This page contains a lot of information, but bear with it as it might help you to make an important connection that extends your family tree into an interesting new area. If that should happen, do please tell me...!
Before we start in earnest, I need to refer you to the Wikipedia page that defines the term cousin and which explains the different degrees of cousin relationship. That page, and this particular diagram which appears there, the cousin chart, is very helpful when trying to understand what terms like "First cousin five times removed" actually means. |
| Click diagram to enlarge |
In my case, for the sake of this example, I am "First cousin five times removed" with JMW Turner. That means that my Great Great Great Grandfather was a first cousin of JMW Turner, i.e. I'm five generations beyond that specific first cousin relationship.
Another way of thinking about it, again just for the sake of this example, is that my common ancestor with JMW Turner is my Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather, specifically John Turner (1715-1765), a saddler from South Molton in Devon who was also JMW Turner's Grandfather.
Illegitimacy, adoption and step-relationships often confuse family trees though, and the Turner family tree is no exception. The cousin chart doesn't cover any of that, it just describes the genetical connection between various people. DNA testing, I guess, will be the only way of answering some important questions in the Turner family tree, so with all that in mind do please read on...
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851)
JMW Turner R.A., the famous English artist, never married but it is known that he had mistresses.
Mistress: Sarah Danby (nee Goose c1766-1861)
JMW Turner R.A., the famous English artist, never married but it is known that he had mistresses.
It is generally accepted that he was the father of two illegitimate daughters by Sarah Danby. So far as we know, those two ladies and their descendants are the only direct descendants of JMW Turner.
Daughter: Evelina Danby (1801-1874)
Daughter: Georgiana Danby (c1811-1843)
JMW Turner's parents married in 1773. Besides JMW himself, born in 1775, Mary and William also had a daughter. Sadly, Mary Ann died during childhood. From that we can deduce that she did not have any descendants
Mother: Mary Marshall (c1735-1804)
Father: William Turner (1745-1829)
Sister: Mary Ann Turner (1778-1786)
As Mary Marshall was in her late 30's when she married William, it is conceivable that she also had children via earlier relationships. Those children, if they existed, would have been JMW's step-siblings, but they are purely speculative. We have no information whatsoever about them. So if you succeed in tracing your family tree back to Mary Marshall (c1735-1804), we would love to hear from you.
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Aunt: Sarah Marshall (1733-1809)
Aunt: Ann Marshall (1737-1762)
Uncle: Joseph Mallord William Marshall (1740-1820)
We also know that Sarah Marshall married Henry Harpur (1732-1790) and had children. Those children are therefore some of JMW Turners first cousins, but as none outlived JMW they did not become his heirs. Some did not even survive to adulthood, so would not have had any descendants.
Cousin: Sarah Maria Harpur (1754-1785)
Cousin: Henry Harpur (1758-1809)
Cousin: Catherine Turner (nee Harpur 1760-1832)
Cousin: Robert Harpur (1763-1764)
Cousin: Charlotte Jordan (nee Harpur 1764-1833)
Cousin: William Harpur (1767-1810)
Cousin:. Hariotte Harpur (1767-1768)
Cousin: Maria Sophia Mercer (nee Harpur 1770-1838)
Cousin: Jane Harpur (1774-1790)
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Aunt: Eleanor Turner (1740-1784)
Aunt: Mary Turner (?-1804)
Uncle: John Turner (1742-1818)
Uncle: Price Turner (1747-1831)
Uncle: Joshua Turner (1757-1816)
Uncle: Jonathan Turner (1760-1831)
Their children were also JMW's cousins. Five of these people outlived JMW Turner and thus became his heirs, in 1856, when the protracted court case contesting the will was finally settled.
Cousin and Heir: William Turner (1780 - 1853)
Cousin and Heir: Mary Saunders Matthews (nee Turner 1783-1871)
Cousin and Heir: Thomas Price Turner (c1790-1868)
Cousin and Heir: Mary Ann Widgery (nee Tucker, 1784-1871)
Cousin and Heir: Mary Tepper (nee Turner, 1770-1855)
The other first cousins, on JMW Turner's father's side, whom we know survived to adulthood but who didn't outlive JMW are;
Cousin: John Turner (1765-1827)
Cousin: Ann Turner (?-1804)
Cousin: Catherine Turner (1755-1842)
Cousin: Price Turner (1778-1844)
Cousin: Joshua Turner (1784-1840)
Cousin: William Turner (1800-1833)
Evelina Danby/Turner/Dupuis (c1801-1874)
Illegitimate Daughter of JMW Turner
Evelina Danby is generally accepted to be the illegitimate daughter of JMW Turner and his mistress Sarah Danby (1766-1861). She married only once;
Husband (1817): Joseph Dupuis (1789-1874)
Joseph Dupuis, is documented as having worked as Consul and Vice-Consul for the British Government between 1811 and 1842, with various postings to Africa during that period..
They had several children,
Son: name unknown (1819-c1819)
Daughter: Evelina Sarah Margaritta Dupuis(1821-?)
Son: William Dupuis (1823-c1823?)
Daughter: Rosalie Adelaide Dupuis (1825-1900)
Son: Joseph Hutton Dupuis (1827-1903)
Son: Hanmer Lewis Dupuis (1829-1911)
Daughter: Evelina Louisa Dupuis (dates unknown)
Despite their comfortable position in life, they also suffered some infant mortality. It was not unusual in that era and tragedy could strike any family.
Update 7/7/2011: We now have more details of Hanmer Lewis Dupuis and his descendants, see Lisa de Garston's comment on this page. Remarkably, there is also a photograph of Hanmer Lewis Dupuis, i.e JMW Turner's grandson, which Lisa has kindly allowed me to include on this page. Thanks Lisa...!
Hanmer Lewis Dupuis (c1829-1911)
Grandson of JMW Turner
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| Hanmer Lewis Dupuis Copyright Lisa deGarston |
Hanmer married only once;
Wife(?): Pauline Sanchez(?-?)
Pauline Sanchez is thought to have been Portugese.
They had two children;
Daughter: Evaline Jane(?-circa1932)
Evaline married John Toole and the couple spent their lives in Greece.
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| Jenny Rosalie deGarston with children Copyright Lisa deGarston |
Jenny Rosalie married a career diplomat, Edward Mervyn de Garston.
They had 3 sons and a daughter who are pictured here with Jenny Rosalie. Thanks again to Lisa deGarston for her kind permission to use this photo.
Edward & Jenny's second son, Norman Lewis Lockley Dalrymple de Garston (second right in the picture) married Hazel Margarite Follett Houstoun. They had a son named Robin and also a daughter.
Robin would thus be JMW Turner's Great Great Great Grandson.
Georgiana Danby/Turner/Thompson (c1811-1843)
Illegitimate Daughter of JMW Turner
Georgiana Danby is generally accepted to be the illegitimate daughter of JMW Turner and his mistress Sarah Danby (1766-1861). She married only once;
Husband (1840): Thomas James Thompson (1818-1883?)
They had two children, neither of whom survived into adulthood.
Son: Thomas William Thompson (1841-1842)
Son: Thomas Markham Thompson (1843-1843)
Looking at the details more closely, Georgiana's life seems to be a particularly tragic story. The exact opposite to her sister Evelina's good fortune.
Already expecting her second child, Georgina and Thomas lost their first son Thomas William in November 1842. Nearly three months later, Thomas Markham was born, but there seems to have been a complication as Georgiana herself died a week later. If that wasn't bad enough, the new baby, Thomas Markham Thompson, died a few months later in June 1843...
JMW Turner was still alive when this tragedy happened. I've not seen any record of how he felt at the time.
William Turner (c1780-1853)
First Cousin of JMW Turner
My understanding, based on Dr Whittingham's research, is that William Turner married once;
Wife (1806): Grace Coham Thorne (1787-1875)
They had several children;
Son: John Thorne Turner (1807-1887)
Daughter: Mary Eliza Turner (1809-1860)
Son: William Coham Turner (1825-1900)
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that William Turner died before the original court-case over JMW Turner's contested will was settled. His heirs were his widow, Grace, and his nephew Jabez Tepper.
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that William Turner died before the original court-case over JMW Turner's contested will was settled. His heirs were his widow, Grace, and his nephew Jabez Tepper.
Mary Saunders Turner/Matthews (c1783-1871)
First Cousin of JMW Turner
Mary Saunders Turner was sister to Thomas Price Turner(c1790-1868). They are recorded as sharing accomodation in Exeter, in the 1841 Census, both now widowed.
My understanding, based on Dr Whittingham's research, is that Mary Saunders Turner married only once;
Husband (1811): John Matthews (1783-1834)
They had no children, but after her husbands death, Mary Matthews formally adopted her niece's illegitimate daughter. That particular child was born to Thomas Price Turner's daughter (from his first marriage), who was now married herself and known as Maria Harriet Austin. It seems that by 1847, Maria Harriet Austin was also in a relationship with Ralph Hall. She eventually married Ralph after the death of her first husband, Edward Charles Austin, in 1854. The illegitimate child was born as Maria Hall Austin (1847-1928) and was subsequently known as Jenny Maria Matthews (1847-1928).
I understand that Jenny Maria Matthews had no children of her own. She seems to have been the child that Mary Matthews never had herself, and was well loved I am sure.
Hope you're keeping up with this. As I said in the introduction, it can be rather confusing at times. One can only only speculate at all the drama surrounding these records...!
I understand that Jenny Maria Matthews had no children of her own. She seems to have been the child that Mary Matthews never had herself, and was well loved I am sure.
Hope you're keeping up with this. As I said in the introduction, it can be rather confusing at times. One can only only speculate at all the drama surrounding these records...!
Thomas Price Turner (c1790-1868)
First Cousin of JMW Turner
Thomas Price Turner, first cousin of JMW Turner R.A., was a Professor of Music (i.e. a music teacher) in Exeter and was a secondary at Exeter Cathedral from 1820, singing in the choir, playing the organ etc. He retired from Exeter Cathedral soon after he inherited from JMW Turner and is known to have married twice;
First wife (1810): Harriet Westcott (c1789 - ?)
Second Wife (1865): Maria Pridham (1823 - 1883)
From his first marriage, to Harriet, there were several children;
Son: John Price Turner (1811-?)
Son: Frederick Henry Adolphus Westcott Turner (1813-1891)
Daughter: Marria Harriet Turner (1815-1869)
During his second marriage, to Maria there were no additional children. We do however know that Maria Pridham had several illegitimate children by this time. We further know that Maria lived and worked at a bakery which was very close to Exeter Cathedral. Thomas Price Turner would have routinely walked past the bakery and would probably have been a regular customer.He is also shown as being present with Maria's family unit in the 1861 Census, after he had retired from the Cathedral and he could perhaps be more open about the situation. At the very least, Thomas Price Turner is the stepfather to Maria's children, by virtue of their marriage, but because of the circumstantial evidence it is also conceivable that he is the biological father. The evidence from his will certainly suggests that is true and we currently assume that to be the case.
Son/Stepson: Andrew Pridham (1847-?)
Son/Stepson: Charles Alfred Pridham (1848-?)
Daughter/Stepdaughter: Maria Josephine Dorothy Pridham (1849-1934)
Census and other records show that Maria's children all seem to have adopted the Turner name, becoming;
Name change: Andrew Pridham (1847-?)
Became: Andrew Turner aka Tom Turner aka Thomas Turner (1847-?)
Name change: Charles Alfred Pridham (1848-?)
Became: Charles Alfred Turner aka Charles Alfred P[ridham] Turner (1848-?)
Name change: Maria Josephine Dorothy Pridham (1849-1934)
Became: Maria Josephine Dorothy Turner (1849-1934)
As can be seen, Andrew Pridham was particularly proud of his connection to Thomas Price Turner, adopting his father/stepfather's name. Further evidence perhaps, of a biological connection...?
I'll refer to Charles Alfred Pridham Turner elsewhere on this page, purely to distinguish him from his similarly named son.
Andrew [aka Tom or Thomas] Turner (1848-?)
First Cousin once removed with JMW Turner
Little else is known about this branch of the family tree.
A few years after his fathers death Andrew is shown living in Honiton with his mother Maria, by the 1871 Census.
By 1881, they are still living together but are now in Southampton with Maria clearly looking after some of her Grandchildren on Census night. Andrew is still documented as being single and is clearly the main breadwinner for that household.
After his mothers death, there are a few minor traces in the National Archives, whilst his Mothers affairs are sorted out, but by 1891 we have lost track of him. Thomas Turner is a very common name.
Our best guess, and that's all it is at the moment, is that he is the Thomas Turner who left Southampton for St Thomas in the West Indies in the 1890's, clearly still having some obsession with name Thomas...
And why not indeed...!
Charles Alfred Pridham Turner (1849-?)
First Cousin once removed with JMW Turner
This man was my Great Great Grandfather. Strictly speaking I should say he was one of my Great Great Gandfathers, as we've all got eight of them, haven't we?, and they're all important people in their own way. I must at least acknowledge the other legs of my family tree here and I promise to document what I know of them one day soon.
Consequently there is a high level of confidence in this particular branch of the Turner family tree as I've spoken to the older generation who knew Charles Alfred Pridham Turner when he was alive and who actually met him...
Charles Alfred Pridham Turner married only the once, soon after the death of his father/stepfather Thomas Price Turner. He seems to have married quite well, perhaps using the Turner connection to enable the illegitimate son of a baker to marry somebody from a higher social class..?
Wife (1869): Isabella Mary Facey (1849-?)
Census records show that the couple lived in the fashionable, affluent parts of London, in areas previously frequented by JMW Turner, possibly using Charles's connection to make good progress in the world. Well for a while at least. Things went wrong later...!
They had three children;
Daughter: Isabella Jane Turner (c1870-?)
Son: Charles Alfred Turner (1873-?)
Son: Frederick Hugh Turner (1874-?)
The story goes that Charles progressed through a managerial role to eventually own and run an oil shop in Bermondsey, a fact that is confirmed by the 1881 and 1901 Censuses. It would have been a good living at the time, but times changed with the introduction of electricity and his business went bankrupt. To escape his debtors, he fled to Winchester where he can be found in the 1911 Census, now working as a Grocers Porter. He is thought to have died soon after this, bleeding to death from a particularly nasty dog bite incurred whilst doing his job. A bite that severed a major artery...
Charles Alfred Turner (1873-?)
First Cousin twice removed with JMW Turner
Few details are known about this particular leg of the Turner family tree.
Charles Alfred Turner (n.b. who essentially had the same name as his father) is known to have married at least once;
Wife (1903): Annie Louise Slade (1878-?)
I know that they had several children, all daughters I was told, but I have not been able to positively identify or trace any of them. Charles and Annie Turner are very common names...!
Thereafter, the story gets complicated. I know for a fact that Annie Louise Turner (nee Slade) subsequently married her brother in law, Frederick Hugh Turner in 1921.
That seems odd today, like a script from EastEnders, but in that era, normal everyday life was considerably disrupted first by the fiasco of World War I and then by the Spanish Flu pandemic.
If I remember some old conversations correctly, I understand that Frederick Hugh Turner lost his first wife in 1919 to Spanish Flu. I further understand, from the same old conversations, that Charles Alfred Turner was lost in World War I. He would clearly have been quite old when serving our country in that conflict, but it is still perfectly possible.
So by 1919 there were two households which had suffered a tragic loss. After a decent interval, Brother-in-law legally married Sister-in-Law. It was an obvious, easy and thoroughly practical solution to their common problem of being a single parent, a marriage of convenience perhaps. It happened a lot in those days, as many families struggled to return to some sort of normality, but I'm sure there was some love there too....
Here's the health warning. Apart from the marriage records, I haven't yet got documentary evidence for any of this. There were a susprising number of Charles Turners lost in World War I and I simply haven't identified the right person yet...
Frederick Hugh Turner (1874-?)
First Cousin twice removed with JMW Turner
He is known to have married at least twice;
Wife (1904): Eleanor Smith (c1875-1919)
Wife (1921): Annie Louise Turner (nee Slade) (1878-?)
Eleanor, I understand, was descended from the Hugenots, a religious group persecuted across Europe and eventually finding safe haven in the United Kingdom, changing name from Schmidt to Smith when they arrived. Though I understand that all happened a generation or two before Eleanor.
Frederick and Eleanor had two children;
Son: Frederick James Alfred Turner (1906-?)
Son: Percival Charles Edward Turner (1908-2005)
As I have described above, Frederick Hugh Turner's second marriage was to his Sister-in-law, Annie Louise Turner, widowed so I understand during World War I. That marriage, after Eleanors death from Spanish Flu, made sense for all sorts of practical reasons, but meant that Frederick James Alfred Turner and Percival Charles Edward Turner suddenly had some step-sisters who were also their cousins. That didn't go down too well, come to think of it I wouldn't fancy it either, so relations were strained.
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Regular daily/weekly contact was soon lost with Percival, who essentially went his own way and got on with his own life. I thus know little else other than the fact the Frederick Hugh Turner reputedly lived to a ripe old age, and would probably still have been alive when I was born. What a pity that because of the stresses and strains in the family which are all perfectly understandable, I never actually got to meet him...!
Frederick James Alfred Turner (1906-?)
First Cousin thrice removed with JMW Turner
The little that we do know about Frederick is that as a little boy, he survived falling under the ice when skating on a frozen pond. Towards the end of his life he was reportedly in some sort of a home, a mental hospital perhaps...?
The rest really is a mystery.
If you happen to have the same photograph tucked away in a family album, or have this particular name in your family tree, do please get in touch.
Percival Charles Edward Turner (1908-2005)
This man was my Grandfather, so I got to know him rather well over the years. I actually remember him as a model Grandfather: kind, gentle and jolly good fun..
Percival was a skilled Upholsterer and worked in the motor industry, at Ford's Dagenham plant, being pictured at work there in an issue of Autocar published in 1939.
This was a reserved occupation, so Percival served in C1 Platoon of the 4th Batallion of the Essex Home Guard during World War II, in the front-line on the home-front, working late into the night after a long day in the factory.
He married and had two sons, but as I'm now venturing into the land of the living, I'll not publish the full details here at this time. If you would like to know more, please contact me.
Life for the Turner family became rather unsettled shortly after World War II, when Percival uprooted his family and roamed Southern England in a small caravan for a few years, until finally settling in the Southampton area and finding a job in the Ford plant at Swaythling. My understanding is that this was partly due to concern over what was next for London in the atomic age, the countryside would have seemed a much safer place in those days, but Percival also wanted to distance himself from his step sisters and numerous in-laws. Perhaps he was mindful of the situation that his Father encountered at the end of World War I and didn't want to be put into the same situation himself? Percival would still speak unhappily about that situation, even when he was an old man...
Whatever the reason for the upheaval, it meant that we lost contact with all the other sections of the Turner family, the family history and the connection to JMW Turner, only rediscovering the full story in 2009. That's a great shame, but I'm mindful that it is unlikely that I would be who I am if the Turner family hadn't uprooted and moved, as my father would certainly not have met my mother...!
Percival currently rests with his wife, Elizabeth, in the graveyard of St Margarets Church, East Wellow in Hampshire. Co-incidentally the same graveyard where Florence Nightingale is buried.
Whatever the reason for the upheaval, it meant that we lost contact with all the other sections of the Turner family, the family history and the connection to JMW Turner, only rediscovering the full story in 2009. That's a great shame, but I'm mindful that it is unlikely that I would be who I am if the Turner family hadn't uprooted and moved, as my father would certainly not have met my mother...!
Percival currently rests with his wife, Elizabeth, in the graveyard of St Margarets Church, East Wellow in Hampshire. Co-incidentally the same graveyard where Florence Nightingale is buried.
Maria Josephine Dorothy
Pridham/Turner/Baker (1849-1934)
First Cousin once removed with JMW Turner
Illegitimate daughter of Maria Pridham (1823-1883), Maria Josephine Dorothy Pridham acquired the Turner name when her mother married Thomas Price Turner (c1790-1868). As I have already mentioned, Thomas is believed to have been Maria Josephine Dorothy's father and is known to be a first cousin of JMW Turner R.A.
She subsequently acquired the Baker name on marriage.
Husband (c.1866): John Baker (c.1841-1902)
Starting their married life in Exeter, they moved to Southampton circa 1876
My understanding, based on Dr Whittingham's research, is that they had thirteen children. Mind-boggling today, but not particularly unusual in those days.
Daughter: Alice Maria Baker (1867-?)
Daughter: Kate Rosina Pridham Baker (1868-1936)
Daughter: Ellen Amanda Baker (1869-?)
Son: Thomas John Baker (1871-1968)
Son: Henry J Baker (1874-?)
Daughter: Edith Dorothy Baker (1874-?)
Son: Frank Mallard Turner Baker (1877-1942)
Son: Ernest Charles Baker (1878-1952)
Son: Frederick Baker (1880-?)
Son: Sidney Albert Baker (1883-1961)
Daughter: Jessie R Baker (c.1885-?)
Daughter: Matilda Jane Nellie Baker (1886-1887)
Son: William Daniel Thomas Baker (1887-1887)
Not all of those children survived to adulthood. 1887 seems to have been a particularly tragic year for the Baker family, when two very young children were lost.
It is also worth noting that the name Mallard was given to one of the children. That is further suggestion, perhaps even evidence, of a connection to JMW Turner R.A.
Mary Ann Tucker/Widgery (c1784-1871)
First Cousin of JMW Turner
Mary Ann Tucker was the daughter of one JMW Turner's Aunts, specifically Mary Turner (?-1804) who married John Tucker (?-1810) in 1782.
Mary Ann Tucker married only once;
Husband (1823): John Widgery (?-c1861)
They had no children.
After here death there was a court battle, her will was contested and Mary Ann's share of the inheritance from JMW Turner was awarded to her husbands nephews.
Mary Turner/Tepper (c1770-1855)
First Cousin of JMW Turner
Mary Turner was the daughter of one JMW Turner's Uncles, specifically John Turner (1742-1818) who married Catherine Widgery (?-1817) in 1764.
Mary Turner married only once;
Husband (1798): James Tepper (1761-1827)
They had several children;
Daughter: Anne Tepper (?-1845)
Son: Joshua Tepper (?-1845)
Son: Samuel Tepper (?-?)
Son: Jabez Tepper (?-?)
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that Mary Tepper died before the original court-case over JMW Turner's contested will was settled. Her son, Jabez Tepper, subsequently became an important player in the saga of JMW Turner's will. My understanding is that JMW Turner's personal property, including some prints (but no originals), was left to the five surviving first cousins (see above). Spotting their significance, Jabez Tepper bought the prints allocated to the three surviving heirs. As he'd also inherited from the deceased heirs, William Turner and Mary Tepper, it seems that effectively left the Tepper family holding all (or most of) the prints. Clever chap!
That led to some further court cases in the 1870's, where the heirs to the heirs attempted to reclaim their shares of the prints. I'm not sure what happened in those cases.
This complicated affair is well beyond the scope of this page and is worthy of a whole book. If you are interested it is explained in much more detail in An Historical Account of the The Will of J.M.W Turner, R.A., by Dr Selby Whittingham.
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