Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1910 — Turner Family [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Turner Family

The usual, present day spelling of this name Is Turner. Le tour noir—the black castle —is said to be the way the name started out In life. in Normandy there waa a black castle, or un tour noir. The lords of the castle were “les sires de Tournolr." The first of the family to set foot upon English soil, was perhaps a lord de Tournolr, and the time, that memorable date, 1066. It didn't take long, or not more than a century or two. to simplify the name to Turner. It passed through a variety of forms In the transformation process. For example: we find in the records, Turnor, Tournor, Tournaire, Tourneur, Turnier and Turner. Reginald de Turnur was a man of affairs, In King John’s time. Turnerus is given as the Latin form of the name. Some authorities, however, in seeking the origin of the name, take us back to days of chivalry, to the tournay or Turney, and get the name without any trouble whatever, to overthrow, or tilt, or tourne, and the best fellow at the sport, came to be known as the tourner, the turner. The family has been a power In many English countries, and aIBO in Scotland and Ireland. Hall place In Oxford and Cursitor’j Court, Middlesex, are seats of the family. Suffolk, Leicester, Lincoln, Surrey, Norfolk and York ndmber Turners among the “first citizens." Downhathley house, Gloucester, Is another Turner home. The lord mayor of London, 1669, was a Turner, and exactly 100 years later another of the same name, also held this ofllce. The high sheriff of Dublin, and “Second Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer," was a certain James Turner, sometime in the seventeenth century. If we are looking Incidentally for titles, there are plenty and to spare. To mention one or two: Sir Charles Turner was ereated baronet 1727, and Sir James Turner was knighted, for services rendered Gustavus Adolphus, it was Sir James, who In writing of military matters, called the fife the “Allemalne Whistle." One of the well known families of the south Is that of the Turners, where the name is also spelled Tourner. The family was one of the early settlers In Virginia, and other states, Kentucky being one. It was the pretty daughter of Judge Turner of Kentucky who became the wile of John Lewis Buford. The Bufords numbered among their forbears the Marshals and Hickmans. The Turners were of the F. F. V.'s, and among those of whom It can be said that some of the host blood In England was brought to Virginia when the cavaliers sought refuge within her

borders. We are not positive, however, that the immigrant Turners were cavaliers. We are certain that they had both birth and breeding; that! they were heroes in many a wellearned battle, and victory often perched upon their banners. William seems to be a favorite name In the Turner family. Of the New England family of Turners we find that they, too, have their

history, and they were patriots ah ways. Isaac, Jedediah and Matthew of Connecticut, served In colonial wars, and In the revolution. The family can boast of numbering In its ranks one of the greatest of all landscape painters—Joseph M. W. Turner, who is called “one of the seven supreme colorists In the world.” Ho was of the Devonshire branch of the family. v;' The coat of arms Illustrated la bias* oned: Sable, a chevron, ermine, be> tween three fersde —mollne, or; on m chief, argent, a lion, passant, gules. Crest: A lion < passant, gules hold" ing in his dexter paw, a laurel branch< vert. This belongs to the Turners of Devonshire, and the date of its grant" ing Is 1620. No motto Is given with this coat-of« arms, but different branches of th« family have mottoes. Pro Patrin Id one; Utile Quod Taclas, la another;* others are Vtnclt Qul Patltur, and Tune Cede Mails. u. •