John Gemmel Turner (1866 - 1922)

Born 17 Sep 1866 in Abbey, Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Henrietta Eliza (Hanson) Turner — married 31 Dec 1888 in St Silas Church, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 21 Mar 1922 at age 55 in Wellington, New Zealand

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Biography

Johnny Turner migrated from Scotland to Australia.

Johnny Turner migrated from Australia to New Zealand.

Family

Husband: John Gemmel Turner

Wife: Henrietta Eliza Hanson (Hettie)

Married: 31 December 1888, St Silas Church, Albert Park, South Melbourne, Australia

Children':

1. Mary Elsie Turner
2. Johnny (Chummy) Turner
3. Elsie Etta May Gemmel Turner
4. Viola Jean Tannahill Turner

John Gemmell (known as Johnny), was born in Paisley in 1866 and educated there and at Greenock. Teacher of Mandolin, Banjo and Guitar, Barker Street, Wellington. His father was a wood-turner, and the subject of this sketch learnt that trade, which he still carried on in the daytime, giving musical instruction in the evening. When twelve years of age Johnny came to Melbourne, where a year later he took his first lessons on the violin. He received his musical education under Mr. Ringwood, Miss Alma West, pupil of the late Signor Zelman and Signor Manuel Lopez, of the original Spanish Students, with which organization Mr. Turner played for a number of years. Johnny played over thirty different instruments, the knowledge of which had been acquired mostly without assistance. While in Melbourne in 1892 and 1893, he played with the Spanish Students. He was also a member of the Melbourne Estudiantina Society for some time and played at concerts and entertainments of every description. In 1888 he married, and in 1893, accompanied by Mrs. Turner, moved to Dunedin. Getting a three weeks' engagement at the Exchange Hall, Johnny decided to settle in Wellington, where he resided continuously until his death. In 1894 he secured a season's engagement at the popular concerts then being conducted during the winter months. During his stay in Wellington he appeared at entertainments of different kinds, and had the reputation of being able to take music out of almost anything. Both Mrs. Turner and he belonged to very musical families. Johnny took a keen interest in his work and many hundreds of pupils have passed through his hands. He was ·appointed Examiner in Wellington for Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar by the London College of Banjoists and the International Union of Musicians.

Music and memories - the virtuoso John Gemmell Turner. If there is music in the afterlife, the celestial bandleader would have been hard-pressed to know which instrument to hand John Gemmell Turner when he arrived in 1922.

Turner - Johnny to his family and his many friends - was reputed to be able to play more than 30 instruments, and to have taught himself to play most of them.

He was born in Paisley, Glasgow, in 1866 and migrated to Melbourne with his parents at the age of 12. There he studied music under teachers including the string virtuoso Signor Manuel Lopez, playing for a number of years with Lopez's famed orchestra The Spanish Students.

Turner married his wife Henrietta - Hettie - in Australia before setting sail for New Zealand. They arrived in Dunedin in 1893 but eventually settled in Wellington, setting up home at 83 Kent Terrace. In 1899 and 1900 Hettie gave birth to daughters Elsie and Viola Jean, who was always known as Jean.

Turner was soon established as a teacher, and was accredited as examiner in banjo, mandolin, and guitar by the London College of Banjoists, and in mandolin and guitar by the International Union of Musicians. He was described as "a musician of exceptional attainments", and hundreds or even thousands of pupils passed through his hands. These included daughters Elsie and Jean, who were both later described as accomplished musicians.

As well as teaching, Turner founded and led a successful orchestra which was known for its willingness to play in support of charitable causes.

He died on 21 March 1922 at the family home in Kent Terrace after a short illness, at the early age of 55.

The Evening Post observed that he would be "greatly missed by a very wide circle of friends". The publication New Zealand Theatre & Motion Picture ("read by 17,000 New Zealanders monthly") noted he was a man of sterling qualities and "his likeable personality endeared him to all with whom he came in contact".

Despite his popularity, his funeral on 23 March 1922 was a private affair. A few days later Hettie and their daughters took out an advert in the Evening Post to "express their sincere thanks and appreciation of the assistance and messages of sympathy extended to them by their many kind friends". They particularly wished to thank Dr Hislop and Nurse Walker for the attention and kindness to the late Mr Turner.

Appropriately, Turner was not quickly forgotten. Every March a flurry of In Memoriam adverts would appear, from Hettie, Elsie and Jean but also from former pupils and friends. After Hettie's death in 1932 Jean kept up the tradition until at least 1944: "to the dear memory of my beloved Dad. Ever remembered and loved".

Johnny and Hettie's grave at Karori is topped by a smart, black marble monument. The inscription to Turner reads: "He who sleeps here leaves an everlasting memory of a life lived for others. A father and husband infinitely kind and beloved by all." The inscription for Hettie is no less glowing: "She leaves behind the memory of a courageous life, unselfish, staunch and devoted."

His musician friends added their own coda in black marble: "Erected as a token of esteem by the members of his orchestra". ^[1]

(PUBLIC2 368L, 70150)

Sources: National Library of New Zealand; Victoria University; archive.org Posted 23rd December 2013 by Underground History

New Zealand Theatre and Motion Picture 1 May 1922 John Turner - Obituary Death of John G. Turner*

General regret will be expressed at the death on the 21st March, of Mr. John Gemmell Turner, Music Teacher, at his late residence 83 Kent Terrace, Wellington, at the age of 55 years.

The late Mr. Turner was born in Scotland and arrived with his parents in Melbourne at the age of 12 years, where he received his musical education under Mr. Ringwood, Miss Alma West, pupil of the late Signor Zelman and Signor Manuel Lopez, of the original Spanish Students, with which organization Mr. Turner played for a number of years.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Turner (who come of musical families) arrived in Dunedin in the early nineties, and later settled in Wellington where he commenced teaching his profession and formed an orchestra whose ser- vices have always been willingly given in aid of charity. The late Mr. Turner took a keen interest in his work and many hundreds of pupils have passed through his hands. He was appointed Examiner in Wellington for Banjo, Mandoline and Guitar by the London College of Banjoists and the International Union of Musicians.

The late Mr. Turner was a man of sterling qualities and his likeable per- sonality endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. He leaves a widow and two daughters, Misses Elsie and Jean Turner, both of whom are musicians.

OBITUARY EVENING STAR, ISSUE 17928, 25 MARCH 1922 ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ https://undergroundhistory.blogspot.com/2013/12/music-and-memories-virtuoso-john.html
2. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19220325.2.2?end_date=31-03-1922&items_per_page=10&query=john+turner&snippet=false&start_date=21-03-1922

• Birth Sources

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C11559-1 System Origin: Scotland-ODM GS Film number: 6035516