Thomas Turner, from Montgomery County to Tazewell County

The paper trail for this Turner line starts in Montgomery County, VA in the early 1800s.  Thomas Turner was well recorded, and there is clear evidence of his father being James Turner.  This Turner line shares a Y-DNA haplogroup with the James Turner line of Rockingham County, Virginia, but no paper trail has been found which connects the two lines.  The shared Y-DNA haplogroup for these two Turner lines is R-FT32655. Most of the source links are to Family Search, which is free but does require signing up for an account.

Early Montgomery County Turners

Looking at the personal property tax lists of Montgomery County, the first Turner, Thomas, appears in 1797⁽¹⁾Montgomery County, VA Personal Property Tax Lists 1787-1812. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS79-KZHZ-3?i=495&cat=637431. Richard Turner appears in 1800.  Thomas and Richard are the only Turners on the tax lists until 1819, when William and two James appear. The two James live in different districts, so there is no additional remark to help distinguish between the two.  One James drops off the list in 1823.  Richard drops off the list in 1826, suggesting he is the same Richard Turner whose will was written in 1826⁽²⁾Montgomery County VA, Mixed Records, Vols 4-6 1823-1842. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TC-F3CM-S?i=170&cat=382894.  Thomas Jr appears in 1828, Francis in 1830 and Wilson in 1831.  There are no changes until Anderson appears in 1835.  1838 is when Thomas, the subject of this post, appears on the property list, as “Thomas Turner (J son)” ⁽³⁾Montgomery County, VA Personal Property Tax Lists 1832-1850. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVR-Y3WS-N?i=227&cat=637431.  In following years, he continues to be identified as “J son”, while the two other Thomases are listed as Sr and Jr.  Thomas, J son, last appears in the Montgomery tax lists in 1845. 

Thomas Starts His Family

Thomas Turner married Lucinda Whalen in 1837 ⁽⁴⁾“Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR8J-QLG : 29 January 2020), Thomas Turner, 1837. (499 of microfilm ⁽⁵⁾“Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99XF-F6SH?cc=4149585 : 22 September 2022), > image 1 of 1..  The marriage records indicate that Lucinda was of age to marry, but Thomas needed his fathers permission.  The letter from James⁽⁶⁾Montgomery County VA, Marriage Bonds 1834-1837. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91C-L3WT-5?i=512&cc=2134304&cat=1135007 providing permission was witnessed by Francis Turner.  The marriage bond⁽⁷⁾Montgomery County VA, Marriage Bonds 1834-1837. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91C-L3WY-Q?i=511&cc=2134304&cat=1135007 also identifies Thomas Turner as “son of James”.  Thomas and Lucinda start their family in Montgomery, with their first four children being born there – Martha, Stuart, James and Cynthia.

Carroll County

Thomas appears on the Carroll County personal property tax list in 1846⁽⁸⁾Carroll County Va, Personal Property Tax Lists 1842-1850. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSPG-GSFG-R?i=165&cat=775797, and remained until 1850, the last tax list I was able to check.  I have been unable to locate Thomas, or his family members, in the 1850 census.  The first Carroll County deed mentioning Thomas Turner⁽⁹⁾Carroll County Va Deed Book 3 Page 66. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C373-V9PG?i=58&cat=401547 was for the purchase of 80 acres on the waters of Little Reed Island, “on which the said Turner now lives.”  Thomas is involved in about a dozen other land transfers and chancery court cases over the following two decades in Carroll County.  The remainder of their children were born in Carroll County – Malinda, Thomas, Rice, Charlie and Elizabeth.  Three men from this family served during the Civil War.  James started in Infantry and moved to Cavalry.  Stuart was in the infantry and died of disease in 1864, leaving a widow and two young daughters.  The third was Thomas, either the father or the son, who was with the 47th Va Cavalry near the end of the war.  It seems that Thomas filed for bankruptcy following the Civil War.  It was around this time most of the family moved to Tazewell County, VA.  James Monroe Turner remained in Carroll County, where he died in 1901.   

Tazewell County

Thomas purchased land in Tazewell in 1869⁽¹⁰⁾Tazewell County Va, Deed Book 15 Page 445. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-C9DQ-J?i=571&cat=399488, with the deed stating he was from Carroll County.  He purchased a second tract of land in 1875 ⁽¹¹⁾Tazewell County Va, Deed Book 15 Page 462. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-C9DW-D?i=580&cat=399488.  These two tracts were north of Pocahontas, with part of one tract crossing over into McDowell County, WV.  In the 1870 census⁽¹²⁾“United States Census, 1870”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFGD-X4K : 29 May 2021), Thomas Turner, 1870., the Turners are living beside Eli Perdue.  Thomas Jackson Turner had married Eli’s daughter, Margaret Ann Perdue, in Feb 1870 ⁽¹³⁾Thomas J – “Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DD1J-5KZM : 1 July 2022), Thomas in entry for Thos J Turner, 2 Feb 1870; citing Marriage Registration, Tazewell, Virginia, United States, Virginia State Library and Archives, Richmond..  Later that year, Eli moved his family back to Franklin County, along with Thomas J and Margaret Turner.  Thomas J and Margaret Turner would raise a large family in Franklin County.  Thomas Turner (the father) died in Dec 1876. His widow, Lucinda, lived with various family members until she died in 1888. 

Legal Disputes

The two parcels of land became involved in a lengthy legal battle between some of Thomas Turners heirs and the Southwest Virginia Improvement Company.  There were four chancery cases⁽¹⁴⁾Tazewell County Va Chancery Case 1891-061, Heir(s) of Thomas Turner vs David E Johnston. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=185-1891-061 ⁽¹⁵⁾Tazewell County Va Chancery Case 1891-111, Malinda Pillow ETC vs South West Virginia Improvement Co. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=185-1891-111 ⁽¹⁶⁾Tazewell County Va Chancery Case 1892-069, Heir(s) of Thomas Turner vs Southwest Virginia Improvement Co ETC. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=185-1892-069 ⁽¹⁷⁾Tazewell County Va Chancery Case 1900-077, E W Clark ETC vs Malinda Pillow ETC. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=185-1900-077, spanning hundreds of pages, including deed records and depositions.  This legal battle went to the Supreme Court of Virginia.  The land was near the base of coal mining operations for the Pocahontas mine.  While giving a deposition for one of these cases, James Monroe Turner answered a question about where his father, Thomas, was buried – “Rice told me that he (father) picked his burying ground when he was sick.  Either Rice or my mother told me this, I think it was Rice.  My father was buried near to the dwelling house.”