My Turner Family

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Marty and Karla Grant

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Daniel Turner (c1796-1860/70) and Martha Collins (1811-1892) of SC (Marion County)

Introduction - A History of my research on this family

My Turner Family - Data on my Turner ancestors

Introduction

When I first started doing family history (in 1980), I began with my dad's side of the family, but very soon I turned to my mother's side. I knew my mother's mother was a Turner. At this point in time (c1984) my own grandmother Gertrude Turner Campbell was long dead, but several of her siblings were still alive. My mother referred me to my Great Aunt "Dot" (Dorothy Turner Campbell) who was considered the authority on our family history. I was in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Grand Forks, North Dakota, so Aunt Dot and I carried on a correspondence by letter. In just one letter she gave me just about the entire Turner (and Campbell) family history that I now have. She knew it all mostly from her own knowledge, she hadn't been doing any research, this was just information she knew. Dot was my grandmother's sister (Gertrude Turner Campbell) and her husband Aubrey Campbell was a 1st cousin to my grandfather (Alva Gabriel Campbell) so she had data on both sides of my mother's family. I owe her a great deal for what she shared with me.

Aunt Dot gave me data on her father (my great Grandfather) Thomas Lide Turner (1883-1953) and his wife Zadie Idell Watson (1896-1963). She told me they were buried at the McMillan Cemetery near Mullins, SC. She also told me that Thomas' father was Daniel Turner (1846-1915) and his wife was Laura Virginia James (1840-1914). They were also buried at the McMillan Cemetery. She gave me the name of Virginia James' parents as Pinkney and Sophie James, also buried at McMillan, and that Daniel Turner's parents were Daniel Turner and Martha Turner (1811-1892). Martha was buried there also, but she didn't know about Daniel (Sr).

Three Generations of my Turner ancestors were buried at that one cemetery (McMillan), the only one not there was Daniel Turner (Sr), though now I think he is there, just with no tombstone.

I began checking the records to try and prove everything Aunt Dot had told me. I found the death certificate of Thomas Lide Turner and it shows his father as Joyner Daniel Turner and his mother as Laura Virginia James. Census records always showed Daniel as "Daniel Turner" with no indication that it was his middle name. Anyway, this confirmed Aunt Dot's data. I also found the marriage record for Thomas and his wife Zadie.

I found the Daniel Turner and Virginia (James) Turner family listed on the 1910, 1900, 1880 and 1870 census, always in Reaves Township.

In 1860, Daniel Turner, age 13, was at home with his parents Daniel and Martha Turner, and with them in 1850 age 4.

The 1850-1910 census records confirmed the family structure as given to me by Aunt Dot, plus it filled in some data she didn't have.

At that point, I had no solid evidence as to who Daniel Turner (Sr)'s parents were.

Daniel Turner (Sr) was listed on the 1840 census and on the 1830 census in Marion Dist, SC. He was also listed on the 1824 Tax list. That is the earliest record I've located for him. He was not on the 1820 census, though he would have been about 24 then, but was probably still home with his parents, or living with another family as a laborer.

So, in spite of 20 years of research, I still don't know who the parents of Daniel Turner (c1796) are. I have a few suspicions, but nothing I can prove. I think it is very likely that Daniel is a son of either Reuben Turner (1760/65) and Dorothy Martin or of John Turner (1760/65), Reuben's brother.

So, I'd like to give a special "thank you" to my mother (Faye Campbell Grant) and my Great Aunt Dot (Dorothy Turner Campbell 1927-1994) for their help on this family. I'd also like to thank Cousin-in-law Terry Britt for data she has shared with me recently. Over the years I've heard from a few of my Turner cousins, and all (or most) of them have added little bits of data to the family tree, so thanks to all of them as well. I'd also like to thank all my Aunts, Uncles and cousins who have shared data with me on their recent branches of the family.

My Turner ancestors

My earliest known ancestor Daniel Turner was born ca 1795/96 in SC, presumably in the area near Catfish Church, in Bethea Township. This area was part of Georgetown District in 1796, but became Marion in 1798, and remained so until 1910 when it became Dillon County.

Daniel Turner married Martha Collins (1811-1892) ca 1834 in Marion Dist, SC. They lived in the Catfish Church area (Bethea Township) until moving a little east of Mullins (Reaves Township) around 1850-1860.

Daniel and Martha's son Daniel J. Turner (1846-1915) married Laura Virginia James (1840-1914) ca 1868 in the Mullins area.

Daniel and Virginia's son Thomas Lide Turner (1883-1953) married Zadie Idell Watson (1896-1963) and they also lived in the Mullins area.

Thomas and Zadie's daughter Gertrude Turner (1919-1973) married Alva Gabriel Campbell (1916-1980) and they were my grandparents.

I have set up several web pages, each containing documentation, for different branches of this family. Follow the links below for more information.

For information on other Turner families within my area of interest (Marion County, SC and nearby counties) but who are not related to my Turner family, go to my Turner Families page