Seeking William Turner

My recent Turner cousin connection prompted me to start reading the Edward Turner probate documents carefully. You may have heard my groans when I saw the "crying sale" results.

I've been able to figure out where all the children ended up and who they married except for one - William. I've no idea what happened to him other than he was in Natchez in 1807 when the family sold Edward's land. Guess who bought the family Bible at the sale?

Sigh. Maybe I'll find him someday.

Source
Fauquier, Virginia, Will Books: 4, 80, Edward Turner Estate Sale, 23 Apr 1805; Library of Virginia, Fauquier Reel 32.

An Embarrassment of Edwards ~ Reviewing Edward Turner

I've had enormous fun this week connecting with a distant, distant Turner cousin. My 5th great-grandfather Edward Turner has been a stumbling block, brick wall, mystery ancestor for decades. My new cousin connection was the motivation I needed to review my research and the Fauquier County records I copied at the Library of Virginia last summer. While there I was able to pull copies of the estate records, but not the relevant deeds. Alas, I shall have to return to Richmond.

Edward Turner (d. 1805, Fauquier County, VA) was one of at least three Edward Turners appearing in Fauquier County records in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. This has made sorting out records and family members a challenge. He died leaving no will, but a considerable estate. His probate records provide most of the support for the family framework. He was married twice – first to Mary/Molley (who died after 1782 and before 1790) and second to Elizabeth, who survived him.

Another Edward Turner died in 1786 as an elderly man (above 60 years of age since he no longer paid taxes) and was buried by the county[i]. I believe this is the Edward Turner who was married to Jane Gibson, daughter of Jacob Gibson[ii]. This Edward is believed to have been part of a Turner family that signed three leases in Prince William County in 1747. This Edward is NOT a DNA match to my Edward.

A third Edward Turner is the son of our Edward. He appears with Edward on the 1799 Tax list, and marries Lucinda Rust in 1800.

Based on the marriage of his eldest son John in 1782, my Edward was born before 1742 - somewhere. The first record that is clearly this Edward is a lease signed in Loudoun County, VA on 23 Oct 1764 for 100 acres of land for the lives of Edward Turner, Mary his wife and John Turner his son.[iii] It is witnessed by George Turner, William Rust, and Stanley Singleton. In 1769 Edward purchase 180 acres of land in Fauquier County from Henry Lee and Lucy, his wife.[iv] After this Edward appears regularly in Fauquier County records until his death in January, 1805.

Edward & Molley Turner had children John (who married Jane Bailey), James (who married Anna DeBell), William, Sarah (who married Joseph Conway and Charles T. Porter), Lewis (who married Sarah Martin), Mary (who married Richard Mather), and Edward (who married Lucinda Rust). A Conway family record handed down to me gives Sarah’s birthdate as 10 June 1774. I have no other documented proof of birthdates. The birth order is taken from their father's estate settlement dated 22 July 1816. 

From Fauquier County Will Book 6, p. 252

Edward and his second wife, Elizabeth, had one daughter, Ann. She is clearly referred to as the half-sister of Lewis Turner in an 1825 court case.[v] 

There is strong evidence that Edward & Molley had another daughter, Elizabeth Turner Shipp Kay. Edward Turner was bondsman for the 8 Mar 1778 marriage bond of Elizabeth & Richard Wiatt Shipp. He, his wife and Elizabeth all sign a deed in November that year as witnesses.[vi] Most convincingly, Elizabeth and her second husband James Kay were named in an 1810 Fauquier County Chancery Court summons and also in the probate records as disputing the property settlement.

From Fauquier County Chancery Records

From Fauquier County Will Book 5, p. 201

I especially enjoyed reading the Administrators Account. "James Kay and Elizabeth his wife by their agent Joseph Carr refused to make a hotch pot with Estate advanced them  by the Intestate were excluded from a division of the personal Estate." I almost fired off an email begging for help from The Legal Genealogist but Wikipedia gave me enough of a definition to understand the document. In order to achieve equal distribution, the heirs were required to add monies already received from the estate into a common "pot" which was then divided. Since the Kays refused, they received no further inheritance. 

As far as his own ancestry, there is circumstantial evidence linking Edward Turner to a George Turner, believed to have been born in Northumberland County, VA abt 1731 and who died 1804 in Spartanburg, SC. The men witnessed each other’s deeds in Loudoun County, both had ties to the Shipp family in Northumberland County and DNA tests have linked descendents of both men. They may be the sons of  John Turner and his wife Febie. John Turner wrote a will dated 6 Dec 1741 (St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland, VA) and proved 12 Apr 1742 that named sons John, Henry, George, Edward and daughters Bridget, Monica, Priscilla and Ann. [vii]

Or he may, as I've theorized, have fallen from another planet. 

           

---

[i] John Alcock, Fauquier Families, 1759-1799, p. 353.

[ii] Will dated 2 Oct 1734, Prince William County WB:C

[iii] Loudon County, VA Deed Book D, pp. 388-392.

[iv] Gott, John K, Fauquier County, Virginia Deeds 1759-1778 (Heritage Books, Bowie, MD 1999. Electronic Edition.) Citing deed dated 1-2 July 1769 and recorded 28 Aug 1769.

[v] Barry L. McGhee, “Court Records,” database, Historic Court Records (http://www.historiccourtrecords.org: 2002-2012), Record 39-9; citing Byrne vs. Handy, 1825.

[vi] Gott, John K, Fauquier County, Virginia Deeds 1759-1778. Citing deed of Opie and Pinksone dated 18 Nov 1778 and recorded 24 May 1779.

[vii] Northumberland  Co. Wills and Administrations 1713-1749.  Compiled and published by James F. Lewis and J. Motley Boooker, M.D., 1967, p 120-130.

Image Sources
  
Fauquier, Virginia, Will Books: 6, 252, Edward Turner Estate Account and Settlement, 22 Jul 1816; Library of Virginia, Fauquier Reel 33.
Fauquier, Virginia, Chancery Court Records: Fauquier Index 1810-010, Mather vs. Adms of Edw. Turner, dec'd; Summons dated 1 Nov 1810; digital image, Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index (http://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/chancery/: accessed 23 Oct 2008).
Fauquier, Virginia, Will Books: 5, 201, Edward Turner Estate Division, 23 Apr 1811; Library of Virginia, Fauquier Reel 33.

Slaves Named in 1815 Will of John Turner - A Friend of Friends Friday

This is the part of a series of transcriptions and abstracts of records involving slaves that I copied at the Library of Virginia during the summer of 2011.  Nine slaves are bequeathed by name to the children of John Turner, who died in Fauquier County, VA between the 15th of May and the 26th of June, 1815. 

In the name of God Amen, the 16th day of May 1815. I John Turner of Fauquier County, being in perfect memory, praise be to Almighty God for the same, yet recalling to mind the uncertainty of this life and the certainty of death. I do make and appoint this my last will and testament in form following. I therefore commit my soul to Almighty God, which gave me it, and my body to the earth to be buried after a decent and christian like manner according to the discrition of my executors hereafter named and as touching my worldy estate which it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me with in this life. I give devise and dispose of them in manner and form following, Viz. I therefore order that all my just debts and burial charges be fully paid and Satisfied before any part thereof is taken out of the hands and possessions of my executors hereafter named. First I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Turner all my real and personal Estate (after all) my just debts are paid during her natural life then to be divided in the manner and form following. I also give to my son Daniel Turner one negroe woman named Ruth. I also give to my Daughter Elizabeth Oliver, one negroe man named Jerry during her natural life then to belong to my grandson John Brown. I also give to my son John M. Turner one negroe named Lewis, one feather bed and one cow & Calf I also give to my Daughter Mary H. Turner one negroe woman named Mariah and ___ two children named Richard & Wilson and all the said Mariah's future increase and one feather bed one horse one Cow & Calf. I also give to my Daughter Hannah Smith, one negroe woman named Nancy & one named Susannah and there future increase to her during her natural life then to be equally divided among all her children. I also give to my Daughter Sally Brown one negroe Boy named Tom but to remain with my Daughter Mary H. Freeman until demanded and lastly all the residue of my real and personal Estate to be sold and the money equally divided among all my Children after all of my just debts are paid. I hereby appoint my friends Robert Green, Lewis Suddoth & Joseph Morgan my executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills made by me. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written in the thirty fifth line the words the residue was interlined before signed.

Signed, sealed, published }
and declared by the above }                 his
named John Turner to be }       John  X  Turner {seal}
his last will and testament }               mark
in the presence of us who have }
hereunto subscribed our names }
As witnesses in the presence of }
the testator.
 Joseph Boteler (sp?)
 John Suddoth
 Cosson B. May (sp?)

     At a Court held for Fauquier County the 26th day of June 1815 This will was proven by the oaths of Joseph Boteler, John Suddoth and Cosson B. Day witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Robt. Green Lewis Suddoth and Joseph Morgan the Executors therein named who together with John Suddoth, Geo Eastham Jr & Inman Horner their securities who entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalaty of four thousand dollars conditioned as the law directs a certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.

              Teste Danl Withers CC

Notes: DNA tests suggest this Turner family is not related to the family of Edward Turner (d. 1805, Fauquier County), my 5th great-grandfather. This John Turner was also known as John Meridy Turner. For further information about this family see Gwen Boyer Bjorkman's The Descendants of John Meridy Turner (1747-1815) of Fauquier County, Virginia, (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1995).

Source: Fauquier, Virginia, Will Books, 6: 123-4, John Turner; Library of Virginia, Fauquier Reel 33. 

Slaves Named in Edward Turner Estate Inventory - Friend of Friends Friday

This is the part of a series of transcriptions and abstracts of records involving slaves that I copied at the Library of Virginia during my summer research marathon. Edward Turner, my 5th great-grandfather, died in Fauquier County shortly before this inventory of his estate was conducted in January 1805. Because the inventory is several pages long I have extracted and transcribed here only the information regarding the twelve slaves he held. Turner's estate was not settled until 1817, following the death of his widow. The 1817 sale of the slaves she held is transcribed here.

Turner's Inventory 

In obedience to an order of Fauquier Court to us the subscribers being first sworn have appraised the Estate of Edward Turner deceased the 24th day of January 1805 as follows Viz

Negroes		£
	Reuben	120	"	"
	David	110	"	"
	Lillan	50	"	"
	Milly and Child Esther	95	"	"
	Jessee	50	"	"
	Cage	50	"	"
	Lewis	35	"	"
	Luce	25	"	"
	George	35	"	"
	Isaac	25	"	"
	Winny	70	"	"

[Inventory of remaining personal property follows]

Given under our hands

Reuben Murray

Thos Priest

George Glasscock

Hezekiah Glasscock

At a Court held for Fauquier County the 28th day of January 1805

This Inventory and appraisment of the Estate of Edward Turner deceased was retunred and ordered to be recorded.

Test  L Brooke CC

Source: Fauquier, VA, Wills, Will Book 4:49, Edward Turner Inventory; Library of Virginia, Reel 32

Turner Slave Sale - Amanuensis Monday

Thanks to John at Transylvanian Dutch who originated the Amanuensis Monday meme, providing a framework (and nudge) for transcribing family records, news clippings and other treasures.

This is the first of a series of transcriptions of records involving slaves that I copied at the Library of Virginia. Edward Turner was my 5th great grandfather. He died in 1805. William Byrne married Turner's youngest daughter, Ann. They remained in Fauquier County throughout their lives.

Fauquier County, VA Will Book 7, p. 12 (LVA Fauquier Reel 33)

Turner Edward, Account Sale
Sale of the property of Edwd Turner, Decd  Lewis Turner acting Admt
January 3rd 1817  the widows dower Slaves to William Byrne 

To negro David                          370.00
Siller and Lucy                          651.00
9 Barrels of Corn at 6$50             38.50                                                                        1079.50
At a Court held for Fauquier County the 26th day of May 1817
This account of the sales of the estate of Edward Turner deceased was returned into Court and and ordered to be recorded.
                                                  Test                                     
                                                 Daniel Withers C.C.                                

Archie Sawyer & Sally Killion - What I was told

From Flickr by hubertk

Growing up I was told my great-great grandparents Archie & Sally Killion Sawyer had come over the mountains from the Carolinas to Cocke County after the Revolutionary War.  They had nine children - James, Linnie, Andrew, Barbary, William B, Elizabeth, Crawford, Jake and my great-grandfather, Jehu (or Gee). Most of the children remained in Cocke or Greene counties, but James settled in North Carolina, had twins and a son Leroy. Linnie moved away after the Civil War and contact was lost with her family. I was told that Archie died January 2, 1881 and was buried at Joseph's Chapel in Cocke County. We were kin to the Killions and Killians in the area and to the Sawyers over the mountains in Madison County, NC.

That was it. The sum total of our knowledge.

My aunt dug into census records in the 1970s and reported that Archie had been born in South Carolina around 1795 and that Sally was born around 1810 in North Carolina. Once I began researching in the 1980s the census records provoked as many questions as they answered.  The 1880 census enumerated Sally (listed as Sarah) living in Greene County with her son William. She and her daughter were both listed as widowed. Given that I believed Archie died in 1881 this was surprising.

1880 Greene County TN census listing for Sarah Sawyers

I wondered if he had left the family (giving him LOTS of credit for an 85 year old man) and searched the census records for Cocke, Greene, Jefferson, Sevier Counties in Tennessee and Madison and Buncombe Counties in North Carolina. He was not to be found.

On my next trip back to Tennessee I went to Joseph's Chapel to see Archie's grave. (Did I take a camera?  I was young. I had diaper bags, juice boxes, Cheerios, even toddlers. No camera.) Once I found the tombstone I was surprised to find it read Sarah Killion, wife of Archibald Sawyer with the dates 23 September 1812 - 2 January 1881. That's according to my notes. Will I swear to the spelling? Not a chance. I'm not even sure if it read Sarah or Sally - Archibald or Archie. (Remember, I was really, really young.) What I will swear to is that it was NOT Archie's grave, but his wife's. There was no marker for Archie. Given the 1880 census record I feel confident that Archie died sometime before the 1880 census and was probably buried at Joseph's Chapel. 

Guess what's on my agenda this summer?

UPDATE

I was wrong in stating I did not have a camera! Photograph of Sarah's gravestone is here.

1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Tennessee, Greene, District 4, enumeration district (ED) 46, p. 65C, dwelling 162, family 162; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 1258.  

Treasure Chest Thursday: Books, books and more books

I know it's not really mine, or even my family's, but my favorite treasure right now is an amazing library on the other side of my keyboard.   I love, love, love Google Books.  It's such a gold mine for genealogy.  Knowing that they are constantly adding new material, I try to search 3 or 4 times a year for information on my toughest projects.  This time I found gold.  


I have been researching the family of Edward Turner (d. 1805, Fauquier County, Virginia) for more than 20 years.  His daughter Sarah married Joseph Conway in 1788 shortly before they moved to Tennessee.   I've learned a lot about Edward, but I still don't know who his parents were or where he was born.  Virginia and Maryland are littered with Turners and at least three Edwards were in Fauquier at the same time.  I believe he is linked to a Northumberland County Turner family but haven't found absolute proof.  Ironically, I knew more about his daughters because they had the good sense to marry men with somewhat unique names before he died and his estate settlement papers referred to both their husbands and the locations where they were living.


Dreams of DNA testing filled my head but I couldn't tell if any of the Turner men already tested were descended from my Edward.  I needed to learn more about the sons.  They've proven elusive.  Estate records name John, William, James, Edward, Lewis, Sarah, Mary and Ann.  A possible fourth daughter, Elizabeth, died in Kentucky about the same time as Edward.  The records showed that William was in the Natchez Territory, Sarah in Tennessee and Mary in Kentucky.  The inference was the others were in Virginia, but there was very little trace of them there.  Hints of other family migration to Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi have proven impossible to confirm.


Until I headed to Google books and searched for "edward turner fauquier".   There, in Alexander K. Marshall's Decisions of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky (Cincinnati: Henry W. Derby, 1848) was a case, John Turner et al., Executors, v John Debell, Executor, that proved that Edward's son James and an unnamed brother/executor had moved to Fleming County, KY where James had died.  The other brother had remained in Virginia.   John & Lewis were named executors in the law suit so one of them ended up in Kentucky and the other in Virginia.   Even better is the fact that a known descendant of James Turner has been tested and his DNA matches the Northumberland County Turners.   My own legal thriller - complete with forensics!  The book, by the way, was digitized this past January.  


I kept looking and found a nugget on son Edward in a biography of his previously unknown (to me) son W.H. Turner of Campbell County, KY in a late 19th c. book, Kentucky: a history of the State.... by William Henry Perrin (F.A. Battey, 1887).    He, too, had left Virginia for Fleming County before moving to Campbell County late in his life.    


So now I know where four of Edward's sons went from Fauquier County.  James and Edward went to Kentucky along with their sister Mary.   Lewis appears in the 1820 Fleming County Census so he's presumably the one named in the appeal living in Kentucky.  John stayed in Virginia (though I still find little evidence of him).   Only William, who headed south along the Natchez Trace remains unaccounted for.   Not the mother lode, but enough to keep me digging.