Nathaniel Turner (1600 - 1646) Part Two

Nathaniel came to New Haven in 1638 and was one of the original signers of the New Haven Covenant in 1639. The Early List of Estates published by the New Haven Church in 1640 lists Nathaniel Turner with seven people in his household with an estate valued at 800 pds. He was a Captain and ranking officer in the New Haven militia. Capt. Turner acted as the agent of New Haven in July 1640 to purchase all the lands belonging to the Sagamores, represented by Ponus the sagamore of Toquams and Wascusse the sagamore of Shippan, with the exception of a piece of land reserved by Ponus for the tribe to plant on..

The consideration was 12 coats, 12 hoes, 12 hatchets, 12 knives, 2 kettles, and four fathoms of wampum. The liberty of hunting and fishing was reserved by the tribe. This land comprised the Stamford territory. It was bought, in part, to counter the expansion of Connecticut along the Sound. In the same year he purchased the large tract of land in New Jersey on Delaware Bay along with the current site of Philadelphia in what turned out to be an ill fated venture for the merchants of New Haven due to resistance by the Dutch and Swedish neighbors. (more on the Swedes)

In August 23, 1640, the New Haven court of ordered that Captain Turner shall have his choice lot of upland and meadow so that he may attend the service of the town which his place requires. He was chosen a deputy of the court in Aug. 29, 1640. He was chosen Deputy again in Oct. 22, 1645. In the second division of land, the court again ordered that Nathaniel should have his choice of land for his best convenience to best attend the public service of his military office. In 1643, his estate was valued at 800 pds, only ten others had higher valued estates at the time.

In 1646, the merchants of New Haven, in an effort to ensure the independence of the colony sent a ship with a cargo of 5,000 pds. to London to secure a colonial charter from Parliament, the king deposed as a result of the English Civil War. Nathaniel went on the trip but the ship sank in route and Nathaniel died at sea, along with all the others and the cargo was lost. He had kept up relations with many in Lynn so many there mourned his fate, along with those in New Haven. (The story is concluded tomorrow)

Comments

[BJ Peters]

First I have to say you've made me rethink the usefulness of blogs. I'd always wondered why someone would think the world would be interested in what seemed to me to be online diaries or journals. What an incredible genealogical resource!

I am related to many of the New Haven families, being descended from two of Christopher Todd's sons through both of my 2nd great grandparents, they being Todd cousins. My New Haven ancestors include Theophilus Eaton, Nathaniel Turner, Christopher Todd, Thomas Yale, William Ives, David Atwater, John Bishop, and others.

I see your mention of Nathaniel Turner's activities regarding trade on the Delaware. Above you state, "In the same year he purchased the large tract of land in New Jersey on Delaware Bay along with the current site of Philadelphia in what turned out to be an ill fated venture for the merchants of New Haven due to resistance by the Dutch and Swedish neighbors." For those who live for details, I'll provide a link to a scan of the book, "The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware: Their History and Relation to the Indians, Dutch and English 1638-1664", Vol.1, by Amandus Johnson, PhD, Pub. 1911 by D. Appleton, Agents. To read the scanned pages go to http://books.google.com/books?id=99A1AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA208&dq=%22nathaniel+turner%22+delaware . I was fascinated when I fell upon this as I live in Kent County, Delaware, abt. an hour's drive from Ft. Christina.

Keep up your incredible work on the net. What a wealth of information on our ancestors!
Eliz. J. "BJ" Peters

[Prof. Rasah]

Said in "Proceedings in Lynn,Massachusetts, June 17, 1879, Being the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of The Settlement..." By Cyrus M. Tracy and By James R. Newhall. (1880):
"In the New Haven colony were some of the most active and worthy men in the whole country; but yet she was not prosperous. And it was in the endeavor to amend her fortunes that some of her principal people joined their means, and purchased a vessel of a hundred and fifty tons, hoping to open a profitable foreign trade. The vessel was put under command of Captain Lamberton, and four or five of the men 'of chief note and worth,' among them Captain Turner, sailed for England, with high expectations, and amid the hopeful farewells of a large concourse. The vessel passed down to the Sound, and out of sight; and that was the last ever seen of her or any one on board. Another season came round and still 'New Haven's heart was sad.' It was in January, 1647, that the unfortunate vessel sailed, her way being cut through the ice. The next June, after a great thunder storm, the people were startled by the appearance of what has ever since been known as 'the phantom ship.' There appeared in the air, coming up from the mouth of the harbor, a vessel which many of the spectators declared was an exact image of the missing one, and which gradually faded away and disappeared."

[Bill Ives]

Prof. Rasah Thanks so much for sharing this comment. I used to live near the land that Nathaniel Turner owned in Lynn. It is nice to see the city recognize him much later. Bill

[Prof. Rasah]

Sorry, Bill Ives, I'm probably one of the last who recognizes the past. That's because I was always obsessed with my region's history, though getting information about it was really hard until recently.

I work at City Hall, and it was to my luck that I found a book (which is one of ONLY FIVE COPIES) that held more detailed knowledge than I could ever have hoped. So know I'm working tirelessly to put the info onto a digital log on the Internet. (It's at http://profrasah.deviantart.com if you want to look, just check under "Journal.")

So far, I've been given a rave response by my fellow deviants (artists) and got a friend hooked on our shared city history. But that's why I'm republishing these two-hundred-year-old books online, so I can spark new interests.

[Bill Ives]

No need to apologize. I appreciate your additions. Bill

[Thomas P. Turner]

I am a direct descended of
Nathaniel Turner. Was so happy
to see all the information
you have here.
My brothers and I have researched
all of this (1970's) by traveling to
Connecticut, New York and other
places that the information that
we gather sent us. My one
brother has travel to England
also, but did not find any info
about Margaret Leachland suppose ably Nathaniel wife.

I would like to find out where
you found this information about
their children. We thought that
all children were born here in
America.

Also and other information that
you may have pertaining to
where he may have lived in England, anything would be
greatly appreciated.

The e-mail address is my
wife.

[Bill Ives]

Thomas

Thanks for your interest. It has been a while but I likely got the information on his children from two sources.

Jacobus, Donald Lines, Families of Ancient New Haven, vols. 1-9., Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1923.

Vital Records of New Haven 1649-1850, Hartford: The Connecticut Society of the Founders and Patriots of America, 1917.

I also looked at:

Lambert, Edward R., History of the Colony of New Haven, Hitchcock and Strafford, New Haven, 1838.

Levermore, Charles H., The Republic of New Haven, Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1886.

Calder, Isabel MacBeath, The New Haven Colony (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1936)

I do not know any more about him in England that what is in the blog. Thanks, Bill

[Albert Fox Jr.]

I am a descendant of Capt. Nathaniel Turner and his son Isaac Turner . My mother's name was Ethel Turner Fox (born 1903) I am very interested in learning more about the Turner family. To share infomation please send me an e mail and I will respond as soon as possible.
Thank
Albert Fox

[Thomas P Turner]

To Albert Fox All I know that
would pertain to you is that
Isaac Turner married(1668)Mary Todd and they had twin boys
Isaac and Nathaniel born 1669
they had another son Joseph
born (1672) and a daughter Mary
born (1674). Isaac is our line
if Isaac is your line I could
give you more information.
But some place the line splits.
I do not see a Ethel Turner born 1903 in our line.
Thomas P Turner

[Bill Ives]

Thomas - Thanks so much for your addition. Getting comments like yours is one reason I started the blog - to learn from others. Bill

[Thomas P. Turner]

My(Thomas P Turner) grandfather came to America
in 1862 born in England. His
name was John Henry Cooper.
I see that some of your ancestors
has this last name. So I am
wondering if you could be related
to my grandfather. If so I would
like to have any information you
may have.

Also I have been looking to no
avail to the meaning of the word
Freeman can you help with that?

[bill Ives]

Thomas - my Cooper relative came to New haven in the early 1600s so are not likely related unless your grandfather had American relatives. All that I know about the Coopers and Turners are in the blog. I do not know about the origins on the word freeman. Sorry I cannot help further but you might look at the resources lists on the blog. Bill

[Hillary Maurer]

This is so exciting it find other info that people have researched about our shared ancestors. I have just started an in-depth research on my own family tree.
I was excited to find something of note was recorded about my great (11 times)grandfather Nathaniel Turner, same as most people who have commented on this. I'm related through Nathaniel and Margaret's daughter Rebecca. I'm also trying to find out about the Mix family because Rebecca married one.
Thank you so much for putting all that info on here for others to discover. I never thought my family had come to America so early.

[bill Ives]

Hillary

Thanks for your comment. It is responses like yours that make this worthwhile. Bill

[UGG Australia]

I have just started an in-depth research on my own family tree.
I was excited to find something of note was recorded about my great (11 times)grandfather Nathaniel Turner, same as most people who have commented on this. I'm related through Nathaniel and Margaret's daughter Rebecca. I'm also trying to find out about the Mix family because Rebecca married one.
Thank you so much for putting all that info on here for others to discover. I never thought my family had come to America so early.

[John-Paul DeRosa]

I am descended from Nathaniel Turner via Elijah Tuner and his son Mix who left for Great Barrington in 1792 after the family had lived for some five generations in New Haven. I know that some of the captives of the Pequot War in which Nathaniel served prominently were enslaved and that others were exchanged for black slaves in the West Indies. Do you know whether any of the New Haven Turners owned slaves, of whatever race? The inventory you reference, for example, or a will, might show slaves as property. Some histories claim that one in four Connecitucut families woned at least one slave prior to 1780, but I get the feeling that after Nathaniel my ancestors did prosper in Connecituct, hence their move to the Berkshires.
Thank you! John-Paul DeRosa

[Bill Ives]

John-Paul

You raise good questions and provided some new information for me. Nathaniel Turner died on a ship that sank as it was heading for London to purchase the colonies charter from the newly installed Puritan parliament. As a result they never got there charter and were eventually absorbed into Connecticut. Otherwise might have been a separate state, New haven, like Rhode Island. I do not know about the slave issue and I would be very interested in learning about it. None of the information I have gives an answer either way. I had other ancestors who owned slaves (but in North Carolina and not in New Haven) and others who were Quakers in North Carolina who purchased slaves to enable their freedom. I wonder if Nat Turner who led the slave rebellion was a relative of our Turners.

[Lori Mix]

Thank you Bill Ives for a well written and comprehensive blog about Nathaniel Turner and New Haven history. I've once again shared this link with someone just beginning to research their connection to Nathaniel Turner. I descend from John Mix, eldest son of Thomas Mix and Rebecca Turner Mix. To add to the above discussion on April 25, 2016 about New Haven slaves - I can't answer the question about whether Nathaniel Turner did, however, a memorandum from the will of Thomas Mix states:
MEMORANDUM: My will is, my son Samuel pay to the sister Hannah ten pounds in addition to what is before given her out of his dividend part of personal estate and furthermore I do declare ye negro not to be mine but that Samuel shall be accountable to ye estate for what he hath or shall pay out of my estate only I did account that the ox and the two Bbls of pork that he did pay was his own personal property which I gave him before.

[Bill Ives]

Lori - Thanks for your comments and sharing this link. I appreciate your participation.