© Kathy Duncan, 2014
ANDREW TURNER: Case Study, Part 2
My quick trip to the library turned up one very interesting tidbit. It is a land deed that names Andrew Turner as a grantor along with three other Turners! Take a look -
6 December 1824. Deed from James Turner, Robert Turner, John Turner and Andrew Turner of Lincoln County, Tennessee to Allen Elston of same place for a tract of land in Lincoln County on the waters of Swan Creek of Elk River adjoining Samuel Dobbins' north east corner of his tract of 640 acres and Edward Chitwood's south east corner. Land containing 111 acres. Wit: Samuel Hall, John Clarke, and Jessee Sanders. Reg: 17th March 1830. Deed Book B, page 493.
[Source: Land Deed Genealogy of Lincoln County, Tennessee: 1828 - 1834, vol. 3 by Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh]
What does this tidbit reveal? Well for starters, these four men are behaving like brothers disposing of an inheritance. They are all of age by 1824, or they would not be able to participate in this transaction. The names James Turner, Robert Turner, and Andrew Turner do not appear on the 1820 Lincoln County, Tennessee census, so in 1820 they are either not living in the county, or they are not of age, or they have not established their own households yet. The John Turner-with-a-family household on the 1820 census does not have a configuration of four males who will be of age by 1824. There is a young John Turner living alone, who might be the John Turner in the land deed. The household with a configuration of four unknown males who will all be of age by 1824 is Jane Turner's household. If she was the widow of David Turner who died in early 1817, then her sons may be disposing of their inheritance from their father. Possibly, Jane Turner is also deceased by 1824.
We do know that Andrew Turner is headed to Hardeman County, Tennessee in 1824. James, John, and Robert are probably his brothers. An 111 acre farm could be divided four ways, but would just under 40 acres have supported a family? Seems doubtful. Seems more like the four brothers are dividing up the proceeds from the sale, and each is heading his own way. A check of the 1830 Lincoln County, Tennessee reveals that none of them stayed in Lincoln County, including Jane. I still need to seek them on the 1840 census. Being impatient, however, I leaped over it and forged on the 1850 census.
The 1850 census, did not turn Andrew's brothers up in Lincoln County either. By playing with their birth year ranges and with South Carolina as their place of birth, I believe I have located two of the brothers in Weakley County, Tennessee 1850. The first promising candidate is R. Turner:
1 Nov 1850 District #5, Weakley County, Tennessee:
124-124:
R. Turner 52 M Farmer $400 b. SC
Malinda 39 F b. AL
Rose 18 f b. TN
David 19 M b. TN
Elizabeth 16 F b. TN
John 14 M b. TN
Rosin 13 M b. TN
America 12 F b. TN
William 8 M b. TN
Andrew 5 M b. TN
Lafayette 5 M b. TN
Robert 1 M b. TN
Four sons named David, John, Andrew, and Robert. Father born in the right timeframe and place. Children all born in Tennessee by 1833 indicating that they are not new arrivals. The odds are that this is brother Robert Turner's household. I'm liking this family a lot.
The other promising candidate is J. Turner:
31 Oct 1850, District #5, Weakley County, Tennessee:
91-91
J. Turner 45 M Blacksmith b. NC
Mary 46 F b. NC
Ann 18 F b. TN
David 17 M b. TN
Louisa 13 F b. TN
Nancy 11 F b. TN
Andrew 10 M b. TN
James 8 M b. TN
John 6 M b. TN
Pruda 4 F b. TN
Again, the names David, Andrew, and John figure prominently with James thrown in for good measure. A peek at the 1860 census shows that the R. Turner household added, among others, a daughter named Louisa - like the one found in the J. Turner household. R. Turner's daughter is Louisa J. Turner. Will she turn out to be a Louisa JANE Turner?? I am not concerned by the North Carolina place of birth for J. Turner, who is younger than R. Turner. I have another family in York County, South Carolina, so I know there a lot of movement between York County, South Carolina and Mecklenbutg County, North Carolina.
Still lots of research to do. R. and J. Turner need to be investigated. All of the daughters in Jane Turner's household are still unknowns. Marriage records in Lincoln County, Weakley, and Hardeman Counties need to be checked. Since Lincoln County was formed from Bedford County, those records need to be checked. Before it was Bedford County, there was Williamson County. Those records need to be check. Then there is still York County, South Carolina to check.
ANDREW TURNER, husband of LAVINIA CHISUM
ANDREW TURNER: Cast Study, Part 1
I find your research on Andrew Turner and your path of reasoning to be solid and direct. Have you had any more developments in the years since you posted this?
ReplyDeleteSadly, I have not been able to budge this any further. Do you have any thoughts on where to go next with this? I am assuming that you are a Turner researcher. My husband descends from Andrew Turner through the Ralph Byrum line.
DeleteI descend through Ralph Bynum's sister-in-law, Frances Turner, who married Samuel Rufus Brooks. Although I have been working on this line for over 20 years I have only recently been able to connect my Brooks family line further back than Samuel and so I am afraid I have neglected the Turners. I suppose I had decided long ago that because Andrew Turner had a long life, large family, and was relatively successful that he would be fairly easy to research. Ha! While his estate did leave a few records his life left considerably fewer. My autosomal DNA "tops" out at Andrew Turner and I can't find any Turner cousins beyond the descendants of Fannie's siblings, so I'm at a loss as to how to move forward (backward?) from here.
DeleteI think the potential siblings of Andrew Turner may lead us to more information. Plus, I still need to read all the Turner probates, land deeds, etc. in York County, South Carolina. Then after that there is Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to check. This is often a slow process.
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ReplyDeleteHello Kathy, me again. I wanted to let you know that I have DNA matches with eight of Robert's descendants through three of his children so I am certain your theories about Andrew Turner's brothers are correct. I have not explored any connections yet to the other two brothers but will let you know what I find when I do.
ReplyDeleteThis is very exciting. I have been working on other lines. I still need to muck around in land deeds, so far what little I found is not revealing anything. Like, did the land the brothers sold belong to David Turner??
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