A History of the Turner Family of St. John’s Wood

 Updated Version 2: with introduction to the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Connections!

19 September 2014

A PDF version of this history can be found here

Contact:  stjwturner@googlemail.com

 

Contents: A History of the Turner Family of St. John’s Wood

  1.   Edward TURNER   1773 – 1848 and Maria PEARCE   1777 – 1848
  2.   The children of Edward TURNER and Maria PEARCE

  2.1   Maria Elizabeth TURNER   1795 – ?

  2.2   Edward William Kemble TURNER   1797 – 1870

  2.3   Charles Frederick TURNER   1799 – 1875

  2.4   John Henry TURNER   1803 – 1825

  2.5   William TURNER   1805 – 1883

  2.6   Eliza Ann TURNER   1807 – 1895

  2.7   Richard TURNER   1809 – 1845

  2.8   Maria TURNER   1811 – 1897

  2.9   Henry TURNER   1813 –

  2.10  Thomas TURNER   1815 – 1896?

  2.11  Sarah TURNER   1820 –

  1.   Richard TURNER   c1809 – 1845 and Alice HICKMAN  1808 – 1864
  2.   Richard Edward Burdon TURNER   1831 – 1869
  3.   Peter Pearce (Pearse) TURNER   1833 – 1886
  4.   William Frederick TURNER   1839 – 1868
  5.   Where the Turner Families Lived
  6.   The Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Connections

 

Since this article first appeared in October 2009, we have recently discovered (more than 30 years

after we started!), that the forebears of Edward Turner came from south west Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.  A full account of how this came about can be found in The Turner's of Suffolk which is a companion to this article.

 

 

1.   Edward TURNER 1773 – 1848 and Maria PEARCE 1777 – 1848

Since Edward Turner married Maria Pearce on 27 January 1795 at St. George Hanover Square, Westminster, their descendants have lived and worked in the neighbouring St. Marylebone and St. John’s Wood areas of west London right up until the present time. Edward Turner was a hairdresser and he and his family lived at 141 Edgware Road from at least 1820 until his death on 17 August 1848 at the age of 74. Sadly, his wife Maria, had died some six months before him on 6 February 1848 aged 70. Edward Turner left £200 in a will proved at the London Consistory Court on 31 August 1848.

The will had been made just six months prior to his death on 16 February 1848, and ten days after the death of his wife, Maria. Edward appointed his son William Turner as executor – an interesting fact in that William wasn’t his eldest son and had been living in Bristol since the mid 1830s (see 2.5 below).

The will essentially left all Edward’s "estate and effects" to be sold and disposed of with the proceeds to be equally divided between his surviving children.

[Query 1: When and where was Edward Turner born?]

[Answer: Edward Turner was baptised 23 December 1773 at Little Thurlow, Suffolk of parents Edward

Turner and Elizabeth Kemball. A full account of the Suffolk connection can be found here]

 

Maria Pearce was baptised on 28 December 1777 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary, daughter of Peter Pearce [see 5. below] and Mary Moor. On the other hand, Edward Turner was born out of county according to the 1841 census. Edward Turner was about 23 when he married while his bride was only 17 and the couple had seven sons and four daughters between 1796 and 1820.

 

 

2.   The children of Edward TURNER and Maria PEARCE

All the children but one were baptised at St. Marylebone, St. Mary. They were:

  1. Maria Elizabeth, born 23 December 1795
  2. Edward William Kemball, born 11 April 1797
  3. Charles Frederick, born 22 July 1799
  4. John Henry, born 31 August 1803
  5. William, born 24 June 1805
  6. Eliza Ann, born 28 April 1807
  7. Richard, born 1809 [no baptism yet located]
  8. Maria, born 23 June 1811
  9. Henry, born 13 April 1813
  10. Thomas, born 9 December 1815
  11. Sarah, born 1 July 1820

Although this history focuses on Richard Turner and his direct descendants, a brief account of his siblings is presented first. Richard's children are then examined and this history concludes with a discussion of the areas of west London where the Turners lived in the nineteenth century.

2.1 Maria Elizabeth TURNER   1795 – ?

Maria Elizabeth must have died young as Edward and Maria had a subsequent daughter named Maria, born 23 July 1811.

 

2.2 Edward William Kemble TURNER   1797 – 1870

Like his father Edward, E W K Turner became a hairdresser. He married Ann Darling on 3 Dec 1816 at St. George's Hanover Square. On the 1841 and 1851 censuses he was living at Homer Street, Marylebone. By 1861, he was a widower living in Hammersmith.

They had at least four children (three of which were alive in 1851):

  1. Edward William Kemble Turner, born 10 March 1817 and baptised on 12 March 1817 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary
  2. Charlotte Ann Turner, born 29 January 1819 and baptised on 22 February 1819 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary.  She was buried on 3 May 1819 at St Marylebone, St Mary
  3. Emma Turner, born 11 May 1826 and baptised on 11 June 1826 at Christ Church, St. Marylebone
  4. Ann Caroline Turner, born 29 January 1829 and baptised on  22 February 1829 at Christ Church, St. Marylebone

 

Ann Turner (née Darling) was found dead on 9th May 1860 at 44 Norland Road, Shepherds Bush, aged

66. She died in unfortunate circumstances, having thrown herself from a window. An inquest into the

death was held on 11 May 1860.

 

Edward TURNER married for a second time on 11 March 1862 in Southwark. He married as Edward

William Kemball Turner, widower to Elizabeth Reed, widow (née Marks).

The death of Edward William Kemble Turner Sr. was registered in the December quarter of 1870 at Brentford where his age was given as 73.

2.3 Charles Frederick TURNER   1799 – 1875

Charles Frederick Turner married twice – firstly to Ann Field on 12 June 1820 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary and then as a widower, he married the widow Anna Maria Bowser (née Whitton?) in 1849.

Charles Frederick Turner was a "chinaman" according to the 1841 census and had a business in Oxford Street, London. In 1851 and 1861 he was living at 6 Oxford Street where his occupations were stated as "China Dealer" and "China & Glass Warehouseman" respectively. On the 1871 census he was living at 43 Chichester Road in Willesden where it was stated his occupation was "Formerly China Dealer".

From the IGI, Charles Frederick and Ann Turner had at least two children:

  1. Charles Turner, born 1 March 1822 and baptised on 24 March 1822 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary
  2. Mary Ann Turner, born 27 February 1824 and baptised on 4 April 1824 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary

Charles Frederick’s death was registered in the March quarter of 1875 at Hendon where his age was given as 75.

The "china" connection is intriguing – on censuses, certificates and in trade directories Charles Frederick Turner, Henry Hand (see 2.11) and other relatives are variously described as "chinamen", "china dealers", "glass and china warehouse" and "glass and china manufacturers". This last description begs the question, "where would the manufacturing have taken place?" There were the Notting Hill potteries nearby, but also the warehouses at the wharves of the Paddington canal basin which would have been on their doorstep. Canal boats would have come down the Grand Union Canal via Birmingham from the potteries in Staffordshire presumably laden with china. Was there a Turner connection manufacturing china there? Also, Edward William Kemble Turner Jr was based in Birmingham as a hairdresser. What took him there?

2.4 John Henry TURNER   1803 – 1825

John Henry appears to have died young – in the burial register of St. Marylebone, St. Mary there is the entry:

John Henry Turner, Edgware Road, aged 22, died 12 April 1825.

2.5 William TURNER   1805 – 1883

William Turner appears to be the only sibling who moved away from London. He appears to have married three times. He was a widower when he married Sabina Green, widow (née TWITCHETT) at All Souls, Marylebone on 12 June 1831. Ten years later, from his marriage certificate, William Turner, tailor and draper, widower, father Edward Turner, Hairdresser married Hannah Meacham Spinster where both were of the parish of Cathay at St. Mary Redcliff, Bristol on 15th December 1841. It appears he subsequently married Harriet Brown in the March quarter of 1855 in the registration district of Clifton (Bristol).

William Turner was a tailor by trade. In 1841 he appears to be living alone in Paul Street, Westbury upon Trym, Bristol while his children whose ages ranged from three to seven (by his wife Sabina) were seemingly being looked after by 50 year old Elizabeth Turner at Prospect House, Clifton, Bristol. Whether she was a relation has not been ascertained. In 1851 William and Hannah were living at Springfield Row in Bristol and his occupation was given as a Tailor and Draper. In 1861, William and his third wife Harriet were living at Tyndalls Park, Westbury, Bristol. He was a master tailor by now and had his niece Sarah Hands, aged 13 living with him.

In 1871, William Turner was again a widower, living at 5 Colston Terrace, Horfield Road, Bristol. In 1881, William Turner, Tailor, Widower was a lodger living at 112 Ashley Road, Bristol St. James (Barton Regis Registration District).

William and Sabina must have moved to Bristol some time between 1832 and 1834 as evidenced by the baptisms of their children, as shown below (the first three from the IGI):

  1. Emma Jane Turner, born 23 March 1832 and baptised on 18 May 1832 at Holborn, St. Andrew
  2. Louisa Turner, baptised on 20 July 1834 at Bristol, St. James
  3. Helen Turner, baptised on 1 May 1836 at Bristol, St. James
  4. William Turner, born 1838 (using the age given on the 1841 census)
  5. Sabina Turner, born 1841 (using the age given on the 1841 census)

William Turner’s death was registered in the March quarter of 1883 at Barton Regis (Bristol) where his age was given as 77.

[Query 2: Why did William Turner move to Bristol – were there relatives living there?]

[Query 3: Was the 50 year-old Elizabeth Turner who was looking after three young children in Clifton in 1841 a relative of the Turner children?]

2.6 Eliza Ann TURNER   1807 – 1895

Eliza Ann Turner is an intriguing lady. On the 1841 census she was recorded as Eliza Walkden living with her parents Edward and Maria Turner at 141 Edgware Road, Marylebone with a two year daughter Eliza Walkden. Eliza Ann Turner had two daughters by Peter WALKDEN – the first was registered as Eliza Turner WALKDEN in the June quarter of 1839 at Marylebone while the second was registered as Sarah TURNER in the September quarter of 1842. The latter married as Sarah Alice Walkden TURNER to John Alfred Culver in the December 1860 quarter at Marylebone.

It is interesting to inspect the St. Marylebone, St. Mary baptisms – the two entries of particular relevance are:

On the 1841, 1851, 1871 and 1881 censuses, Eliza Ann’s occupation was given as a dressmaker, while in 1861 she was recorded as being a "monthly nurse". It is worth going on a small diversion to look at Peter Walkden’s adventures.

Peter Walkden was himself a tailor, born in Bolton, Lancashire and he had married Esther BARNETT at Bolton le Moors, in Lancashire on 2 March 1829. The couple were living in Westminster St. James in 1841 with several young children and were together in 1851. Peter Walkden seems to have been a bit of a philanderer – in 1861 he was living with a "wife" Jane, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a three-year old daughter, born in London. His age was given as 53 while Jane was aged 33. In 1871, the couple were living in Liverpool where his age, as written by the enumerator, is given as "abt. 45" [sic]. His first wife, Esther Walkden was cited as a widow on the 1871 census and died two years later in 1883 aged 72. Peter Walkden appears to have died in the June quarter of 1885 at Leeds, with a stated age of 74.

On all censuses after 1841, Eliza Ann is recorded as Eliza A.TURNER, widow, apart from the 1871 census where she was wrongly enumerated as "Mary Turner". In 1851 she was living at 9 Richmond Street, St. John’s while in 1861 she was living at 18 Hall Place, Paddington with her (newly married) daughter, Sarah and son-in-law, Alfred Culver. In 1871 she was living at 4 Marsden Terrace with her son-in-law John Culver (now calling himself by his first name) and his wife Sarah A. Culver. In 1881, Eliza Ann Turner was living at 103 Hall Place, Paddington, while in 1891 she was living at 2 Cuthbert Street, Paddington.

Her death was registered in the March quarter of 1895 at Hendon where her age was given as 87.

2.7 Richard TURNER   1809 – 1845

See 3. Below

 

2.8 Maria TURNER   1811 – 1897

Maria Elizabeth Turner married Richard Forster, a coal dealer, on Christmas Day 1831 at St. George’s Hanover Square. In 1841, 1851 and 1861 they were living in Richmond Street, St. John’s. In 1871 she was a widow living at 4 Hall Place, Paddington as a ladies’ nurse. In 1881 and 1891 she was living at 40 New Street, St. John’s Wood.

According to the IGI, Richard and Maria Turner had at least three children:

  1. Maria Hannah Forster, born 25 March 1833 and baptised 23 June 1833 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary
  2. William Forster, born 23 April 1841 and baptised 4 July 1841 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary
  3. Emily Forster, born 15 September 1843 and baptised 11 February 1844 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary

[It is interesting to note that according to the IGI, a Maria Hannah Forster died on 27 July 1836 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary – however Maria Hannah Forster was a witness to one of her cousin’s wedding and also to the wedding of her widowed aunt by marriage, Alice Turner, to Thomas Furnice in 1846 (see 3. below). Maria Hannah Forster married Nathaniel Evans in 1856 and gives her age as 28 on the 1861 census].

Maria Forster’s death was registered in the March quarter of 1897 at Marylebone where her age was given as 85.

2.9 Henry TURNER   1813 –

Nothing is known so far about Henry. A number of possible contenders have been found, with a strong candidate being a Henry Turner who was a sawyer at a mill. He married an Elizabeth Jones around 1834 and on the 1841 and 1851 censuses, they were resident in Lambeth – on the next two censuses, they were living in Bethnal Green. This line of enquiry is still very much open!  Since writing the original article, it appears from anecdotal evidence from a newly discovered cousin, that Henry Turner emigrated to America.

 

[Query 4: Did Henry Turner emigrate to America – if so when?]

 

If anyone has any information on, or is descended from Henry Turner, please contact us at the e-mail given at the start (and end) of this article.

 

2.10 Thomas TURNER   1815 – 1896?

Thomas Turner of 27 Carlisle Street, father Edward Turner hairdresser, married Fanny Childs at Christchurch, St. Marylebone, on 16th April 1839. Like his father, Thomas was a hairdresser. In 1841 he was living at St. Marylebone and in 1851 he was living with Fanny at 60 Carlisle Street. By the time of the 1861 census, Thomas was living at 34 New Church Street with wife Dinah (who was born at Crewe). Thomas and Dinah’s marriage reference appears to have been wrongly transcribed by FreeBMD – Thomas Turner married Dinah Beech in the September 1853 quarter.  The reference for Thomas Turner gives Marylebone, 1a 126 while the reference for Dinah Beech is Marylebone 7a 126.

 

In 1871 Thomas and Dinah were living at 36 Church Street, moving to 84 Church Street, at the time of the 1881

census.  In 1891 they were living at 470 Edgware Road, Paddington – the same street where Thomas’s father (Edward) had his business in the 1830s and 40s.

At the time of the 1851 census, Thomas and Fanny had three children:

  1. Fanny Turner, born 1840 (age given as 11 and born at Marylebone on the 1851 census)
  2. Ellen Turner, born 1842 (age given as 9 and born at Marylebone on the 1851 census)
  3. Thomas Turner, born 1844 (age given as 9 and born at Marylebone on the 1851 census)

Son Thomas’s birth and baptism are listed on the IGI where it states that Thomas Turner was born 5 April 1844 and baptised on 26 May 1844 at Paddington, St. James.

The death of Thomas Turner Sr. was registered in the March quarter of 1896 at Marylebone where his age was given as 80.

2.11 Sarah TURNER   1820 –

Sarah Turner married Henry Hands (also spelt as Hand) on 27 December 1846 at St. Marylebone, St. Mary – the witnesses were Edward Turner (most probably her father) and an Eliza Fudge. On the 1851 census, they were living at 80 High Street, Portland Town and it is interesting that Henry Hand [sic] was a china dealer born in Staffordshire. It is intriguing that Sarah’s brother, Charles Frederick Turner was also a china dealer – was this how Sarah and Henry met?

 

 

3.   Richard TURNER   c1809 – 1845 and Alice HICKMAN   1808 – 1864

At least two of the sons, Edward William Kemble Turner and Richard Turner became hairdressers in the Paddington, St. John’s Wood area and the rest of this story concentrates on the descendants of Richard Turner. Richard Turner married Alice Hickman on 24 November 1828 at Holy Trinity St. Marylebone. Today, this beautiful church, completed in 1828, stands proudly opposite the entrance to Great Portland Street Underground station and although it now functions as offices, the altar has been preserved. Alice was the daughter of John Hickman, butcher, and Alice Ann (surname unknown). Alice Hickman was born around 1809 at Kennington, Surrey (according to the 1851 census) and she and Richard Turner had five children:

  1. Richard Edward Burdon Turner, baptised 5 June 1831 at St. Pancras
  2. Peter Pearce Turner, born 15 July 1833 at Kilburn
  3. Alice Ann Turner, born 7 March 1836 at Portland Town (St. John’s Wood) who died in early 1839
  4. William Frederick Turner, born in 1839 at Portland Town
  5. Elizabeth Sarah Turner, born 27 April 1843 who died in 1845

Sadly, Elizabeth Sarah died at 17 months of scarlatina (the same as her sister, Alice Ann).

The two young daughters were buried in the churchyard of St. John’s Church in St. John’s Wood High Street and it is poignant that they were to be joined a little over two years later by their father, Richard.

In 1841, Richard and Alice were living at 88 High Street, Portland Town where his occupation was given as "Perfumer". Tragically, Richard Turner died of tuberculosis on 19 September 1845 aged just 36 years and his widow, Alice, subsequently married Thomas Furnice on 23 December 1846 at Christchurch, St. Marylebone. She was some nine years younger than Thomas. In 1841, Thomas was employed by Richard Turner as a hairdresser and although he was some years younger than Alice, the marriage appears to have been endorsed by the Turner family as two of her Turner sisters-in-law were witnesses at her second marriage.

Richard Turner left a will, proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 25 October 1845. The will was made on 15 September 1845, just four days before he died. He appointed "my dear wife ... Alice Turner" as his sole executrix. He left his estate to his wife and surviving children. The will was proved on 25 October 1846 when Alice Turner, the relict, appeared before the Worshipful Alfred Waddilove, Doctor of Laws. Handwritten, in the margin of the will, is the statement "Admon with Will of Goods administered granted at the Principal Registry to Peter Pearce Turner the Son on the 5th. day of April 1878".

This account will now concentrate on two of the sons, namely Richard Edward Burdon Turner and Peter Pearce Turner – the descendants of whom have constructed this account.

[Query 5: When and where was Alice Hickman born?]

[Answer: Alice Hickman was born 6 February 1808, and baptised 18 April 1808 at Westminster, St Margaret.]

[Query 6: What is the maiden name of Alice Ann who married John Hickman? – the marriage would have taken place around 1800]

[Answer: Alice Ann ‘s maiden name (mother of Alice Hickman) was HICKS – Alice Ann Hicks was baptised 21 July 1775 at Enfield, Middlesex and married John Hickman Olive on 7 May 1797 at St George Hanover Square.]

[Query 7: Who was William Kemble who appears as the second and third names of the eldest son?]

[Answer: It turns out that William KEMBLE was Edward Turner's grandfather. Grandfather William

Kemball left the sum of £10 in his will of 1792 to his grandson Edward Turner. The full details of how this connection was established and the full contents of the will can be found in this associated article.]

 

 

4.   Richard Edward Burdon TURNER   1831 – 1869

Richard Edward Burdon Turner was born in 1831 and the story of where he got his Christian name of Burdon has been unravelled recently by one of his direct descendants. From the Times Digital Archive, an intriguing article was found about a court case in 1828 involving Alice Hickman's sister Ann and a gentleman, Thomas Burdon, who was "linked to an aristocratic family" (as The Times was very anxious to point out). Ann Hickman was a witness in the court case as she was assaulted in Marylebone out walking with Thomas Burdon by his former jilted lover. The article spared no detail about the arrangements of Thomas Burdon and his former lover, but Ann Hickman came out of it very well and subsequently married Thomas Burdon. It would seem that in 1831, Alice named her firstborn Richard Edward Burdon Turner after her brother-in-law, evidently to curry favour with him. Thomas Burdon then promptly died in the same year and in his will he left provision for the jilted lover – leaving us to wonder what wife Ann thought of this bequest!

Richard Edward Burdon Turner married Jane Madley at Christchurch, Cosway Street on Christmas Day (like his aunt, Maria) in 1850. They had 11 children:

  1. Richard Isaac John Turner born 26th September 1851. In 1871 he married Jane Bird at Christchurch, Marylebone. He was a hairdresser like his father and grandfather and like them died of phthisis (tuberculosis), aged 33 years. He had a son, Richard Edward B. born 1871 who died in 1877 thus ending four generations of Richards who died too young. Nobody has used the name since
  2. Henry James Peter Turner born 16th February 1853. In 1877 he married Emily Bristo Brake and had 11 children, 10 surviving – the same as his parents. He lived in Portland Town/St. John's Wood all his life and died in 1920. His descendants were born and lived in this same area of St. John's Wood until his great grandson's death there last year
  3. Jane Louisa Turner born 11th May 1854. In 1882 she married Henry Clifford Williams and raised a family in Kilburn
  4. Alice Mary Ann Turner born 11th March 1857. When her father died in 1869, leaving her mother with 10 children to provide for, Alice Mary Ann went to Chepstow to her mother's relatives. There she became a teacher and in 1884 married William Vanderplank
  5. Charles Joseph Turner born 13th September 1858. He died in 1859
  6. George John Turner born 20th January 1860. In 1880 he married Eliza Perry at Christchurch, Marylebone and they settled in Edgware Place, off Edgware Road
  7. Frederick William Turner born 8th May 1861. Frederick William joined the Royal Navy at Sheerness and in 1882 married Eliza Wright at St. Barnabas Marylebone
  8. Edward Thomas Turner born 9th July 1862. In 1882 he married Annie Margaret Houghton at St. Barnabas Marylebone
  9. Elizabeth Amelia Turner born 8th November 1863. In 1882 she married Avis Arthur Stratham at St. Marks Marylebone
  10. Joseph Charles Turner born 19th September 1865. In 1885 he married Emily Clifford at Clerkenwell
  11. William James Turner born 8th June 1866

Like his father, Richard Edward Burdon also died comparatively young – he died in 1869 aged just 38.

 

 

 5.   Peter Pearce (Pearse) TURNER   1833 – 1886

Peter Pearce (sometimes spelt Pearse) Turner was born in 1833 and was named after his great-grandfather Peter Pearce, who was the father of Maria Pearce. He was thirteen when his mother re-married in 1846 and four years later, on 19 August 1850, he signed up for the Grenadier Guards. He was just 17 years of age at the time but gave his age as 18 years when he joined the Guards. According to his record of service, Peter Pearce Turner was 5’ 10½” tall, of fresh complexion with hazel eyes and had dark hair.

On the night of the 1851 census, he was stationed at Winchester Barracks. On 10 April 1856, he married Martha Elizabeth Dance at St. Stephen the Martyr, Avenue Road, St. John’s Wood (now demolished) and throughout his military service, she travelled with him when he served abroad.

Peter Pearce was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment of Foot on 1 December 1858. In 1860 the 2nd Battalion was sent to Mauritius where it spent 5 years, after which it left for Burma and then to the Andaman Islands in 1867. Two years later it was based on the Indian mainland. It returned home in 1872 and would remain there until war broke out in Southern Africa in 1878.

The regiment spent 5½ years in Mauritius, nearly 6 years in Burma, and some time in India. Peter Pearce Turner was honourably discharged to pension on 30 January 1872, having given over 21 years service. On that day he was admitted as an out-pensioner of Her Majesty’s Royal Hospital at Chelsea at the rate of two shillings (10p) per day.

Peter Pearce Turner was active in amateur dramatics as evidenced by the fact that on Friday 11 August 1871, the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment staged a benefit performance in his honour – he being the oldest [longest serving] member of the Society. The programme states that the performance was "solely for the benefit of Sergt. P. P. Turner who is about to proceed to England for discharge, on completion of 21 years service." The evening consisted of the three act drama "Susan Hopley" by Catherine Crowe and the one act farce "The Wandering Minstrel" by Henry Mayhew. The character of Herbert Carol was played by a P. Turner. (See image below).

Peter Pearce Turner and Martha Elizabeth Dance had the following children:

  1. Arthur Henry Waterloo Turner, born 18 January 1858 at Kensington Barracks, Westminster
  2. John Edward Turner, born 3 November 1860 at Flacq, Mauritius
  3. George Charles Turner, born 6 October at Cannonies Point, Mauritius
  4. Richard Tom Turner who was born 28 January 1865 at Port Louis, Mauritius
  5. Alice Maud Turner, born 16 March 1867, at Rangoon, Burma
  6. William Frederick Augustus Turner, born 1 July 1869 at Trimulgherry, Madras, India

Their son Richard Tom who was born at Port Louis, Mauritius died some sixteen months later on 3 May 1866 at Rangoon. It certainly seems that sons named Richard did not live to see middle or old age.

On leaving the army, Peter Pearce joined the Middlesex Royal Volunteer Corps and following a glowing testimonial from an officer who knew him, Peter Pearce rose to the rank of Sergeant Major in 1880. He died on 2 December 1886, aged 53 from pneumonia. His widow, Martha Elizabeth died 25 January 1920, aged 90 although the death certificate gives her age as 86. Both are buried at Kensal Green cemetery.

The details of these births have been taken from Peter Pearce Turner’s army pay book, a fascinating document, still in family hands, that has survived to this day. The details of these birth dates are written on one of the pay book’s pages and in the case of John Edward Turner, provides what was thought to be the only extant source that documents John Edward Turner’s actual date of birth. A mystery that the current Turner cousins (the authors of this history) have yet to unravel concerns a copy of a document in our possession that appears to be a page torn out from a family bible(?) which again details the births of Peter Pearce Turner’s children but which additionally provides the date of death of the infant Richard Tom Turner. (See facsimile at the end of this article).

 

 

6.   William Frederick TURNER   1839 – 1868

William Frederick Turner was born 16th September 1839 at 88 High Street, Portland Town, and was just six years and three days old when his father died in 1845.  The 1851 and 1861 censuses show him living with his mother and step-father (Thomas Furnice). 

On the 18th July 1863 he married Sarah Burgess at Trinity Church, Paddington and they had two sons:

  1. Thomas William Turner, born 1864 at Bayswater, West London
  2. John Peter Turner, born 1866 at Marylebone

William Frederick Turner earned his living as a coach/heraldic painter and tragically died of lead poisoning in May 1868 aged only 28 years.  It is very likely that William Frederick Turner was the artist who painted the picture of his brother, Peter Pearce Turner, in his regimental uniform (see image below).

In 1880, his widow, Sarah, married John Deverell, a general dealer who was almost thirty years her senior.  On the 1881 census, the two boys were living with their mother and new step-father in Paddington.  In 1891, Sarah was a widow and living with the elder son, Thomas William Turner whose occupation was given as “Clerk and Violinist”, while on the 1911 census, his stated occupation was “Actor Vocalist”.

On 25th July 1891, Thomas William Turner married Agnes Maud Jemmett at Ealing Parish Church and they had three children:

1.       Reginald Thomas J. Turner, born 1892

2.       Horace Resbridger Turner, born 1894

3.       Doris Kathleen Turner, born 1899

Reginald Turner also joined the army, and in 1911 he was at Portsmouth Barracks, serving in the 2nd Battallion Lincolnshire Regiment.

The younger son, John Peter Turner, must have joined the army as on the 1911 census his occupation is recorded as “Storekeeper” and “Army Pensioner”.   At that time, he was  living in Castleton, Lancashire with wife Annie Mary Turner, formerly Heaton.   They had no children (one having died in infancy).

 

Peter Pearce TURNER  c1863

 

 

7.   Where the Turner Families Lived

Edward and Maria Turner and their known descendants lived in the St. John’s Wood, Marylebone and Paddington areas from the early 1800s until last year! Edward and Maria were living at 141 Edgware Road in 1820 while son Richard lived at 88 High Street Portland Town (St. John’s Wood) from 1833, when he first appeared at that address in the rates book, until his death in 1845. On his return from the army, Peter Pearce Turner and family lived in Cochrane Street (formerly Cochrane Terrace) which seems to be a focus from where many of the subsequent Turner families lived.

Portland Town is the area just to the west of Regents Park. In the early nineteenth century it was owned by the Duke of Portland who gave permission for it to be built on in the late 1820s. In the beginning, Portland Town consisted of Portland Road and all the roads leading from it to the north up to Primrose Hill and Cochrane Terrace. Portland Road soon became Portland High Street, then High Street Portland Town, then High Street St. John's, and finally St. John's Wood High Street! All the streets clustering around the High Street were what was originally known as Portland Town from the 1850s to the late 1870s.

The Duke seemed to be something of an absent landlord because when it was all completed in the early 1830s and he came to see it, he was reputed to have been horrified by the poor quality of the houses. It would seem he imagined they'd be more like the mansions he was used to in and around Marylebone and St. George’s Hanover Square!

The rest of St. John's Wood was built during the mid 1850s when houses of the classic villa type sprung up – the architectural style very much associated with St. John's Wood today. Roads with common names such as Henry Street and Charles Street where there were other streets with the same name in the borough, would be referred to as Henry Street P.T. and Charles Street P.T.

 

 

8.   The Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Connections

 

My cousin and I first published this history in late 2009 – at that time we could only get as far back as 1795, with the marriage of Edward Turner and Maria Pearce.  We would like to thank everyone who has contacted us by e-mail, most of whom turned out to be previously unknown cousins.  We have been able to exchange family anecdotes, pictures and old photographs and it was an e-mail from a 5th cousin which provided us with a major breakthrough in our research. 

Information from our cousin enabled us to establish that Edward Turner was born in 1773 in the village of Little Thurlow in Suffolk.  We were also able to identify that the name “Kemball”, which appears as the third Christian name of Edward Turner’s eldest son, is derived from Edward Turner’s grandfather, William Kemball who was a farmer who lived at Dalham in Suffolk. 

We were also able to trace further back to Edward Turner’s grandfather who was Julian Turner, a painter of Cheveley, Cambridgeshire (a parish close to Dalham, on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border).  Full details of this earlier genealogy of the Turners of St John’s Wood can be found by following this link.

We would be very pleased to hear from you if have any queries, want further information or are a descendant of any of the people mentioned here.   Our e-mail address is:

stjwturner@googlemail.com

 

 

 

Details of the births of the children of Peter Pearce Turner and Martha Elizabeth Dance

 

We would like to hear from and exchange information with any descendants of

Edward Turner and Maria Pearce.

Please contact: stjwturner@googlemail.com