Kerenhappuch (Norman) Turner (abt. 1709 - 1804)

Born about 1709 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of James Turner Sr. — married before 30 Jan 1733 in Spotsylvania County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died 14 Jan 1804 at about age 95 in Richmond County, North Carolina

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Biography

Kerenhappuch (Norman) Turner performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Kerenhappuch (Norman) Turner is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A117148.

She was born about 1709 in the north central part of the Colony of Virginia (probably Spotsylvania County) and her parents were Frances (Courtney, 1684–1752) and Isaac Norman (1682–1748), a well known tobacco planter.

Kerenhappuch Norman married in Spotsylvania County, Virginia to James Turner (1716–1773), the son of a prominent Maryland family and also a tobacco planter.

Deed records show that following the wedding, her father, Isaac Norman, deeded a portion of his home plantation to his daughter and her new husband. Date of Deed 30 Jan 1733.

In 1765 they sold 100 acres of land with their dwelling to William Lightfoot. According to their descendants, they moved to Halifax County, Virginia.

In her old age, she is said to have spent much time with her daughter on Little River in Richmond County, North Carolina, USA.

She rode horseback and hunted with her grandsons. It was on one of these hunts that she was said to have fallen from her horse and sustained a broken neck which resulted in her death on 14 Jan 1804 in Richmond, Montgomery County, North Carolina, USA. It is not known where she was buried. ^[1]

Children

• Sarah Turner, b: 1724; m: James Smith, res: Charles Co, MD > Smith Mountain, Richmond Co, NC; descendant includes Dr. Jean Stephenson of Washington, D.C.; occ: former National Chairman of Genealogical records of D.A.R.; her grandfather, John Smith Napier, was trained as a doctor because his great-grandmother, Kerenhappuck, had asked that he be so educated.

• Elizabeth Turner, m: Joseph Morehead, res: Fauquier Co, VA; grandson was John Motley Morehead, occ: Governor of North Carolina and also a national figure. His home "Blandwood" in Greensboro, North Carolina has been a show place in the state for years.

• Kerenhappuck Turner, m: 1759 James Sanford; with 6 children including James Turner Sanford, occ: 1824 Congressman from Tennessee.

• James Turner, Jr., b: c1750; res: Halifax County, VA > Montgomery Co, NC; d: 1809; m: 1780 Sarah Irby.

• Mary Turner, m: Charles Morehead, res: Fauquier Co, VA; with son Charles Morehead, occ: Kentucky legislature; m: Margaret Slaughter; their son, Charles Slaughter Morehead, occ: Governor of Kentucky & 4 years in U.S. Senate.

- Armistead Morehead’s son, James Turner Morehead, was also Governor of Kentucky & U.S. Senator.

- A great-grandson of Charles Morehead & Mary Turner, was General Simon Bolivar Buckner.

Revolutionary War

When she was in her 50s or 60s she personally assisted the American side by riding as a courier to carry dispatches for American patriot forces across enemy British lines - apparently the British didn't suspect that an older lady such as she could give them any problems. However, on one occasion when the ferries over the James River were tightly guarded by the British, it is recorded that Kerenhappuch swam the river on horseback to elude detection.

Records of the revolutionary war indicate that her son, Captain James Turner's company went south and was in the sieges at Halifax County and Fort Ninety Six, and also fought in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

In March of 1781 the company was posted to guard duties in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Guilford Courthouse had been the seat of government for Guilford County, North Carolina since 1774, and it was toward this site that, on March 15, 1781, the 1,900 man army of British Lord Charles Cornwallis was marching.

Unbeknownst to Cornwallis, a 4,400 man army of colonial troops under Major General Nathanael Greene was lying in wait, well hidden in dense forest foliage. The ensuing battle was fierce; when it was over more than 27% of the British had suffered injury or death compared to only 6% for the Americans who claimed victory in the battle. Although neither side gained a decisive advantage in this battle, the British loss of troops was so great that it forced them to abandon the Carolinas, and this eventually led to their defeat at Yorktown.

Eight descendants of Kerenhappuch Turner (her son and seven grandsons) fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House. Captain James Turner and one of the grandsons were gravely wounded. When word of this reached Kerenhappuch, she rushed on horseback through hostile lines to administer to her kin and others who had suffered injuries in the battle. She is most famous for this ride. When she started out for Guilford she was carrying a sick infant with her on the horse. At some point during this journey, the infant died and was buried alongside the trail. By risking her life in this manner, Kerenhappuch Turner had become a true heroine of America's first war.

The history of the Morehead family tells of how she found her grandson on Guilford battlefield and nursed him back to health in the New Garden Quaker Meeting House. She rigged a bucket of water from the rafters of a cabin to allow water to drip on her relative's wound, so as to eliminate infection. She went on to organize the hospital corps.

A monument was erected in her memory on the battlefield there (now Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in outskirts of Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA) and dedicated to her memory on July 4, 1902. Its granite base is crowned with the bronze figure of a woman clad in the costume of her time carrying in her hand the symbol of her ministry on the battle field, a folded towel over her arm and a tea cup and saucer in her hand. It is believed that this was the first monument ever erected to a revolutionary war heroine.

Inscription on her statue ...

"A Heroine of `76 Mrs. Kerenhappuch Turner, mother of Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph Morehead of NC; and grandmother of Captain James and of John Morehead, a young NC soldier under greene, rode horse-back from her Maryland home and at Guilford Courthouse, nursed to health a badly wounded son."

Research Notes

A source is needed to confirm the correct marriage date ...

m: 30 Jan 1732/3 ? OR

m: 07 May 1734 ?

Discrepancy

Source discrepancy on various dates and places. Historians do not seem to agree on Birth/Death dates. Bio#1 & Bio#2 for Karenhappuch Norman

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #43721050 for Kerenhappuch (Norman) Turner, b: 1716; d: 1805 Richmond County, North Carolina, USA; Cenotaph at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA; with photos of memorial statue

• DAR Ancestor #A117148 Patriot of the American Revolution for Virginia; per DAR, she knew herself to be a descendant of William the Conqueror

• Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records 1639-1850 on ancestry.com citing "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia" 1745-1800 by Lyman Chalkley & Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, MD; extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County

• FamilySearch.org L8BV-28W for Kerenhappuch Norman

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications 1889-1970 compiled by National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution of Louisville, Kentucky; on ancestry.com; for Kerenhappuch Norman, b: 1692 Spotsylvania County, Virginia; res: USA; d: 1807 (Montgomery, Virginia or Greensboro, North Carolina ?)

• Millennium File by Heritage Consulting on ancestry.com; for Kerenhappuch Norman, b: 1711 Halifax, Virginia; d: 1805 Richmond, North Carolina, USA

• World Connect Family Tree for Karenhappuch Norman

• Ancestors of Robert Ian Williams

• MyHeritage Family Tree, res: USA

• Ancestry Family Tree submitted by ancestry.com member

• http://www.ronulrich.com/rfuged/nti01479.htm TMG - broken link