Henry Turner: CJ's father arrives from England
Born in Sommerset England in 1837 to
Charles and Catherine Turner, there is very little known of Henry's
life from his early days until he left Pilton, England on 10th December
1856.
On 5th April, 1857, Henry arrived in Sydney, Australia. The ship 'Fitzjames' was captained by a man named Hamilton and had 437 immigrants on board. Henry had paid one pound sterling for the trip. Over the next few years he was to live at Parramatta, Campbelltown and Camden.
On January 15, 1859, he married Philadelphia (Phyllis) Borthwick at the Camden Registry Office. Philadelphia was also from England having been born at Breed, Sussex. Phyllis had been in "service" in Somerset, prior to coming to Australia. It is not known if they knew of each other before coming to Australia, or perhaps whether they had met on the ship.
Their first child, Charles James (CJ Turner), was born at Camden January 15, 1859. Their second son, named Henry, was born in Sydney June 14 1862. On December 12, 1863, his wife, Phyllis, died during the birth of their third child, Edith Somers Turner. Edith was only to live for seven months. Henry wrote a long letter to his Phyllis's mother detailing the events leading up to her death.
On 5th April, 1857, Henry arrived in Sydney, Australia. The ship 'Fitzjames' was captained by a man named Hamilton and had 437 immigrants on board. Henry had paid one pound sterling for the trip. Over the next few years he was to live at Parramatta, Campbelltown and Camden.
On January 15, 1859, he married Philadelphia (Phyllis) Borthwick at the Camden Registry Office. Philadelphia was also from England having been born at Breed, Sussex. Phyllis had been in "service" in Somerset, prior to coming to Australia. It is not known if they knew of each other before coming to Australia, or perhaps whether they had met on the ship.
Their first child, Charles James (CJ Turner), was born at Camden January 15, 1859. Their second son, named Henry, was born in Sydney June 14 1862. On December 12, 1863, his wife, Phyllis, died during the birth of their third child, Edith Somers Turner. Edith was only to live for seven months. Henry wrote a long letter to his Phyllis's mother detailing the events leading up to her death.
Henry and Philadelphia
The photo of Henry was probably taken when he was around 70 years old, just prior to marrying Catherine Bagot in 1908. The photo of Philadelphia was taken at Shepton Mallet at Somerset, England around 1851, before she left for Australia to stay with her uncle at Narellan in NSW.
The photo of Henry was probably taken when he was around 70 years old, just prior to marrying Catherine Bagot in 1908. The photo of Philadelphia was taken at Shepton Mallet at Somerset, England around 1851, before she left for Australia to stay with her uncle at Narellan in NSW.
On March 25, 1865, Henry married Jemima Cornwall at Windsor. From then up to 1890, he kept a store at Richmond. During this time, he fathered another seven children: Edith Somers (1866-1880), Grace Mary Louisa (1868-1941), Ernest Richmond (1868-1926), Beatrice Jemima (1871-1942), Albert James (1873-1954), Ella Tabitha (1875-1916), Daisy Clare (1879-1963).
It was reported in the Richmond 'Gazette' on May 17, 1890, that "Mrs Turner, wife of our respected townsman, Mr H Turner, has been in a very critical state of health but is now recovering." And in the same paper of September 20, 1890: "Mr H Turner has disposed of his grocery and bakery business which he has conducted for 25 years in Richmond to Mr E Jessep, who will commence operations immediately."
From 1890 to 1904, Henry lived at the 'Terrace' on Terrace Road, east of North Richmond. The 'Terrace' originally belonged to Jemima's father with part of the land being given to her sister, Eliza Richards, at the same time. The house had been built around 1875 and was a two storey terrace style dwelling. It is thought to have had about 250 acres of land attached to it. The "Terrace" was also known by the family as "Bleak House".
Christmas 1897
Henry sent this 1897 Christmas card to his daughter, Grace Bracken, who lived at "Shepton Mallet" in Summer Hill. The church pictured is St Peter's Anglican Church at Richmond, Sydney where Henry and family would have attended church services, marriages and funerals. About nine of the Turner family are buried or have their ashes deposited at cemetery across the road. The Turner burial plot is facing the entrance gate.
"The Life and Times of Henry Turner" - John Chappell, 1977)
"There is evidence to suggest that Henry Turner was stubborn, pig-headed and impatient. It was said that if he offered anyone a lift into town in his horse drawn vehicle and that person hesitated or declined, that person would never be asked again. Yet for a person who arrived in Australia at the age of 20 and whose descendants are numbered in their hundreds there is a lot more to that remarkable character whose life is characterised with such variety as to leave most of us spellbound. At the end of his sixty-six years spent in his adopted country there is a rich chapter that could well give his decsendants some clue as to the present meaning of life in Sydney in the 1970's...."
"Most, if not all of Henry's grandchildren spent holidays at North Richmond and one, Henry Raymond Turner, was holidaying there when Queen Victoria died. For a man who fathered 10 children one wonders of the correspondence that took place between himself and his relatives back in England. As a paying passenger to Australia, Henry was allowed to land as soon as he got to Sydney. Those whose passages were to be paid by relatives living here on arrival in Sydney stayed on board if male till their money was paid and, if female, stayed at Victoria Barracks until their sponsors read of their arrival in the press. It is said in his last years Henry Turner did voluntary work at those barracks and would arrive from the Manly ferry with some kind of implement under his arm to do work at the barracks - a frustrated engineer perhaps?..."
"He was a person who was not afraid to stand up for his beliefs and several court cases in which he featured bear witness to that. On one occasion the Judge told he and his sister-in-law not to be so silly and go away and work out a solution to the problem that bought the action. There is no further mention of the problem so I guess it was worked out sensibly...."
"There is no evidence to suggest that in the last fifteen years of his life that he had much contact with his family. Obviously he was quite an independent type and well able to look after himself, a fact he had proved many times from his arrival in Sydney, known to no one and having to make his own way in life."
"Most, if not all of Henry's grandchildren spent holidays at North Richmond and one, Henry Raymond Turner, was holidaying there when Queen Victoria died. For a man who fathered 10 children one wonders of the correspondence that took place between himself and his relatives back in England. As a paying passenger to Australia, Henry was allowed to land as soon as he got to Sydney. Those whose passages were to be paid by relatives living here on arrival in Sydney stayed on board if male till their money was paid and, if female, stayed at Victoria Barracks until their sponsors read of their arrival in the press. It is said in his last years Henry Turner did voluntary work at those barracks and would arrive from the Manly ferry with some kind of implement under his arm to do work at the barracks - a frustrated engineer perhaps?..."
"He was a person who was not afraid to stand up for his beliefs and several court cases in which he featured bear witness to that. On one occasion the Judge told he and his sister-in-law not to be so silly and go away and work out a solution to the problem that bought the action. There is no further mention of the problem so I guess it was worked out sensibly...."
"There is no evidence to suggest that in the last fifteen years of his life that he had much contact with his family. Obviously he was quite an independent type and well able to look after himself, a fact he had proved many times from his arrival in Sydney, known to no one and having to make his own way in life."