__ | __|__ | _John TURNER _____________| | m 1802 | | | __ | | | | |__|__ | _Charles TURNER _______| | (1812 - 1848) m 1833 | | | __ | | | | | __|__ | | | | |_Kezia DAVIS _____________| | m 1802 | | | __ | | | | |__|__ | | |--Charles John TURNER | (1835 - 1921) | __ | | | __|__ | | | _John BANKS ______________| | | (1781 - 1855) | | | | __ | | | | | | |__|__ | | |_Elizabeth Mary BANKS _| (1815 - ....) m 1833 | | __ | | | __|__ | | |_Sarah (surname unknown) _| (1783 - 1858) | | __ | | |__|__
[2981]
Notes: Charles John TURNER was a Thames waterman, apprenticed at Rotherhithe
to William BANKS (his uncle), from 12th September 1850 to 8th October 1857 [Information
supplied by Rob Cottrell, from his 'Watermen & Lightermen Index']
Charles John TURNER of Rotherhithe won the 'Doggett's Coat and Badge' race in
1858. This is a rowing race, established in 1716 by Thomas Doggett, an
Irish theatre manager and comedian, as an incentive for London's young watermen
apprentices. The race was rowed over a 4 and a half mile (7 km) course,
between The Swan Public House at London Bridge and The Swan at Chelsea, during
the first year of freedom for watermen. It was usually held in July, and
is said to be the oldest annually contested event in the British sporting calendar.
The winner received a scarlet coat and silver badge, which he wore to
a special lunch at Fishmongers' Hall held in his honour. The present keeper
of the Coat & Badge is Charles John's great-grandson, Arthur A (known as Waller)
TURNER.
Research by his 2 x great-granddaughter, Christine Frost, has revealed that Charles
John TURNER did a stretch in prison. Charles could not be found in the
1871 census, nor wife Susannah, but their children were eventually discovered.
The youngest had been adopted, the second youngest was with his maternal grandfather,
and the 6 eldest children were at The South Metropolitan Industrial School at
Sutton, Surrey. So Christ tracked down the school records, which record
that the children were sent there by Rotherhithe Parish on 11th May 1870, and
in the column for name and address of nearest relation is written, "Father in
Prison, Mother dead". . Armed with this information, Chris soon had a
copy of the death certificate for the mother, whose middle name, for reasons
unknown, was recorded as Jane, not Elizabeth.
Further research by Chris Frost eventually found details of the trial of Charles
John TURNER at The Old Bailey. A two page report of the trial proceedings
can be found here and here (with his age recorded as 24, although he was actually
34). Charles was found guilty of Larceny, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.
A further Old Bailey document, which Chris found at Findmypast.co.uk,
records that the sentence was to be served at the Middlesex House of Correction,
Clerkenwell.
Occupation
1851 Waterman (census)
1857 Waterman (marriage to Susannah Elizabeth WEBB)
1858 Waterman (when he won the Doggett's Coat & Badge - see Notes above)
1859 Waterman (birth of son William Frederick)
1861 Waterman (census, and birth of son Alfred George)
1867 Waterman (birth of son Edward Henry)
1869 Waterman (birth of daughter Emma Eliza)
1870 Waterman (death certificate of first wife Susannah)
1881 Waterman (census)
1882 Waterman (marriage of daughter Emily Elizabeth)
1887 Waterman (marriage to Agnes Jane SPURR)
1888 Lighterman (marriage of son Edward Henry)
1891 Lighterman (census)
1892 Lighterman (marriage of daughter Emma Eliza)
1901 Waterman on river (census)
[2978]
Source: Baptism register. Date also recorded in transcript of the records
of the Watermen & Lightermen Company, supplied by Rob Cottrell.
Approximate year of birth calculated from:
1851 census of Rotherhithe, Surrey - aged
15, born Bermondsey
1857 marriage to Susannah WEBB - aged 21
1861 census of Rotherhithe, Surrey - aged
25, born Bermondsey, Surrey
1881 census of Limehouse, Middlesex - aged
44, born Bermondsey, Surrey
1891 census of Limehouse, Middlesex - aged
55, born Bermondsey, London
1901 census of Poplar, Middlesex - aged
65, born Rotherhithe, London
[2979] Source: Photocopy of baptism register entry, supplied by Chris Vance. Date also included in transcript of the records of the Watermen & Lightermen Company, supplied by Rob Cottrell.
[2980] Source: Scanned copy of GRO death certificate, supplied by Christine Frost
[10961] Source: Copy of GRO marriage certificate [names of groom and his father appear to have been transposed]
[11198] Source: Scanned copy of GRO marriage certificate, supplied by Christine Frost