Thomas TURNER

                   NOTE: There are "tidbits" stories on Clyde Turner's Flash drive under file labeled CTT-Notes 2014-01; Turner Genealogy-Kingston 1314KB.

   John Burton Turner was a Steamboat Captain. At Captain Turner's death his old Steamboat bell hung in the Methodist Church and tolled his death. In the 1850's the bell was used on steamboats instead of a whistle.

   Captain John B. Turner moved to Antioch in 1863 and engaged in the steamboat business with his brothers, carrying freight, cattle, and passengers. They made thousands of dollars before the railroads and sunk it in gold mines in Sonora, California. Investments in Sonora gold mines were not as successful as the Goldfield, Neveda one.

   Turner Family Plot: Oakview Memorial Cemetery, Highway 4, Antioch. It is a Protestant Cemetery. (John was Methodist however.) John took his children to the Methodist Church after Mass agreeing to raise the children Catholic for Maria. Nance and Ruth spoke about how they all marched down the aisles of the churches in their Sunday best, taking up a whole pew in each church.

   Elementary School #7 became "John B. Turner School."

   John B. left Gold Nuggets for family expenses while on trips. 

   He encouraged his sons to earn their living working for themselves.

   Ruth remarked about her father John B, who traveled a great deal, "Every time he came home and hung his pantaloons on the bedpost there would be another baby"

   In a letter to Dot (Dorothy): From the Turner Bible: Maria Agnes Fleming Turner (our grandmother); Sallie Mulhearn Fleming (our great grandmother); Mary Collins Mulhearn (our great great grandmother). 

   Patrick and Michael Collins were uncles (or great uncles?). Michael became a priest and moved to New York. Sallie Mulhearn married Frank Fleming, a farmer from Roscommon, Ireland. Three girls and two boys were born. The two boys died as babies-also their sister Kate. Frank Fleming came to America and died in New Orleans of Yellow Fever.

   Maria Agnes Fleming (our grandmother) was born in Dunsmore, County Galway, Ireland, in 1847. She sailed for San Francisco in 1869 with friends-Nellie Bruce and her five sisters. Nellie married a Doctor Bruce and our grandmother, Maria Agnes Fleming, met and married Captain John B. Turner shortly after her arrival. 

   Our grandfather, Captain John B. Turner was born in Saline County, Missouri on May 1, 1831. His father, Thomas Turner, was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. He died May 10, 1866 at the age of 56 in Antioch, California. Thomas Turner, our great grandfather, was a pioneer in the great West and built the first fort in Missouri during the Black Hawk War. They crossed the plains in covered wagons in 1849 and engaged in the cattle business. In the 1850's Captain John Turner and his two brothers owned a steamboat which was called "The Antioch." It sailed on the San Joaquin and the Sacramento Rivers. There were no railroads in those days and they did a big business hauling freight and cattle and passengers.

   Our grandfather's mother, Catherine Turner, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She died May 2, 1875 at 51 years 11 months and is buried in the family plot in Antioch. She was a very devout little Methodist and the old family bible shows the print of her pencil as she marked certain passages. Our grandmother Maria Fleming Turner, used to say she was so religious that she wouldn't cook on Sunday.

   (Signed) Your lilttle Aunt Ruth

   The above is a letter to me from Aunt Ruth Bates and she ended it with "God bless them all and may they be in heaven. God bless you girls and your dear husbands and little families."

Obituary: "Captain John B. Turner died very suddenly Tuesday (19 May 1903) morning about 9:30 o'clock of heart failure. The funeral was held Thursday (21 May 1903) afternoon from the Methodist Church. Captain Turner was a native of Ayre Rock, Missouri and was aged 72 years 19 days. He left a widow and brother, Major Turner, and Thomas, John B., James T., George A., William G., Frank M., Ruth, Bert, Ben, Sadie, his children to mourn his loss."

   John Burton Turner was found in the 1870, 1880, and 1900 censuses.

   In the 1880 census of Township Five, Countra Costa County, CA, En Dist. 49, sheet 707, p. 64 (BYU film #1254064) the John Burton Turner household included: John Turner, age 49, married, sportsman, born Missouri, father born Virginia, mother born Kentucky; Maria Turner, age 27, wife, married, keeping house, born Ireland, both parents born in Ireland; Thomas Turner, age 10, son, going to school; John Turner, age 9, son, going to school; Abraham Turner age 8, son, Talton Turner, age 7, son; William Turner, age 3, son, Major Turner, age 2, son; Lillie Turner, age 5, dau., sick typhoice (thypus) fever; & Burton Reese, age 56, uncle, single & widowed, farmer, born Missouri, and his mother & father born Kentucky. All the children were born in California, their father born in Missouri, and mother in Ireland. Census was taken 8 July 1880. 

   In the 1900 census of Antioch, Contra Costa, CA, En. Dist. 414, p. 312, sheet 11 (BYU film #1240085)
the John Burton Turner Family lived on Wyatt Street and his household included: John B. Turner, head, born May 1831, age 69, married 31 years, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Kentucky, retired captain, owned a house; Mira Turner, wife, born July 1850, age 49, married 31 years, 11 of 11 children living, born Ireland, immigrated in 1862, in the U.S. 38 years, naturalized; John B. Turner, son, born Apr 1872, age 28, single, rich and proprietor; James T. Turner, son, born July 1873, single (?) keeper; Frank M. Turner, son, born Feb 1879, age 21, single, barber; Burton C. Turner, son, born Oct 1881, age 18, single; Benamin T. Turner, son, born Jan 1886, age 14, at school; Sadie L. Turner, dau., born June 1887, age 12; and Eric F. Turner, grandson, born Nov 1894, age 5 born California and both parents born in California. All the children were born in California, father born in Missouri, and mother in Ireland. All could read, write and speak English. This census was taken 14 June 1900.
                  

                      In the 1900 census of the Sixth Township, Tuolumne Co., CA, En. Dist. 130, p. 12A, sheet 19 (BYU film # 1240116) Major Turner was found living with his sister Elizabeth and her husband, William Jones, with the following info listed for him: Major Turner, bro.-in-law, born Dec 1838, age 61, married, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Kentucky, engineer sta. Census taken 26 Jun 1900.
                  

                   NOTE: Nickname "Abe." Captain Abe also joined his brother John Burton Turner as a Steamboat Captain. 

   Captain John B. Turner moved to Antioch in 1863 and engaged in the steamboat business with his brothers. They made thousands of dollars before the railroads and sunk it in gold mines in Sonora, California.