After Alexander's mother's death Joseph Turner arranged for Alexander and John to live with their Uncle John Turner in Jamestown (or Norfolk), Virginia. This Uncle John was reportedly very cruel, and after at least one previous attempt, Alexander succeeded in "running off to sea". His brother John (Alexander's only sibling) died while living at his uncle's place in Virginia at an early age (7 to 12 years old) (N5).
Alexander followed the sea for many years (N6). On July 14, 1853, he married (N7) Ann Eliza Harris (N8), daughter of Elijah Harris and Jemima van Roden Harris (Gustavus F. Abeel presiding), Newark, New Jersey.
One child was born before the Civil War: George Washington Turner (born September 13, 1858). On April 6, 1861, Alexander Turner enlisted in the U.S. Navy as "carpenter's mate" and served (N9) aboard the U.S.S. North Carolina and the gunboat U.S.S. R.R. Cuyler. He was honorably discharged June 18, 1862.
For a while, the family resided on a farm at Stapleton, Staten Island (N10), New York. Grace Lydia Turner was born there October 20, 1864. The climate (N11) on Staten Island had an adverse effect upon Ann Harris Turner; so Alexander bought a farm near New Market (N12), New Jersey. Malcolm Elijah Turner was born in New Market November 1, 1874. Viola Jemima Turner was also born in New Market, December 11, 1877. Alexander and Ann Eliza, their family complete, moved to Newark (N13), New Jersey in 1880 or 1881. In June 1884, they moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where Alexander set up his shipbuilding company (N14): "A. L. Turner--Boatwright, Calker, Proprietor of the Seminole Marine Railroad, 154 E. Bay Street (N15)."
Alexander and Ann Eliza moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1895. They lived with their son, Malcolm E. Turner, D.D.S., at 567 North Boulevard and were there when Alexander died. Their daughters, and Malcolm's sisters, Stella Latimer Turner, and Viola Jemima Turner (until her marriage 21 October 1903) lived with them.
Alexander died of diabetes at age 83 on July 26, 1911. Mrs. Ann Eliza Harris Turner died of diarrhea and dysentery on August 29, 1915. They are both buried in West View Cemetery (N2), Atlanta, Georgia.
The children of Alexander Latimer and Ann Harris Turner were:
1. Alvin Turner (died about age 4).
2. Mary Turner (died about age 21).
3. George Washington Turner, born September 13, 1858; married June 14, 1864 (1) Ida Augusta Hausman (died December 5, 1913); married (2) ______; died April 12, 1924 (buried near Philadelphia, Penn.).
4. Grace Lydia Turner; born October 20, 1864; married April 27, 1886, John Henry Wharton (born March 17, 1859; died May 29, 1914); died January 27, 1960, Bloomfield, New Jersey.
5. Howard Alexander Turner; born July 8, 1867(8); married (1) Loda Laura Conable (died February 11, 1938), (2) ______; died March 3, 1953, Tampa, Florida.
6. William Turner (died about age 8).
7. Stella Latimer Turner; born July 24, 1871(2); died August 29, 1956, Bernardsville, New Jersey.
8. Malcolm Elijah Turner; born November 1, 1874; married February 24, 1898, Jacksonville, Florida, Grace Elizabeth Ball (born July 27, 1874, died February 6, 1967); died April 10, 1927, Atlanta, Georgia.
9. Viola Jemima Turner; born December 11, 1877, married Warren Moore Craft (born May 19, 1871; died January 13, 1954) October 21, 1903, Atlanta, Georgia; died January 21, 1967, Bernardsville, New Jersey
N1. "Aunt Viola [Turner Craft] told Grace [Turner Wharton] that Grandfather Turner was born on Delancey Street, New York in 1824 (sic) (N2)..." -- Letter, Alice Wharton to Marie Turner Cherry Spence, Easter 1958.
There was a John Turner, fisherman, living at 130 Delancey Street in 1827-28 -- New York City Directory, 1827-28. Perhaps this was Alexander's Uncle John, who later lived in Virginia (Jamestown or Norfolk area). This speculation is unattested.
N2. Alexander Turner's birth date is
given in his "Declaration for Pension" (U. S.) dated June 20, 1910. His
tombstone, Lot 204, Section 10, Grave 2, West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia,
gives the birth date as September 20, 1824. Also see note 1 above. The
later date of 1828 is the more plausible of the two dates.
N3. Joseph Turner may have been from Maryland. See Death Certificate of Alexander L. Turner, 26 July 1911, Fulton County, Georgia-- informant M. E. Turner, son of Alexander L. Turner, 567 North Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia.
There was a Joseph P. Turner, grocer, living in New York City from 1823 until after 1832. His store was at 114 Beekman (1823-24) and 35 Park (1826-...). He lived at 106 Chatham (1823-24), 3 Spruce (1824-25), 134 Mulberry (1825-26), 44 Gold (1826-27), 119 Bedford (1827-29), 33 Goerck (1829-...).
There was also a Joseph Turner, tailor-printer, who lived in New York City from 1828 until after 1835. His places of business were 139 Harman (1828-29), 111 Greene (1829-30), 13 Dominick (1830-31), 28 Clarke (1831-32), 49 Sullivan (1832-33), 79 Sullivan (1833-...) -- New York City Directories.
Joseph Turner, tailor-printer, is an attractive candidate for father of Alexander L. Turner.
N4. Aleta van Riper was born November 10, 1809 at Acquackanonk, New Jersey. She was the daughter of John van Riper who married Mary Brown (Maria Bruyn, born August 25, 1788), April 6, 1805, Second River Reformed Dutch Church, Proc. N. J. Hist. Soc., 3rd Ser. I, p.67. Maria Bruyn's father was Teunis Bruyn (born January 28, 1766), the husband of Saratye Outwater. -- See N. J. Hist. Soc. Proc., 3rd Series, I, p.67. Teunis Bruyn was the son of Hendrick Bruyn (born August 11, 1735, Second River, N. J.) and Marytie Spier. -- Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Belleville. Hendrick Bruyn (born August 11, 1735) was the son of Johanis Bruyn (will of N. J. Archives, Vol. 35, p.60) and Hillegont van Giesen (bap. 21 November 1709, Hackinsack, N. J.). They were married December 21, 1730, Acquackanonk, New Jersey -- N. J. Archives, Vol. 22, p.607. Johanis Bruyn was the son of Hendrick Bruyn, Sr. (both blacksmiths of Second River) who married Margarita Lacomba. Hillegont van Giesen was the daughter of Isaack van Giesen (and granddaughter of Reynier Bastiaenson van Giesen) and Hillegont Klaesen Kuyper. She was the daughter of Claes Jansen (Kuyper). Reynier Bastiaenson van Giesen was the Voorlesser at Bergen, the first Dominie west of the Hudson River.
Aleta van Riper was not descended from Anneke Jans Bogardus of Trinity Church property fame.
N5. See letter: Edward L. Wharton to Malcolm E. Turner III, 13 December, 1955, informant Grace Turner Wharton. Grace Ball Turner remembered that John was 7 and Alexander was 9 when John died.
There is an apocryphal story told by Alexander Turner to his grandson, Malcolm E. Turner II (and related to Malcolm E. Turner III): "While walking along the shore, I saw a body floating in the waves, golden hair streaming. Upon turning the body over, to my horror and surprise, it was my brother, John!"
N6. Alexander's grandson, Malcolm E. Turner II, said that his grandfather told him many exciting tales of life on the sea. Unfortunately, these are now lost forever.
N7. State of New Jersey, State Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics and Administration, Trenton, N. J., November 22, 1957. The marriage took place at the Second Protestant Reformed Dutch Church. This church was later redesignated New York Avenue Reformed Church, and was, still later, disbanded. -- Letter: Martin Kessler, Student Minister, Christ Reformed Church, Newark, New Jersey, to Malcolm E. Turner III, November 8, 1957.
N8. Ann Eliza Harris was born February 12, 1835, the fourth child of Elijah Harris (born March 12, 1812; died May 12, 1890) and Jemima van Roden (born August 22, 1813; died July 19, 1900), who lived in Fairfield, New Jersey. Malcolm Elijah Turner was obviously named after his grandfather Elijah Harris. The origin of the name "Malcolm" remains obscure. (But see Note 12).
Siblings of Ann Eliza Harris Turner were Elias Harris (born April 6, 1837), Isaac Harris (born May 15, 1840; died Nov. 4, 1912), Andrew Harris, Sr. (born November 11, 1843; died March 23, 1925), Howard Harris (born July 30, 1848; died January 13, 1917), and Ira James Harris (born February 24, 1853; died December 1, 1912).
Jemima van Roden was the daughter of William and Lydia van Roden. -- Source of Harris data: notes of Eva Harris Messler, daughter of Andrew Harris, Jr., copied by Marie Turner Cherry Spence. Eva Harris Messler lived at Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
Additional Harris data was provided by S. Allen Craft, who did considerable research on the Elijah Harris family.
N9. Various records, General Services Administration, National Archives and Records Service.
N10. "The island is rich in historical associations. Indians and Dutch colonialists seem absurdly distant and irrelevant in Manhattan. The crush of towering skyscrapers inhibits the play of the imagination on which a sense of history thrives. On Staten Island, however, a Dutch Colonial farm is still set out in fields surrounded by old apple trees. Here it is still possible to envision the life of our forebears... In the 1830's, the island began to develop into a summer retreat for wealthy, if not particularly prominent, families from New York and the South who moved into the New Brighton area. A small literary colony sprang up around the eminent eye specialist, Dr. Samuel MacKensie Elliot. James Russell Lowell, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Francis Parkman... Garibaldi lived in exile for three years... But Staten Island's connection with famous people has always been rather tenuous; more typical were gentleman farmers, shipbuilders and oyster captains." -- White, N. and Willensky, E. (1967). AIA Guide to New York City. New York: MacMillan, pp. 378 ff.
N11. "The Civil War may have benefited oyster captains, but other islanders suffered the dislocation of a new army... Fields and orchards were turned into camps and training fields... After the war the island continued to develop, albeit slowly... Farming continued to be a leading occupation. Growth was so sluggish, however, that in 1871 the legislature appointed a committee to study the problem. This... pointed to the prevalence of malaria (mosquitos prospered in the island's marshes) and poor ferry service." -- Ibid.
N12. New Market, now called Pisquataway, is seven miles from Scotch Plains, and one mile from Dunellen just off State 28 highway. Nearby is the Greek revival mansion built by Duncan Phyfe in 1814 for his daughter Eliza Vail. New Market was called "Squabble Town" by Revolutionary War soldiers because of the controversy among local Baptists over whether Saturday or Sunday was the Sabbath. New Market is in an area originally settled by Scottish Colonists beginning in 1684. Perhaps the name "Malcolm," given to Malcolm Elijah Turner, born November 1, 1874, in New Market, was inspired by a friend or neighbor in the vicinity (or indeed, by the kings of Scotland of that name). There is some reason to believe that the Turner family itself was a Scottish family.
The farm in New Market was later visited by Malcolm Turner (I), Grace Ball Turner, Stella Turner, Viola Turner Craft, and Eva Harris Messler. The farm was quite rundown, and Malcolm Turner thought of buying it. -- Letter: Marie Turner Cherry Spence to Malcolm E. Turner III, February, 1959. S. Allen Craft was also in the visiting party.
N13. They lived in the neighborhood of Hamburg Place. -- Board of Education: Certificate of Merit for Malcolm Turner, a pupil in the Hamburg Place Primary School, Newark New Jersey, dated June 29, 1883, signed by Fred W. Fort, Principal.
N14. According to Malcolm E. Turner
II, his grandfather Captain Alexander L. Turner manufactured "naphtha launches."
A description and review of naphtha launches has been give by Herreshoff,
L. Francis (1965). Rudder, 81:34-72. Title of article: "Naphtha Launches."
Herreshoff says: "Certainly as
we look at the naphtha launch today
it seems a most infernal machine. Strange to say, however, these launches
had few explosions or fatal accidents 'though most of them blazoned up
occasionally. Many were copper sheathed in the engine compartment so these
blaze-ups were rather laughed at or thought to be part of the game... The
real, and possibly the only reason for the naphtha launch was to get around
the law that required a licenced engineer on a steam launch... The genius
who worked up the naphtha power plant to evade the law was a German named
F. W. Ofeldt of New York and I class him as a genius because he arranged
or designed launches that had few serious accidents and because the power
plants were novel and built at little expense... The naphtha launch was
smaller, lighter, cheaper and, of course, much quicker starting than the
steam launch. They sold like hot cakes right up to around 1900 when the
internal combustion engine began to be reliable and lighter than the naphtha
ones."
N15. Legend on an advertising photograph (circa 1890) in the possession of Malcolm E. Turner III. Copies of this photograph are in the possession of Robert P. Turner and Catherine T. Graves.