James Turner (1813 - 1850)

Born 4 Jul 1813 in Naunton, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Hunt) Turner — married 8 Nov 1842 in St Andrew, Miserden, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England

Descendants

Died 11 Apr 1850 at age 36 in Miserden, Painswick, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

This profile is part of the Turner Name Study.

James Turner was baptized on Sunday, July 04, 1813 at St. Andrews Church, Naunton, Gloucestershire, England. He was the son of John Turner and Sarah Larner. It is not known when he was born, but it was certainly common practice to baptize infants at that time, so he was likely born only a week or so earlier. The name Turner is very common in the area and it is likely that not all of his siblings have been found. Not enough research has been done yet to know for sure which other children are theirs, but it seems likely that James was at least their third child and also their third son. As the baptism indexes only go back to 1813, a volunteer at The Gloucestershire Family History Society, (GFHS), has looked for more children from John and Sarah Turner in Naunton. James Turner appears to have had two older brothers, George baptized Nov. 4, 1804 and William, baptized April 12, 1807, both at Naunton.

Now that the name of James’ parents were at least partially known, and that they had at least three children baptized in Naunton between 1804 and 1813, it seems likely that they were married there. So the goal next was to find a marriage of a John Turner to a Sarah before about May of 1804 and in or near Naunton as people generally did not move about great distances in those days. Two such marriages were found, a Jonathan Turner married a Sarah Holder at Painswick in 1800 and a John Turner married a Sarah Larner at Stow-on-the-Wold in 1803. It is about 18 ½ miles from Painswick to Naunton and only about 4 ½ miles from Stow-on-the-Wold to Naunton, thus it is considered much more likely that James parents were John Turner and Sarah Larner who were married on St. Stephen’s Day, Dec. 26, 1803 at Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.

Further analysis of the Gloucestershire baptism record index of 1813 to 1837 reveals 7 more Turner baptisms to parents John Turner and Sarah. The first is a William Turner baptized in May of 1813. Since my 2X great grandfather Turner is definitely James Turner also born in 1813, this William must be another family and also the location is Chaceley about 18 miles from Naunton. The next six Turner children were all baptized at Wotton under Edge, also in Gloucestershire and about 30 miles south-west from Naunton. It is most likely that John and Sarah Turner did have more children, so it appears that they must have moved to Wotton-under-Edge sometime between 1813 and Nov. 11, 1819 when their fourth child, Charles was born. For all of these subsequent baptisms, the father, John Turner is listed as first a clothworker, then a spinner, and finally, a labourer. Charles was not baptized until August 3, 1823 at the same time as his probable sister, Mary. The next child and possibly the 5th. for John and Sarah Turner and at last a sister for James was Mary, born April 19, 1823 and baptized on August 3 the same year. A possible sixth child and fifth son, John was born Sept. 14, 1825 and baptized Sept. 2, 1827. The records then list two Turner children both born to a couple, John and Sarah Tuner and both baptized on April 1, 1832 at Wotton under Edge. There is no way to distinguish between these two children, however it could be that John and Sarah had twin boys as their seventh and eighth children.

Nothing is known of James Turner’s life growing up and how he eventually met his wife as full censuses were not taken until 1841. The census of 1801 only asked local officials to provide information on the number of inhabited and uninhabited houses in the parish and how many families occupied them; the number of people in the parish and their employment; and numbers of baptisms, burials and marriages in the previous 100 years. A similar format was followed for the censuses of 1811, 1821 and 1831, with the addition of further questions. Most of the early returns for 1801-1831 were destroyed, only statistical summaries being published. Those few returns that survive are now usually in the local County Record Offices. The returns usually only name the householder and list the number of people in the house, although occasionally the whole population is listed. It wasn’t until the Population Act of 1840 that personal information began to appear in census records with 1841 being the first of any real use to genealogists. Thus it is essentially impossible to track a person or family other than by baptism, marriage, burial and estate records and with very common surnames, it can be very difficult.

So, the next time James Turner should be found is the 1841 English census which was taken June 6-7, 1841. There are six James Turners in the 1841 UK census who were born in Gloucestershire about 1813 and were living there in 1841. The most probable is one living at the village of Farmington and working as an agricultural or farm labourer on a farm called Empshill Farm. This was the occupation given for James on his death certificate and in his wife's letters of estate administration.

It is not known how James Turner met his wife, but it is quite likely through church or family friends. In any event, James did meet a young lady, a 22 year old woman, named Mary Hunt and they were married on a Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1842 at St. Andrew’s Church, Miserden in the District of Stroud, in the county of Gloucestershire. Mary was the fourth child and only daughter of Thomas Hunt and Mary Hale. Mary Hunt had three older brothers, John, Charles and Cornelius as well as one younger brother, Benjamin, born about four years after Mary’s birth. The Hunt family appears to have lived all of their lives in Miserden and at least all of Mary’s married life would also be in Miserden. Mary is found in the 1841 census of June 6-7, living with her parents and her younger brother, Benjamin.

Miserden is about 14 miles from Farmington, but as it is over 26 miles from Wotton under Edge to Farmington, if it is the correct James Turner in the 1841 census, working on a farm at Empshill, Farmington, then he was certainly a traveler for that time period.

James Turner and Mary Hunt had four children in their short married life together; William, born in 1844; Alfred, born Dec. 6, 1845; Benjamin, born 1848; and Mary Johanna, born in the fall of 1850 after her father had already died. They appear to have lived in Miserden as at least Alfred is known to have been born there from his birth certificate and James died there on April 11, 1850 and was buried at St. Andrews on April 14, 1850. He is listed as having died from inflammation of the lungs and as already stated was still and agricultural worker.

Miserden is a village and civil parish in the Stroud District of Gloucestershire, England, 4 miles north east of Stroud. The parish includes Whiteway Colony and the hamlets of Sudgrove and The Camp. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 420, increasing to 449 at the 2011 census. The village lies in the Cotswolds Hills at an elevation of over 800 ft, above the valley of the River Frome. Until the Middle Ages, Miserden was known as Greenhampstead, and was mentioned by that name in the Domesday Book. The name Miserden derives from Musardera, "Musard's manor" - Musard was the name of the family which held the manor at the time of the Domesday Book. Robert Musard built Miserden Castle in the 12th century.

James Turner died intestate meaning he did not have a will, but Mary was not to outdone from her rightful inheritance as she filed for papers of administration to be allowed to claim her entitlement and to settle the estate.

Sources

• Baptism record of James Turner: Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England, Reference Numbers: GDR/V1/284. July 04, 1813.
• 1841 UK Census: Family; HO107/351/6; Gloucester; Farmington; Folio 8; Page 11 Single, on his own working. [It cannot be ascertained for certain if this is the correct James Turner, but this is the most likely.]
• Marriage record of James Turner to Mary Hunt November 08, 1842 at St Andrew, Miserden, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. Gloucestershire County Registers, Register C24/1 Entry 15, Stroud, Miserden.
• Death record of James Turner April 11, 1850, buried April 14, 1850. Miserden, Painswick, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. General Register Office, England, 1850 Stroud Vol 11 Page 329.