Surname Saturday: Turner

Surname Saturday Post #5

The Turners are a family related to me through my paternal line. The Turners came into my paternal line when Mary Turner married William H. Fitzwater in 1853 in Virginia. The Fitzwaters then married into the Nesselrodts who then married into the Caldwells- which is my maiden name and my direct relations.

The first Turner appears on my family tree in 1732. James Turner was born in 1732, possibly in Germany, Maryland, or Virginia. I say "possibly" only because I don't have any evidence of this other than what others have put in public trees, and this information, without sources cited, does not live up to the Genealogy Proof Standard.

James Turner possibly served during the Revolutionary War in Captain John Stith's Company of the 4th Regiment in Virginia. The records that I have indicate he enlisted on November 18, 1978.

U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. 'Do' is an abbreviation of the word 'ditto' something that I learned from reviewing these old Revolutionary War records.

A member of Ancestry.com, 'ckeister' uploaded this picture and connected it to James Turner, the caption says this is the James Turner house near Fulks Run. I'm not sure if this home was built by the first James Turner, or by his subsequent relations, who are also named James Turner. It appears this photo comes from a newspaper article.

James Turner was married to Mary or Maria Zetty, born about 1735 and died about 1806. I know of two children, James II and Maria. Here is a photo of Maria, my 7th great-aunt, possibly in front of the family home, often referred to as the Homeplace. Maria later married into The Ritchies, another family on my line. All of Rockingham County, seems to be intermarried. I appear to be related to every old family there!

This photo is from Maria's Find a Grave Memorial and was uploaded by user 'Joy Schmidt McGregor'.

James Turner II was born in either 1765 or 1766 in Fulks Run, Virginia. Around 1787 he married Christina Frankforter in Carroll County, Maryland at what appears to be Paul Protestant Episcopal Church. This record also confirms James Turner's parents as James Turner I and Mary.

James Turner II was possibly a Post-Revolutionary War volunteer soldier.

U.S. Compiled Service Records, Post-Revolutionary War Volunteer Soldiers, 1784-1811.

James and Christina had one known child, James Turner III. I'm sure they had many more, I just don't have them on my tree yet. James III was born in 1810 and lived and died in Rockingham County, Virginia. James III married Margaret Fulk, probably from the family that Fulk's Run is named after and another family which is prominent on my family tree. James and Margaret had four children that I know of though, their names were abbreviated in the records, so I may have them slightly off. I believe they were Daniel, Benjamin, Nasson(?), and Mary.

From Ancestry.com user 'tbmax571'.

Mary is the ancestor who brought the Turner's into the Fitzwater line which I spoke of at the beginning of this post.

James III died at the age of 50 of Bilious Fever which he suffered from for 6 weeks before dying. According to the website Antiquus Morbus, Bilious Fever was a diagnosis given when a fever was accompanied by "a frequent or copius evacuation of bile, either by vomit or stool."