|
Treatise
on
Henry "Harry" Turner, Sr. b. 1773 Virginia
and his son
Fielden Turner, Sr. b. About 1800 Spartanburg County, South Carolina
by James D. Martin 20 January 2003
Several days
ago I was provided with a copy of Henry's Last Will and Testament.
This document was executed 26 June 1832 in Spartanburg County, SC
and is on file in the South Carolina State Archives. A transcribed
copy of this document is included following. Wills in the 19`h
Century were arranged in a typical style; first the wife would be
listed and then the children. The male children would be listed
first and arranged by order of birth. The female children would then
be listed and typically arranged alphabetically by their first name
or the name that was commonly used. It was unusual to see the female
children listed by order of birth.
Recognizing
this style in Henry's Will provides a little different arrangement
of his children than we previously thought. Also, keep in mind that
Henry was a judge (J. Q.) and probably had been exposed to some
legal training; therefore, the wording of this Will is to be read
more carefully than most other documents of this time. Coordination
of this Will with the 1850 Census of Spartanburg County and other
references provides the following Family:
1. Jane
Turner b. About 1795 Spartanburg
County, SC.
2. Margaret
Peggy Turner b. 1797 Spartanburg County, SC
3. Fielden
Turner, Sr. b. About 1800 Spartanburg County, SC
4. Sarah "Sibbah"
Turner b. 1 April 1802 Spartanburg County, SC
5. John
Turner b. 1803 Spartanburg County, SC
6. Peyton
Turner b. 1806 Spartanburg County, SC
7. Nancy
Turner b. About 1809 Spartanburg County,
SC
8. Henry
Turner, Jr. b. 27 March 1810 Spartanburg
County, SC
The
information on Jane Turner is derived from her husband, William
Cantrell. William was born about 1790 and their first child, Wilson,
was born in 1812; therefore, Jane's estimated date of birth is about
1795. Margaret is included in the 1850 Census of Spartanburg County,
SC as the wife of Aaron Ezell. Fielden's date of birth is estimated
based on the birth dates of Margaret, his older sister, and "Sibbah"
his younger sister. The birth date of his first child, Samuel, was
also used. Sarah, or "Sibbah's," date of birth is taken from the
1850 Census as the wife of Robert Poole. John and Peyton's birth
dates are also provided by the 1850 Census. Nancy's birth date was
provided by Mark Freeman, another researcher of the Turner Family.
Henry, Jr's date of birth was provided by Lou McMillan, a descendant
of Henry Turner, Sr. All of the names are included in Henry's Will.
Fielden
Turner's family is not included as a "Family" in the 1850 Census. We
do not know the reason for this, but can speculate that Fielden and
his wife Nancy both died before the census was taken. The children
were split up and can be found living with other Turner Families.
The children listing was provided by Lou McMillan and others, except
for Fielden Sanford Turner. Fielden Sanford Turner is specifically
listed in a legal document prepared by his Father, Fielden Turner,
an attorney, and filed in the Deed Books of
Spartanburg
County on 25 July 1843. I have used the spelling of Fielden Turner
as "Fielden" since this is the way his father, Henry Turner, Sr used
it in his will, and the way he [Fielden] wrote it in the document
naming his son Fielden Sanford Turner. There are numerous references
to these names as "Fielding," I am uncertain of the correct name.
Fielden
Turner married Nancy Alice "Allie" Putnam and their family is
believed to be as follows:
1. Samuel
"Sam" Turner b. About 1823 Spartanburg Co, SC
2. Albra
Putnam Turner b. 1825 Spartanburg Co, SC
3. Delphia
Turner b. 17 June 1826 Spartanburg Co, SC
4. Emily Pea
Turner b. 14 January 1827 Spartanburg Co, SC
5. Henry
"Applejack" Turner b. 1830 Spartanburg Co, SC
6. Hester A.
Turner b. 13 February 1835 Spartanburg Co, SC
7. Fielding
Sanford Turner b. 1838 Spartanburg Co, SC
Information
on Samuel Turner's date of birth was provided by Lou McMillan.
Albra's birth date is provided in the 1850 Census as he was living
with the Family of John [Fielden's brother] and Cynthia Turner in
House 1162. Delphia's information was also provided by Lou McMillan.
Delphia cannot be identified in the 1850 Census; being 25 years of
age it is probable that she has married and now has a different last
name. Emily's date of birth was provided by Paul Sarratt, Jr,
another Turner Family researcher. She is listed living with the
family of L. A. Turner in House 2181. I do not know what the
relationship of this family to Emily is. Henry's date of birth is
given in the Census. He is listed living with Justin and Easter
Turner in House 3; the relationship is unknown. Hester's name is
verified by the Death Certificate of her Son, C. B. Martin, Sr. Her
date of birth is taken from her headstone in Cowpens Cemetery.
Fielden Sanford's date of birth and name are provided by the legal
document prepared and filed by his father.
NOTES:
1. In the
early 1800's the system of justice included Justices of the Peace,
J. P., and Justus Quorum, J.Q. The J.Q. was equivalent to what later
became the District Judge. The J. P. could handle simple civil and
some criminal matters, but anything of significance had to be
brought to the J. Q. Individuals serving as J.Q.'s were not elected
but named by the Commissioners of the Peace. This system was
apparently unique to North and South Carolina. Henry Turner was a
Justus Quorum, or J. Q. His authority is signed as such in numerous
documents in Spartanburg County.
2. Fielden
Turner was an Attorney. This is evident in a deed by William
Cantrell on 2 May 1838, in which he named Fielden to be his
"lawful Attorney." It is further evident in the wording of the
document in which he named his son Fielden Sanford Turner as his
heir on 23 February 1843.
Attachments:
1. Last Will
and Testament of Henry Turner, Sr., 26 June 1832.
2. Deed Abstracts from Spartanburg County, SC
3. Family Group Sheet for Henry Turner, Sr.
4. Family Group Sheet for Fielden Turner, Sr.
5. Last Will and Testament of James Turner, Jr., 20 May 1857. |
