Mr Henry Watson Dodds, known as Renny, was born in Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana (modern-day Guyana) on 5 November 1885.

He was the son of Scottish parents Robert Dodds (b. 1847) of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire and the former Susan Lorimer (b. 1850) of Georgetown who had married in Wales on 28 April 1874 before returning to Georgetown where they raised their family.

The youngest of five children, Renny's siblings were: Emma (b. 1875), George Scott (b. 1876), Robert Lorimer (b. 1878) and James (b. 1882).

At some point in his adolescence Renny travelled to Britain where he served his apprenticeship with Messrs Buchanan & Co., Messrs. McOnie, Harvey & Co and with Messrs Mirlees, Watson & Co of Glasgow (Sir Renney Watson of that concern being his godfather). He Spent four years at sea with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company before joining White Star in October 1908. He held a second class engineer's certificate.

Renny was not originally supposed to have travelled aboard Titanic but was engaged as a substitute when A. Haveling was transferred.

His previous ship had been the Oceanic and as Junior Assistant 4th Engineer he could expect monthly wages of £10, 10s. His local address was given as 12 Queens Park Terrace, Southampton. His brother Robert worked as a dock's clerk and lived at 1 Briton Street, St Mary, Southampton with his wife Louise, née Goddard and their daughter Daisy Suzanne (b. 1911). 

Dodds was unmarried but reportedly had plans to marry when he returned; the identity of his fiancée is unknown.

Renny Dodds died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. He is commemorated on numerous memorials to the engineers throughout Britain. 

His mother passed away two years later on 31 March 1914; his brother Robert continued to live in Southampton and went on to raise a large family. He died in 1933 aged 54.