This posting is not on my lines. I was
helping my sister research her husbands lines.
His Mother
is/was related to the surname Turnage. This man
that I am going to talk about is out of
Wayne County, NC.
It seems like there is some confusion concerning
him. And this confusion has been
going on since the 1980's, I believe.
I love researching and finding
information. It is vital to do this because it
can put someone in your lines that is not
suppose to be there.
A marriage license says
that Wiatt L.Turnage married a Mary S.
Crawford on 3 Sept 1853 in Wayne
County, NC. This is true.
However there is a John Turnage also
living in Wayne Co. NC, that
was mistakenly identified as being this man Wiatt
Turnage. Mostly because this John W. Turnage also married
a lady named Mary. And also because people
suspected that John W meant that he was John Wiatt.
Both of these men
lived in separate areas in Wayne Co. It is
easy to see how this mix-up could have
happened.
I am here to tell you that after much research
on this man (Wiatt Turnage), that these are 2 different men.
Both of whom married a lady named Mary.
Are you confused?
My sister's husbands Mother is not related to
this Wiatt Turnage. In fact Wiatt Turnage died
about a year later after he married Mary S.
Crawford. I have not looked into the possibility
if they had children or not. Right now, it looks kind of
slim. By 24 Oct 1854, Wiatt has
passed away. From what - I don't know?
Poor Mary was left
destitute after her husbands death. She had to
partition the court for support because she did
not even have a bed after she finished paying
his debts. This took place in 21 May
1855. After Wiatt's death, I do not know what
happened to Mary. Most likely she remarried.
Both Mary S. Crawford (before her marriage),
and Wiatt Turnage both lived on the North
side of the Neuse. In 1850 Mary was living
with her widowed Mother Louisa Crawford.
Mary was listed as being 13 years of age.
And Wiatt Turnage was living with
W.F.S. Alston and his wife Emily. Evidently
W.F.S. Alston was an Editor and Jacob
Becton and Wiatt Turnage were his apprentices.
I am sure that they had big dreams for
their futures. Who would know that Wiatt
Turnage's life would be cut short.
John W. Turnage lived on the South side of Wayne Co.
He is the son of Furney & Sally Turnage. John is still
living with his parents on the 1850 census. On the 1860
census John W. Turnage has married a lady named
Mary. They are living in Cross Roads and have 2 daughters
the oldest one Sally being 7 years old. This puts
her birthdate as being about 1853. It is a big
possibility that Mary Crawford after Wiatt Turnage's
death married John W. Turnage. Anything is possible.
Unless the Census Taker
made a mistake and the 7 is a one. It is hard to say. And
John W. Turnage's wife Mary could easily be someone else
and not Mary S. Crawford. Still confused?
There is a large gap
between the 2 daughters which suggest that the oldest
child was born to another man. However, there could also
be many miscarriages between the children. Perhaps the
ages are all wrong - this can happen.
ages are all wrong - this can happen.
The youngest daughter named Mary
is 6 months old on the 1860 census. No doubt that she
belongs to John W. Turnage. However I did have
doubt about this Mary and her daughter Sally until I looked
at the 1870 census for this family. Then the confusion
goes away.
When you look at the 1870 census, Grantham Township,
Mary Turnage has died. Listed are 3 daughters. The older
daughters being only a year apart. This puts the oldest
daughter Annie as being born about 1852 or 1853. Sally
is born about 1853 or 1854. And the youngest daughter
Francis born 1857 or 1858 - then it all works out.
So when
you weigh this up, then you see that this Mary that was
married to John W. Turnage is not the same Mary
that married Wiatt L. Turnage.
If you are descending
from these lines and you want to know the maiden
name of this Mary, then you must look up every
female in the county named Mary and follow her to
her marriage and through some of the census'
before crossing her off of the list. I am sorry but
I have not looked this Mary up - because I would give to you
the information at this posting, if I had.
Maybe you will
get lucky and the county will not have many Mary's to
go through. When you do all of this and you still cannot
figure out who the Mary is that married John W. Turnage
then by all means take a look at the Mary S.
Crawford. But only then.
Crawford. But only then.
Thank you,
Conny
