Research by David Allred
Roxbury, Massachusetts was the first home of John Turner after he arrived in New England. The records of Roxbury were burned, which makes it difficult to establish when he arrived, or where he had come from in England. One of the genealogies of William Richard Cutter says that the father of John Turner was John Turner of Walton, county Suffolk, England, but no references are given. Remaining Roxbury records show that a John Turner, merchant, bought ¼ Purlieu from St. Johns, 27 January 1640.1 This may, or may not be our John Turner, but in 1647, the First Church of Roxbury records show the membership of a John Turner,2 who is assumed to be our ancestor. The Reverend John Elliott, the "Apostle to the Indians", was the minister there at that time.
Sometime previous to this time, John had been married to Elizabeth,5 who was probably the daughter of George and Elizabeth Marsh.3 The Marsh family had immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 and lived in Hingham. The will of George Marsh, written in 1647, made a bequest to his daughter, "Elizabeth Turner on[e] yerling hefer".
Elizabeth died in Roxbury on 2 October 1647, 2 shortly after the birth of her daughter, Elizabeth, on 27 September 1647.2 This daughter is Julia's ancestor.
John Turner was admitted in Roxbury as a Freeman May 2 1649.6
By 1649, John Turner had married Deborah Williams.5 History of the Town of Medfield identifies her as "the daughter of Robert William (b. 1607- Norwich England-d. Sept. 1693 Roxbury, Ma.) and Elizabeth Stratton b. Sept 1594 Tombland, Norwich, England-d. July 281674 Roxbury, Ma.)" We don’t know if the marriage took place in Roxbury, Medfield, or Deerfield.
The History of the Town of Medfield 1650-1886, says, "John Turner was among the original 13 who formed the settlement of Medfield and his home was on South St. near Curve St. His first home was on the west side of the street but was occupied only a few years. In 1665 he had leave to dig a well on the common land. Two years after, he had leave to dig a cellar on the side opposite to his house and in 1668 he was permitted to have "the spot where his stiller stands to set his house on"; This was near the present corner of South and Phillips St."6
In addition to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth, John had an additional eight children with Deborah Turner: 9, 10
Deborah born in 1649; married 18 November 1668 Jabez Tatman in Roxbury.
John born 3 March 1650/1651, married Sarah Adams, died 7 February 1709/10 in Medfield.
Isaac born about 1654, married in 1682 Rebecca Crafts.
Mary born 18 November 1658, married a Mr. Parker of Newton
Samuel born 15 April 1661, died about 1685
Sarah born 18 November 1663, married in 1696 John Plimpton , #2 in 1708, John Metcalf. Died 12 January 1737/38. Buried in the Vine Lake Cemetery.
Abigail 1667-1750: m. Samuel Smith and Joseph Clark
Hannah 1670-1752: unmarried
Some of the children, born in Medfield, were baptised in Roxbury.
John Turner served 5 years as a member of the board of selectman. Deborah died in Sept 18, 1676.4 John apparently married again, for the Medfield Death Records show the death of "TURNER, Allice, w. John Sr., Aug. 27, 1680."4
John died 6 October 1705 in Medfield.4
The Great Migration for George Marsh says:
George Marsh married, by about 1621, Elizabeth, whose maiden name has not been established. They had four children: Mary Page, Thomas, Elizabeth Turner, & Onesiphorus. In his will, George Marsh names "my daughter Elizebeth Turner" and "my daughter Mary Padge," without identifying the husband of either. The husband of "Mary Padge" is easily identified, as John Page named his second son, baptized at Hingham on 6 November 1643, "Onesephris." John Page later joined his brother-in-law Onesiphorus Marsh in the migration to Salisbury.
The identification of the husband of "Elizebeth Turner" is more difficult and less certain. Torrey shows that there have been at least two proposals for who this man may have been: John Turner of Roxbury and Robert Turner of Boston. No other Turner male with a wife named Elizabeth as early as 1647 appears in Torrey. The second of these suggestions is easily disposed of, as George McCracken has shown that the wife of Robert Turner was Elizabeth Freestone.
John Turner of Roxbury very likely did marry the daughter of George Marsh. On 27 September 1647, Elizabeth Turner, daughter of John Turner, was born at Roxbury. On 7 October 1647, "Goodwife Turner died in child bed, a Godly young woman, though not yet admitted [to Roxbury church], yet should had not her travail prevented." Her given name is not provided by this record, but the name of her only child hints that that may have been the name of the mother as well. George Marsh made his will on 2 July 1647, at a time when the wife of John Turner of Roxbury would have been at least six months pregnant.
In many family records, our ancestor, John Turner of Roxbury and Medfield, seems to have been erroniously combined with John Turner Sr. of Scituate (the son of Humphrey Turner) who was married to Mary Brewster. Scituate, where John Turner Sr. lived, was in the Plymouth Colony. Roxbury was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is now part of Boston. In addition, Elizabeth, the wife of John Turner of Roxbury died in 1647, while the Scituate John Turner Sr. married Mary Brewster in 1645 and their first child was born in 1646. John Turner Sr. of Scituate had a younger brother named John Turner Jr., who has also created confusion.
Because of this confusion, our records showed our John Turner of Roxbury and Medfield with five wives;
Elizabeth Marsh - m. 1646.
Deborah Williams - m. Feb 1647/48 in Medfield, Suffolk, MA
Alice (-?-) [based on her Medfield Death Record, which says, TURNER, Allice, w. John Sr., Aug. 27, 1680.
Mary Brewster - m. 12 Nov 1645 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts (SIC. Mary Brewster was actually married to John Turner Sr. of Scituate.
Ann James (SIC. She was actually the wife of John Jr., the younger brother of John Sr. of Scituate.)
It is possible that the Scituate Turnerst are related to the Roxbury/Medfield Turners but it is important to keep track of them so we don't confuse them.