TURNER FAMILY

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Turner, Turnerus, Turnor, Turnour, Turnoure and many more. First found in Oxfordshire in midland England where they held a family seat from shortly after 1066.

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada.

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Turner or a variant listed above: William Turner who settled in Maine in 1607 thirteen years before the "Mayflower;" Henry Turner, who settled in Virginia in 1615; Robert Turner, who was on record in Virginia in 1619.

NAME INDEX

John Turner

Robert Turner & Sarah Harris