Key Facts

Snapshot:	farmer
Parents:	220William Turner His mother's identity is unknown.
Born:	circa 1800 Georgia, probably Hancock County
Died:	sometime between 1854 and 1857 presumably Henry County, Georgia
Buried:	unknown

110William T. Turner was born in Georgia circa 1800.1 His father is 220William Turner, as explained below.

Problem: Resolved Who is 110William's father? In 1850 an 84 year-old man named "W. Turner" was living in 110William's home.1 Likewise, in 1840 110William had a man of age 70-79 living with him.2 On 21 March 1846, "William Turner," age 78, deposed that in autumn 1784 he had moved to (what later became) Hancock County, Georgia and resided there for at least 13 years (and the record insinuates that he continued living there beyond 13 years).3 Likewise, we know that 110William married in Hancock County in 1826,4 when he was about 26 years old,1 so it's plausible that he grew up there. Although the relationship between 110William and 220William is not explicitly stated, their longterm cohabitation, evidence that both men had earlier ties to Hancock County around the same time, their relative ages, and the repetition of the name "William" makes a father-son relationship nearly undeniable.

110William married 111Sarah Grant on 26 September 1826 in Hancock County, Georgia.4

110William's and 111Sarah's marriage certificate. Full page.4

Somewhat peculiarly, 110William moved his family to Henry County, Georgia,* where we find them in 18305 and 1840,2 and (at least for 1840) more specifically in militia district 638 (map).2 An 1837 tax digest suggests they must have been rather poor, since 110William owned no real estate and paid very little tax.6 (Notably, 110William's father 220William also moved to Henry County around this time. In 1830 he was living independently but apparently somewhat near 110William.7 By 1840, he had moved in with his son.2)

1830: 110William's family in Henry County, Georgia. Full page.5

1840: 110William's family in militia district 638 (map), Henry County, Georgia. Full page.2

The 1850 census shows his growing family, still in Henry County.1 Again, notice 84 year-old "W. Turner," who was almost certainly 110William's father. That year's agriculture schedule (which you can see here: 1, 2) shows that the family owned/grew 1 horse, 1 cow, 12 pigs, Indian corn, oats, sweet potatoes, and butter.8

1850: 110William's family still in Henry County. Full page.1

An 1854 tax digest shows that 110William had two children enrolled in a "poor school." 9

110William died sometime between 1854 and 1857. (Somewhat confusingly, an 1857 tax digest lists him as a taxpayer10 yet elsewhere in the same book lists his wife 111Sarah as a widow taxpayer.11 The 1860 census affirms her widowhood.12) Despite his death, I find no relevant entry in Henry County's estate records index book—not surprising, considering his poor financial state.

Footnotes:

*

Why 110William would have moved the considerable distance from Hancock County to Henry County is unclear to me. Furthermore, I see no relevant entry in Henry County's deeds index book that could explain when and where he moved to Henry County. However, cross-referencing the death certificate of his son William Lucas Turner13 with the 18501 and 186012 censuses proves that couple in the marriage record is one and the same as the family in the 1850 census.

Sources Cited:

1: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). District 42, Henry County, Georgia. Page 261B, dwelling 1057, family 1057, W. T. Turner household. NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 73. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QFS-RCR?i=147&cc=1401638&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMZYR-93F>, accessed 12 November 2022.

2: 1840 U.S. Federal Census. Militia district 638, Henry County, Georgia. Page 344, W. T. Turner household. NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 43. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YTL-QMW?i=2&cc=1786457&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXHBZ-2MS>, accessed 12 November 2022.

3: National Archives microfilm series M804 (Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1906), reel 2408, folder for Thomas Trammell. You can download a copy of the relevant microfilm images.

4: Hancock County, Georgia. Marriage book for the years 1808-1879, page 46, line 29. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBZ6-2GX?cc=1927197&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKXJ2-WLY>, accessed 12 November 2022.

5: 1830 U.S. Federal Census. Henry County, Georgia. Page 247, William Turner Jr. household. NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 18. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB7-N16?i=97&cc=1803958&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXHPL-VJ4>, accessed 22 November 2022.

6: Henry County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1837, section for militia district 638, entry for William T. Turner. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 / Henry / 1837 / images 106 and 107 of 144), accessed 2 December 2022.

7: 1830 U.S. Federal Census. Henry County, Georgia. Page 245, William Turner household. NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 18. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB7-J4B?i=93&cc=1803958&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXHPL-VFW>, accessed 22 November 2022.

8: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Agriculture Schedule). Henry County, Georgia. District 871, uncertain page [The pages are numbered, but I'm unable to read the numbers.], entry 6, W. T. Turner farm. NARA microfilm publication T1137, roll 2. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / 1850 / Henry / District 871, image 1 of 1; and / District 875, image 1 of 2), accessed 2 December 2022; I've cropped the images from their original appearance. The NARA provides a helpful template.

9: Henry County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1854, McMullins' district, page 13, entry for William T. Turner. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 / Henry / 1854 / images 27 and 28 of 137), accessed 2 December 2022.

10: Henry County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1857, McMullins' district, page 7, entry for William T. Turner. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 / Henry / 1857 / images 14 and 15 of 150), accessed 2 December 2022.

11: Henry County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1857, McMullins' district, page 13, entry for Sarah Turner (wid). Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 / Henry / 1857 / images 25 and 26 of 150), accessed 2 December 2022.

12: 1860 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Henry County, Georgia. Page 86, dwelling 638, family 638, Sarah Turner. NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 127. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBB-SPGP?i=85&cc=1473181&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMZM8-GB4>, accessed 12 November 2022.

13: Henry County, Georgia death certificate 20873 for William Lucas Turner, who died 9 August 1924. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3VY-DXS7-W7?i=206&cc=1320969>, accessed 15 November 2022.