had been socialising in the smoking room when the collision occurred. They descended the decks to fetch Lillian Renouf who was in her cabin before ascending to the boat deck.

Peter Renouf died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. His wife Lillian was saved.