Saturday, July 15, 2023

A Directory to this Site

Turpin Tree is a place to share information related to the genealogy and history of the Turpins and allied families. You are invited to submit relevant items via email, or you may post "comments" below.






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Video Tours
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Friday, July 14, 2023

The Beginner's Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree: Uncover Your Ancestral Roots


The Beginner's Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree: Uncover Your Ancestral Roots by Dr. J. Randolph Turpin, Jr. is an indispensable roadmap for genealogical enthusiasts, providing a comprehensive and practical approach to unraveling the secrets of your family's past. 

With over forty years of personal experience tracing his own family tree, Dr. Turpin guides readers through each essential step of the research process. From setting up your genealogical research and collecting family information to exploring vital records, census data, immigration records, military records, land and property records, probate and court records, DNA testing, and online genealogy resources, this guide covers it all. 

Turpin's expertise shines as he offers invaluable tips, tackles potential challenges, and helps readers navigate common pitfalls in their quest for ancestral knowledge. With guidance on preserving and sharing your family history, overcoming research roadblocks, and even writing and publishing your own family story, this book is a treasure trove of insights and resources. 

Whether you're a beginner or seeking to enhance your genealogical research skills, The Beginner's Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree equips you with the tools and knowledge to embark on an exciting journey of discovery and connect with your ancestral roots.
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Thursday, July 13, 2023

In Search of Martin Turpin: A Family History Quest


By J. Randolph Turpin, Jr. 

Thousands of Turpins are historically connected to one lone teenage boy floating down the Clinch River in the year 1798, born of a family with ancient origins. The boy's name was Martin Turpin. He originated out of Virginia, and he entered Tennessee on a raft. Martin Turpin was the first of the East Tennessee Turpins.

That was all that was known about Martin, until nearly two centuries later when the author went searching for him. Part One of this book is the written account of that quest. Part Two is the story of Martin Turpin's life.

Martin Turpin's story begins with a pre-history reaching back to the days when the Turpins were Vikings. From Norway they invaded France, and from France they joined William the Conqueror in the conquest of England. From England they settled in colonial Maryland, and then they pioneered Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Although this book was written to satisfy the genealogical curiosities of Turpin family researchers, it also serves as a valuable resource for students of colonial and post-colonial American history.

PAPERBACK

KINDLE



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Monday, July 10, 2023

A Man Called King: The Life and Legacy of King Turpin, Jr.


By J. Randolph Turpin, Jr. 

What difference can one life make? Born in 1903 as the son of a wanderer in East Tennessee, King Turpin’s childhood was everything but stable, but an encounter with grace instantaneously transformed his life, and for the remainder of his days, faithfulness to God became his highest ambition.

This narrative is based on the memories of the people who knew King and is informed by thirty years of research. Here are enlightening descriptions of King's life as a vagrant in the Tennessee River Valley, as a cotton mill worker in Knoxville, as a miner in Kentucky, Arizona and West Virginia, and as a farmer-miner-preacher in the Appalachian mountains. It is a story filled with amazing incidents of faith in the midst of hardships and dramatic manifestations of God's power. The story of King Turpin, Jr. demonstrates the significance of a life devoted to God.

Written as a tribute to King Turpin with the intent of inspiring faith in God, this book also contains valuable information for researchers exploring Appalachian culture and the history of other East Tennessee Turpins.

ORDER


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Monday, February 27, 2023

The Origin and Meaning of the Turpin Family Name


Numerous theories have been proposed regarding the origin and meaning of the Turpin family name. In this video, Dr. Randy Turpin debunks some of the more popular theories and establishes a historically sound rationale for the actual history of the name.

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Sunday, November 13, 2022

Our Turpin Tree YouTube Channel Has Launched!

On November 13, 2022, we launched our new Turpin Tree YouTube channel!

Like the TurpinTree blog, this new online video site aims to offer insightful historical and genealogical content relevant to the Turpin family and allied families.

Follow this link to access periodic episodes: https://youtube.com/@turpintree. 

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Friday, November 6, 2020

The Gravesite of Captain Robert Bean


Dr. Randy Turpin locates the gravesite of his fifth great-grandfather, Captain Robert Bean at Beene Cove located in Marion County, Tennessee.


The Bean and McBee families first connected and intermarried here in Marion County, Tennessee. The family name "McBee" was later mispronounced as "Magby" and even "Magsby." Dr. Turpin's great grandmother, Belle Magsby, is a descendant of Captain Robert Bean.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

A Visit to Concord, Tennessee

 

In the late 1790s, young Martin Turpin arrived with the David Love family in East Tennessee. They came down the Clinch River on flatboats, rounded the bend at Southwest Point, and maneuvered upstream on the Holston River until they came to the Concord, Tennessee area.

In this video, Dr. Randy Turpin visits two important sites at Concord. He also speaks of the Russell, Campbell and Thompson families—people whose stories are relevant to the Turpin family story.
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The Gravesite of Elizabeth (Belle) Magsby


For over forty years, Dr. Randy Turpin has wanted to visit the gravesite of his great grandmother, Elizabeth (Belle) Magsby/Magby. On November 4, 2020, that dream became a reality.

Belle was buried in an unmarked at Beason Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee after her death at some point between the years 1904 and 1910.
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Thursday, October 29, 2020

In Search of William Scott McBee

King Turpin, Jr.'s (my grandfather's) parents were King Turpin, Sr. and Elizabeth (Belle) Magsby. We have known this to be true for many years; however, we have not known who Belle's parents were, until recently.

Through census searches, DNA matches, and a confirmation of findings by Wilma Dunaway, I have come to the conclusion that William Scott Magby/McBee and Freely Parthenia Childress were Belle's parents. William Scott McBee was born July 4, 1845 and died October 14, 1927. His wife died about 1891 shortly after Belle was born. 

William was buried in the Lenoir City Cemetery in Lenoir City, Tennessee. In October of 2020, I discovered his grave. You can join me in that discovery by viewing the video.

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Thursday, January 16, 2020

In Search of David Love

In 1797, David Love of Virginia became the guardian of young Martin Turpin. Before the end of the next year, the Love family migrated to Knox County, Tennessee taking Martin with them. About 1803, Martin met Elizabeth Russell, the woman he would marry. Shortly after the death of David's father in 1804, he moved his family on to Maury County, leaving Martin in Knox County. Martin married Elizabeth in 1805.

In this video presentation, Randy and Miranda Turpin explore three Maury County sites that are significant to David Love's story: the Maury County courthouse, the site of Love's Mill and David Love's gravesite.


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Friday, March 8, 2019

A Visit to McDowell County

In the fall of 2018, I had the opportunity to revisit my childhood home--McDowell County, West Virginia. The Turpin family's connection with this area began in 1932.

In 1932, King Turpin, Jr. moved to McDowell County with his wife, Nellie, and their children. They settled in the Kimball area. The Turpins stayed in the home of Charlie and Bertha Gary, but they spent a lot of time at William Church's home on Rock House Mountain. Not long after their arrival, Nellie died from giving birth to twins, who also died within thirty days of their mother's death.

Before the end of 1932, King married Bertha Lee Church, the daughter of William Church. Almost a year later, Bertha gave birth to my father, Jim Turpin. A more detailed account is given in my book entitled, A Man Called King.

Most of Jim's childhood memories were of life on Rock House Mountain. He lived there, other places and Laurel Hollow (above Carswell Hollow) up to the time of his marriage to Betty Turpin in 1954. Jim and Betty's second home was in Carswell, and that was my first childhood home after my birth in 1958.

The following video features highlights from my quick 2018 tour of Welch, Kimball and Carswell.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019

A Visit to Somerset, Kentucky

In 1792, Martin Turpin (my 5th great-grandfather, and son of Solomon Turpin) and his family moved from Gap Valley, Virginia to Madison County, Kentucky. By the time he applied for his Revolutionary War pension, he was living in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

In 2018, while preparing for a road trip to West Virginia, I noticed that I would be driving through Somerset, Kentucky--the county seat of Pulaski County. Remembering that Martin had lived in this area, I Googled "Martin Turpin Kentucky" and found a Kentucky Kindred Genealogy article entitled, "Revolutionary War Soldiers of Pulaski County" (hopefully the link is still active). In this article, a monument at the Pulaski County courthouse is featured, and on its plaque the name "Martin Turpin" is included in a list of Revolutionary War veterans. I made my plans to stop to see this marker, and the following video tells about that visit.

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Monday, January 21, 2019

2018 Discoveries Near Knoxville

While on a business trip through Tennessee, it occurred to me that I was passing very close to some sites of potential significance to the Turpin family story. I took the time to stop.

My first stop was at the location of "Loveville" and Campbell Station. Martin Turpin settled in this area when he was fourteen years old. My second stop was at Southwest Point--the check-in station where Martin Turpin's flotilla likely stopped in 1796 after having traveled from Virginia on the Clinch River. The following two videos tell the story of these on-site investigations in early January of 2018.

A Visit to Loveville and Campbell Station
A Visit to Southwest Point
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Saturday, January 19, 2019

Ancestry.com DNA Results

I have just received my Ancestry.com DNA results, and here is my reaction video. The only surprise is that there is no DNA evidence for my Cherokee ancestry. All that means is that those genes did not get passed down to me. It does not necessarily mean that there is no Cherokee ancestry in this family line. Hopefully other Turpins in this family line will take the Ancestry.com DNA test; their results may indicate the Native American connection.




If this video does not display correctly in your browser, go to https://youtu.be/ThRHUtWqFgo.
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Tuesday, September 19, 2017

In Search of Lafferty's Fort



If this video does not display correctly in your browser, go to https://youtu.be/U28NbykcLds.


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Saturday, October 8, 2016

Turpin Family History Books by Dr. Randy Turpin


In Search of Martin Turpin: A Family History Quest. Thousands of Turpins are historically connected to one lone teenage boy floating down the Clinch River in the year 1798. The boy's name was Martin Turpin. He originated out of Virginia, and he entered Tennessee on a raft. Martin Turpin was the first of the East Tennessee Turpins.

That was all that was known about Martin, until nearly two centuries later when the author went searching for him. Part One of this book is the written account of that quest. Part Two is the story of Martin Turpin's life.

Martin Turpin's story begins with a pre-history reaching back to the days when the Turpins were Vikings. From Norway they invaded France, and from France they joined William the Conqueror in the conquest of England. From England they settled in colonial Maryland, and then they pioneered Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Although this book was written to satisfy the genealogical curiosities of Turpin family researchers, it also serves as a valuable resource for students of colonial and post-colonial American history.

Paperback: 268 pages
ORDER NOW - Paperback Edition -- $14.95 
ORDER NOW - Kindle Edition -- $2.99 

DeclarationPress.com.




A Man Called King: The Life and Legacy of King Turpin, Jr. This book would make a great gift for any of King's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren or great-great grandchildren.It would also be of interest to students of Appalachian culture, to Turpin family history researchers (especially those who are focused on the East Tennessee Turpins) and  to members of the Solway Church of God. The book contains much information about King's Aunt Laura--one of the charter members of the Solway church.

The book is 234 pages long, and the list price is $14.95. Orders may be placed at DeclarationPress.com.


Book Description:

What difference can one life make? Born in 1903 as the son of a wanderer in East Tennessee, King Turpin, Jr.’s childhood was everything but stable. However, an encounter with God’s grace instantaneously transformed his life, and for the remainder of his days, faithfulness to the God who had saved him became his highest ambition.

This narrative is based on the memories and stories of the people who knew King and is informed by thirty years of research conducted by his grandson, J. Randolph Turpin, Jr. The book contains enlightening descriptions of King’s life as a vagrant in the Tennessee River Valley, as a cotton mill worker in Knoxville, as a miner in Kentucky, Arizona and West Virginia, and as a farmer-miner-preacher in the Appalachian mountain region. It is a story filled with amazing incidents of faith in the midst of hardships and dramatic manifestations of God’s power in the midst of impossibilities. The story of King Turpin, Jr. demonstrates the significance of a life devoted to God.

Although this book was written as a tribute to King Turpin with the intent of inspiring faith in God, it also contains valuable information for researchers exploring Appalachian culture and the history of other East Tennessee Turpins.

 Paperback: 234 pages
ORDER HERE - Paperback Edition -- $14.95 

DeclarationPress.com




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Friday, April 30, 2010

Descendants of Isaac Turpin

I have recently heard from a descendant of Isaac Turpin, son of Martin Turpin and Elizabeth Russell. She is Lisa Brock of Clinton, Tennessee. 

According to Lisa Brock, she is the daughter of Elmira Letisha Cagley, son of Lydia Alice Thacker (who married George Isaac Cagley), daughter of Sarah Clementine Turpin (who married Elias Bragg Thacker), daughter of Isaac Turpin. That makes Lisa the great-great granddaughter of Isaac.

[The photo to the left of Sarah Clementine Turpin, daughter of Isaac Turpin, has been provided by Lisa Brock.]
 
Lisa reports:

First, according to a court document, Isaac Turpin owned land that adjoined Amos Thacker in 1869.  It was located on Chestnut Ridge in the 15th district of Roane County, Tennessee. The second document I have is a marriage bond for Isaac's son, William H. who married Nancy Crawford in 1877 in Roane County, Tennessee. This marriage bond was signed by William Turpin and Isaac Turpin. 
 

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Monday, April 26, 2010

Obituary of Henry Turpin, Jr.

I never knew Henry Turpin, but I do have a great deal of interest in any of these Kentucky Turpins. Our East Tennessee Turpins and many Kentucky Turpins share a common ancestry, descending from Solomon Turpin in Gap Valley, Virginia in the late 1700s. Simply stated, Henry Turpin is probably a distant cousin.

Henry Turpin Jr., 78
Turpin, Vice & Fritz Funeral Home

Not Specified — Henry Turpin Jr., 78, of Waco, husband of 55 years to Betty Lou Thomas Turpin, died Monday, April 19, 2010, in his home.

Mr. Turpin was born March 14, 1932, in Estill County, Ky., the son of the late Charles Henry and Nora Bell Hatton Turpin. Mr. Turpin was a member of the Waco Nazarene Church and was dedicated to his family. He was a veteran of the Korean War where he served four years in the U.S. Marines. Mr. Turpin loved to play bluegrass music. He retired from IBM after 30 years of service and he was a member of the Masonic Order.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Turpin is survived by: four daughters, Debra Clark (Carl), JoAnn Hedges (Larry), Paula Elkins (Scott) and Cheryl Casteel (Joel), all of Waco; four brothers, Eugene Turpin (Charlotte) of Richmond, James Turpin (Betty), Forest Turpin (Faye) and Johnny Turpin (Brenda), all of Waco; two sisters, Catherine Kaylor and Christine Gentry, both of Waco; eight grandchildren, Bobbi Agee of Irvine, Crystal Hedges of Richmond, Matthew Agee (Harley) of Beattyville, Ky., Aaron Bryan of Indianapolis, Ind., Heather Hedges of Waco and Travis Casteel (Sarah) of Berea, Jerred Elkins and Jessica Hunt, both of Richmond; and three great-grandchildren, Chelsea, Brittany and Andiria Agee, all of Waco.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Turpin was preceded in death by: one brother, Charles Turpin; and one sister, Eva Jo Turpin Schoenrock.

Funeral services for Mr. Turpin will be conducted at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 22, 2010, at Turpin, Vice & Fritz Funeral Home with Pastor Bob Mills and Bro. Kenneth Bishop officiating. Burial will follow in Turpin Cemetery in Estill County.

Pallbearers will be Matthew Agee, Aaron Bryan, Travis Casteel, Larry Hedges, Scott Elkins, Carl Clark and Joel Casteel. Honorary pallbearers will be Earl Barnes and John and Sally Congleton. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the funeral home, with a Masonic service at 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: the Compassionate Care Center, 350 Isaacs Ln., Richmond, KY 40475.

www.TurpinViceFritz.com

[Source: http://richmondregister.com/obituaries/x563626324/Henry-Turpin-Jr-78 ]
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Sunday, April 25, 2010

More Martin Turpin Speculation

We are still trying to make sense of why Martin Turpin would show up in Knox County, Tennessee in 1805 (the year that he married Elizabeth Russell in Knox County at 22 years of age) with no other Turpins in sight. Many hold that he was the first of two sons named Martin born to Martin Turpin of Gap Valley, Virginia. The rest of the Gap Valley Turpins ended up in Kentucky. How did our Martin get separated from the rest of the family and end up in East Tennessee?

Could it be that our Martin Turpin had become legally obligated to accompany some other family in their move from Virginia to Tennessee? Could it be that as a minor he had been placed under the legal guardianship of another family?

On May 2, 1797, a person named Martin Turpin was "bound to David Love" for purposes yet unknown in Montgomery County, Virginia. [Source: Lewis Preston Summers' Annals of Southwest Virginia, 1769-1800, vol. 1. Johnson City, Tennessee: The Overmountain Press, p. 868.] If this person was in fact our Martin Turpin, he would have been about 14 years old at this time.

There was a David Love born on March 25, 1763 in Augusta County, Virginia who married a Mary Draper on July 9, 1784 in Montgomery County, Virginia. [Source: familysearch.org] If this David Love is the same one to whom Martin Turpin was bound, Love would have been 34 years old at the time. According to Judi K. Ramsey, (Lakewood, California), David Love died April 3, 1827 in Maury County, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee). [Source: familysearch.org]

David Love's father was Joseph Love who settled at Campbell's Station (west of present-day Knoxville) in 1798 and died November 10 (or October 11), 1804 in Knox County, Tennessee. [Source: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=1940love&id=I0373 ]  Worth Ray's Tennessee Cousins notes that Joseph Love was Sheriff of Knox County and that David Love was Deputy Sheriff of Joseph Love of Knox County [Page 230].


If this is the family to whom Martin Turpin was bound, then it is conceivable that Martin moved with the Love family to Knox County. In 1805 Martin Turpin married Elizabeth Russell.

Did Martin Turpin move to Knox County, Tennessee with the Love family?
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Saturday, April 3, 2010

Obituary of Virginia N. Turpin Burks

The following is the obituary for my father's half-sister, Virginia N. Turpin Burks. Some of the information given is not accurate.


Burks, Virginia N.
Homemaker

Virginia N. Burks, 69, formerly of South Sandusky Street, died at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2000, in the Autumnwood Care Center, where she had been a resident since Feb. 1, 1998.

She was born June 12, 1931, in Miami, Ariz., to the late King and Nellie (Griggs) Turpin. Her step-mother, Bertha Green, survives. On Oct. 1, 1948, in Pikesville, Ky., she married Curtis Burks, who also survives.

Other survivors include: six sons, Allen Burks of Harriman, Tenn., Jerry Burks of Pemberville, Jack Burks of Tiffin, Joe Burks of Bloomville, Rick Burks of Sandusky and Randy Burks of Fostoria; 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; six half-brothers, Jim Turpin of Princeton, W.Va., Robert Turpin of Burgoon, Melvin and Doug Turpin, both of Fostoria, Wayne Turpin of Kansas, Ohio and Roger Turpin of Fremont; a sister, Pauline Davis of Virginia; and five half-sisters, Kathryn Graham of Kansas, Alice Hatfield of Findlay, Teresa Halcomb of Gibsonburg, Linda Halcomb of Fremont and Sandra Turpin of Alabama.

A brother, Jack Turpin, also is deceased.

Mrs. Burks, a homemaker, was a member of the Pentecostal Church.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Turner-Engle Funeral Home, with the Rev. Thomas Ramsey officiating. Interment will be in Seneca Memory Gardens.

Visitation is 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. today and one hour before the service Friday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the family.

Source: http://www.fostoria.org/CalBits/Obituaries/archive/2000/a_b.html#47

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Various Notes about the Life of Laura Turpin

Over the years I have collected various notes about the life of Laura Turpin:

Laura was among the first to receive the Pentecostal blessing in the Hardin Valley region.  To this day many remember her as one of the godliest women they have ever known.  Everybody knew her affectionately as "Aunt Laura."

Reverend Bobby Scott recalls his association with Aunt Laura during the 1960's when he served as the minister of youth at Solway Church of God:

You won't find a more godly woman on the earth. When she stood to testify, she would speak no more than ten words, and the Spirit of God would fall on the congregation.
She was very supportive of the youth ministry. She was always praying for me.

Many times when the Holy Ghost would come upon her, she would start walking the church floor swinging her hands.  Her experience with God affected every facet of her worship as well as her daily life.

Charolette Hinshaw adds, "She was a blessed Saint of God. I can see her walking up and down the aisle of the church clapping her hands ever so gently and just saying, 'Wooo wooo wooo.' As she would pass by you, the power of God could be felt coming from her."

She and her brother, Frank, attended the Church of God at Solway, about four miles from their home.  She would visit the sick and go from house to house inviting people to church.  For years to come long-time residents of the valley would recall seeing the light of Laura's lantern at night, knowing that she was about doing the work of the Lord.

Wherever one found Laura, Frank was usually there as well.

Laura and Frank would leave home for the Sunday evening service at about 4:00 p.m.; the service started at 7:00 p.m.  They would cross the field from their house there on the edge of Hardin Valley, walk about a mile down Steele Road, ford Beaver Creek or take a boat across when the water was up (later a swinging foot
bridge was added), walk about a mile down Swafford Road, take a turn onto Guinn Road and finally end up on Solway Road where the church is located.  It was a total distance of about four miles.

One of the early preachers for the Church of God, George Britt, recalls Laura letting him ride her mule to church along this route when he had come to do some special revival services there at Solway.  She and Frank still walked, but they insisted that Brother Britt ride the mule because he had been feeling ill.

In the late 1930s the doors of the church closed.  Laura and Frank came anyway.  They came to the empty church to pray.  One time while they were praying, the Holy Ghost came upon one of them and a message came forth in tongues.  The interpretation followed:  "This church will grow, and it will become greater than it has ever been before.  Great and mighty things will become of this church."  In 1942 a pastor finally came, and from that point onward the church began to progress.  [These dates need to be verified.]





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Aunt Laura "Robbed" of Her Childhood Home

It probably happened in the 1890s--at some point after King Christenberry's death.  Serelda Turpin and her children (King, Frank, Laura and perhaps others) experienced what Laura Turpin has described as "the worst robbin' case I've ever heard tell of."

Serelda and her children lived in several different places, and it seems that for awhile King Christenberry (and perhaps one or two other wealthy men) supplied Serelda and her children with whatever they needed. "We had money as far as that went," Laura recalls. However, in one single day their situation drastically changed.

The two boys, King and Frank, had begun to work, and Serelda had helped them get their jobs which paid $5 per week for both of them combined. Times were hard. It was difficult for a white man to get a job that would pay much because the freed slaves would work for so little pay.

Serelda and her children were able to move into a house owned by a wealthy man near the place where the boys were working. One day after King and Frank had only worked a week or two, they went to pick up their pay. A man named "Avery Crabapples" [the name has not yet been verified] saw them getting paid, and he followed them home. When he reached the house, he told their mother that she would have to give him the money that her boys had brought home. He took their money and said, "You'ns will have to move from here! You'll have to leave the house and leave everything, and go right now!" In Laura's words, "He broke a hickory, and the children that couldn't walk much way, he whooped them and made them move."

Avery Crabapples drove the Turpins away from the house and deep into the woods. They spent the whole night in the woods, and the next morning they ventured back toward the house. When they arrived back at the house, everything had been taken, and Avery Crabapples had taken over the house. Serelda and her children were left homeless.

When Laura Turpin provided me with this account, she closed by saying, "Avery Crabapples was his name. That was the worst robbin' case I've ever heard tell of. I've heard tell of them robbin' people to get their money, but they ain't ever taken the house with them.... Well, I hope he's in heaven. I tell you, people have got to do awful good to get there. You really have to do good."




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Saturday, February 6, 2010

A Directory to Articles about Laura Turpin

The following are a few of the articles posted about Laura Turpin, daughter of Serelda Turpin:


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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Randy Tinch Recalls the Days of Laura Turpin



Over the past several days I have received three Facebook messages from a gentleman I have never met in person.  His name is Randy Tinch, and he knew my great-great-aunt, Laura Turpin, personally.  Here is a compilation of the stories that he tells:

My wife Sharon and I were saved in Solway Church of God [located in Solway, Knox County, Tennessee] in March 1971 and knew Aunt Laura Turpin quite well. I would spend time at Aunt Laura's tiny home when she lived on Dogwood Road just a short distance from Solway Church of God.  I would go there several times a week just to talk with her about the Lord, about sanctification and the Holy Ghost.

Sometimes the presence of God would become so strong in her house that it was overwhelming. She shared a lot of stories about things the Lord did for her and Frank.  [Frank was Laura's brother.]

One story was about a light that came to them one night as they were returning home from church, when they lived at the old home place on the other side of Beaver Creek. They had walked across the old mill dam without a light.  Once they reached the other side, because of the woods it became so dark they couldn't see how to go on. So Laura and Frank knelt down and prayed for the Lord to help them. When they finished praying, she said a light came to them.

She said it wasn't a bright light, but it was bright enough for them to see how to go on up the creek, cross a fence, and then it went with them until  they reached an old wagon road that went from the creek up to the old home place. The light remained at the bottom of the hill  as they walked on up the hill. When they reached the top, the light vanished.

Laura said she knew the Lord sent that light to help them.  I asked her to tell me that story over and over.  I never got tired of hearing about it.

A few weeks before she died as I visited her in the nursing home, she laid her hand on me and prayed for me. Over the years, I have known, been around, and been prayed for by people such as Rod Parsley, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Billye Brim, T. L. Lowery and a few others, but when Aunt Laura laid her hand on me--just skin and bone--that probably had the greatest impact on my life.

I asked Randy Tinch if he knew when Laura came to faith in Christ.  Here was his response:

I don't remember when she was saved, but she received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at home.

A revival had broken out at Chandlers View Baptist Church which was located in what is now the Solway Methodist Church cemetery.  A sister by the name of Anna Cagley had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit which caused quite a stir in the church.

[Anne Cagley was born August 25, 1893 and died December 13, 1961.  She is buried at Solway Methodist Church cemetery.  Source: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/knox/cemeteries/solway.txt]

Others, including Laura, began praying and asking the Lord to do the same for them. Laura said they began to pray and ask the Lord to send someone to the church that knew something about this experience.

In a short period of time after they began to pray, Sam C. Perry, who had just received the baptism at the Azusa Street revival, got off the train there at the Solway depot.  Without anyone knowing him and without him knowing them, he walked into the Chandler View Church and began to preach about the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

Laura said she was so hungry for the Lord but did not receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit at church.

She had gone home after one of the services and had gotten behind the front door to pray.  As she was praying, she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

She said the Lord led her to either a piano or organ they had in the home, and she played and sang in tongues.

Aunt Laura's testimony was always, "I thank the Lord I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost with the Bible evidence of speaking in tongues."  I heard that many many times during Wednesday night testimony services.

When I asked Randy Tinch when this encounter with the Holy Spirit took place, he responded with this note:

The year was probably around 1906 or 1907.  [Note that the Azusa Street Revival began in April of 1906.]  Sam C. Perry had returned from Azusa Street back to his home in Fort Myers, Florida and started preaching the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  He had preached his way up into Tennessee when he came to the church Laura and Frank Turpin attended.

Sam C. Perry became a Church of God minister.  I understand that he came back to that church many times. There is a lot of information about him in the history of the Church of God--Like A Mighty Army.  He had apparently gone to Azusa Street in 1906, came back and was preaching about the experience. I would assume that he came to where Laura was in the latter part of 1906 or first part of 1907.  So, it was during that time frame that she received the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Life of Solomon Turpin: A Chronology

The following is the beginning of a chronology for the life of a Solomon Turpin--possibly an ancestor of the East Tennessee Turpins.

  • November 8, 1774:  Solomon Turpin (along with Edward Carvin, Moses Higgenbotham, John Henley and Henry Smith) were ordered to view the several ways from Robert Caldwell's near Craigs Creek Mountain / Potts Creek Mountains to Sweet Springs. He, along with the others, were to report to the next court. [Source: Ann Bruxh Miller, Botetourt County Road Orders, 1770-1778, Charlottesville, Virginia, 2007]


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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Joshua King Christenberry's Grave Located

After years of searching, on June 23, 2009 my daughter, Miranda, and I finally located the grave site of Joshua King Christenberrry.

Below are two videos related to this find. The first was recorded with a video camera, and the second was uploaded from my mobile phone at the time that we made the discovery. In both videos I erroneously state that Joshua King Christenberry was my "great-great-great-grandfather." Actually, one of those "greats" can be dropped; he was my "great-great-grandfather"--the father of King Turpin who was the father of "Little King" Turpin (my grandfather).




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Monday, November 2, 2009

A Famous First Cousin, One Time Removed

I just discovered that I have a somewhat famous first cousin, one time removed. Her name is Amanda Jane Raby Pearson.

Amanda is the daughter of Rosie/Rosa Bell Turpin who married Charles Raby, and Rosie was the daughter of my great-grandfather, King Turpin, and his first wife, Sarah Morrow.

I first heard about Amanda through my great-aunt, Laura Turpin. Aunt Laura told me that she had a niece who had seven sets of twins plus several other children! However, she never told me the name of the niece, and I did not understand her significant place in history until today.

According to Time Magazine's website, with the birth of Amanda's seventh consecutive set of twins on July 21, 1961, she broke the U.S. record for consecutive births of twins.




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Sunday, September 13, 2009

"Aunt Laura" Turpin

At some point between 1977 and 1980 while I was a student at Lee College (Cleveland, TN), I learned that I had a great-great aunt living in the Knoxville / Oak Ridge area who was approaching 100 years of age. Her name was "Laura"--"Aunt Laura" Turpin (1881-1982).

The television mini-series, Roots, had already inspired me to begin digging for my own family roots, so my close proximity to this newly discovered relative provided a great opportunity to initiate my own genealogical search.

To place Laura's own story into historical context, she was born March 1, 1881, the daughter of Serelda Turpin. Serelda was the daughter of James and Jerusha Turpin, and James was the son of Martin and Elizabeth (Russell) Turpin. (Martin was the first of our Turpins to settle in East Tennessee sometime between 1796 and 1805.)

"I'm ninety-nine years old!" Laura began in my first interview with her. Then she proceeded with the telling of stories that would answer many of my questions and stir up many new ones.

Prior to meeting Laura, all I knew was that my grandfather's name was King Turpin, that his father's name was King, and that his father's name might have been King as well. Laura opened a whole new world to me, introducing me to two additional generations of family history.

It was from Laura that I learned that her mother's name was "Rildy," or "Serelda." With King Turpin, Sr. (my great grandfather) being her brother, that meant that Serelda was my great-great grandmother. Regarding Serelda, Laura said, "You see, my mother [Serelda] never was married. She just stayed around here with these rich folks and had children by them."

Laura went on to inform me that their father's name was King Christenberry. (While I have found a great deal of evidence supporting the claim that King Christenberry was the father of her brother, King Turpin, Sr., I have not found the same degree of support for the claim that Mr. Christenberry fathered Laura and her other brother, Frank.)

Laura shared with me many stories about her life that I will include in upcoming updated versions of this post.

Today a number of people at Solway Church of God in Solway, Tennessee still remember Laura Turpin and her brother, Frank. I will include their stories in updated versions of this post as well.

A Chronology of Laura Turpin's Life:

  • March 1, 1881: Born in Tennessee, the daughter of Serelda Turpin and King Christenberry.
  • 1906 or 1907:  At 25 or 26 years of age, she received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at home during a time when revival had broken out at Chandlers View Baptist Church. Sam C. Perry, who had been impacted by the Azusa Street Revival in California, was ministering there.  (Source:  Randy Tinch)
  • 1907: Her brother, Frank Turpin, purchased 8 1/2 acres in Hardin Valley where both she and Frank would live.
  • 1909: We know that Laura was married to Henry Dunaway during this time, but we do not yet know the exact year of their marriage.
  • November 16, 1909: At 28 years of age, she gave birth to a son--William Sherman Dunaway.  (Source:  Randy Tinch)
  • March 28, 1913: A strong earthquake shock centered at Knoxville was felt over an area of 7,000 square kilometers in eastern Tennessee. "Two shocks were felt in many places. Movable objects were overthrown, and bricks fell from chimneys. A number of false alarms were set off at fire stations. Buildings throughout the city shook violently. The Knox County Courthouse, a massive brick structure, trembled noticeably. People outdoors experienced a distinct rise and fall in the ground; there were some cases of nausea." (Source: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ regional/ states/ tennessee/ history.php)
  • 1913: The founding of Providence Church of God--later known as Solway Church of God (Solway, Knox County, Tennessee). A man by the last name of Kirby donated the land for the building. According to Jake Popejoy, a former pastor of the church, Laura and Frank were charter members.
  • 1924: her aunt, Mary Elizabeth Turpin Potter, died in Custer County, Oklahoma.
  • September 27, 1926: Laura's mother, Serelda, died of cancer at the age of 75 in Frank and Laura (siblings) Turpin's home in Hardin Valley. Serelda (Rildia) was buried in the Providence Church of God cemetery.
  • October 27, 1926:  Laura's aunt, Amada (Mandy), died at home (where Serelda, Laura and Frank had lived as well). She suddenly spun around and around in the floor, suffering from both a heart attack and a broken blood vessel in her head.  They managed to get her to bed, but within a short time she was dead.  She was 78 years old.  Amanda was buried in the Providence (Solway) Church of God cemetery.
  • March 29, 1933:  Laura's brother, King Turpin, died in Knoxville and was buried in the Providence Church of God cemetery in Solway.
  • August / September, 1934: A revival took place that led to the reorganizing and reopening of Providence Church of God after it had been shut down for some time.
  • November 4, 1934: The reorganizing and reopening of Providence Church of God after it had been shut down for some time. Laura Turpin and her brother, Frank, were instrumental in the reopening of the church.
  • August 4, 1951: Laura's brother, Frank Turpin, died.
  • 1956: The name of Providence Church of God was changed to Solway Church of God.
  • April 12, 1979:  The day I (Randy Turpin) first met Aunt Laura.
  • 1980:  My second and last visit with Aunt Laura.
  • November 1, 1982: Laura Turpin died and was buried in the cemetery at Solway Church of God.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Martin Turpin of Anderson County, Tennessee

A major concern in my research has been to form a more complete picture of the life of Martin Turpin (b: abt. 1783 in VA)--the first of our Turpins to settle in East Tennessee. On the basis of what we know thus far, we can construct the following timeline for Martin Turpin's life:

  • Abt. 1783: born in Virginia.
  • 1783: end of the Revolutionary War.
  • (?) Abt. 1783 - unknown date: may have lived in Gap Valley, Virginia--present-day Gap Mills, West Virginia [connection with the Gap Valley Turpins uncertain]
  • (?) March 1783: land dispute at Second Creek between William West and a man who was possibly Martin's father--Martin Turpin. [Source: http:// files.usgwarchives.org/ wv/ greenbrier/ court/ record1.txt citing The History of Monroe County West Virginia, by Oren F. Morton, B. Lit., Originally Published: Staunton, Virginia, 1916, Reprinted, Regional Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1988, pages 68-78.]
  • (?) 1783-1785: a woman who was possibly his mother, Agnes, either died or was divorced from a man who was possibly Martin's father--Martin Turpin.
  • (?) March 8, 1785: when our Martin was about 2 years old, a man who was possibly his father, a Martin Turpin, married Nancy Jane Fleming at Linville Creek in Rockingham County, Virginia (or Richmond, Virginia). (Source: familysearch.org)
  • (?) June 16, 1785: when our Martin was about 2 years old, a man who was possibly his father, a Martin Turpin, was "placed under bond for good behavior for a year and a day." [Source: http:// files.usgwarchives.org/ va/ botetourt/ court/ minutes129gwl.txt citing Annals Of S W Virginia, June 1785. Botetourt County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Court, Minutes, County Court June 1785.]
  • (?) 1785: when our Martin was about 2 years old, the elder Martin (possibly our Martin's father) and his wife, Nancy, had a son named James.
  • (?) 1786: when our Martin was about 3 years old, it is noted that the elder Martin (possibly our Martin's father) had 1 slave, 2 horses and 3 head of cattle.
  • (?) 1788: when our Martin was about 5 years old, the elder Martin (possibly our Martin's father) and Nancy had a daughter named Tabitha. (Some records show the name as Talitha.)
  • (?) Bef June 29, 1789: recorded on this date, some of Solomon Turpin's (possibly our Martin's deceased grandfather) land was conveyed to his son, Martin, who may have been our Martin's father.
  • (?) Aft. June 29, 1789: when our Martin was about 6 years old, Solomon's son, Martin (possibly our Martin's father), sold out along with several other Gap Valley Turpins (i.e., Moses, James, Solomon, Jr., Aaron).
  • (?) 1790: when our Martin was about 7 years old, the elder Martin (possibly our Martin's father) and Nancy had a son named Martin, giving the senior Martin two sons bearing his name.
  • (?) Bef. July 31, 1792: when our Martin was about 9 years old, recorded on this date, a land transaction showing a Martin (possibly our Martin's father) and wife Agness (or Agnes--possibly our Martin's mother) Turpin selling 147 acres for 5 shillings to William Haynes. This transaction probably took place prior to 1785. (The land was part of the Solomon Turpin survey on the head of Second Creek adjacent to David Johnston.)
  • Time Gap: 1792-1805: transition from Virginia to Tennessee.
  • (?) 1792: when our Martin was about 9 years old, the man who may have been his father, Martin Turpin, moved to Madison County, Kentucky in 1792--the same year in which Kentucky became a state. (This elder Martin later moved to Garrard County, Kentucky and then to Pulaski county, Kentucky.) [Source: http:// jwebber.tripod.com /pafdata/ pafn197.htm]
  • May 2, 1797: A person named Martin Turpin was "bound to David Love" for purposes yet unknown in Montgomery County, Virginia. [Source: Lewis Preston Summers' Annals of Southwest Virginia, 1769-1800, vol. 1. Johnson City, Tennessee: The Overmountain Press, p. 868.] Our Martin Turpin would have been about 14 years old at this time. (See "More Martin Turpin Speculation")
  • May 2 1797 - 1798?: at 14 or 15 years of age [based on the possibility of the aforementioned Love family connection], entered Tennessee by raft on the Clinch River [according to oral tradition].
  • 1798: Martin may have settled at Campbell's Station with the Love family. David Love's father was Joseph Love who settled at Campbell's Station (west of present-day Knoxville) in 1798. [Source: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=1940love&id=I0373 ]  Worth Ray's Tennessee Cousins notes that Joseph Love was Sheriff of Knox County and that David Love was Deputy Sheriff of Joseph Love of Knox County [Page 230].
  • 1803?: when Martin was about 22 years old, Andrew Russell (possibly the father of Martin's soon-to-be wife) had come from Virginia to visit his son, Matthew, in Knox County and died there. [Source: http:// joepayne.org/ houston.htm citing Dorthy Day Gillespie, "Biref History of the Family of William Gillespei, Sr. (1734-1826)", in Ther Heritage, 20th Anniversary (Hot Spring County, AR: Hot Spring Historical Society), vol. XV, 1988, p. 35-47.] [This Matthew Russell, Martin Turpin's brother-in-law, may have been the same Matthew Russell noted as the first known settler in the Concord, TN area (1787). He settled on land granted by the government for serving in the Revolutionary War. Source: http:// www.knoxcotn.org/ knoxcotn/ 2001/ knoxcodigestv1_182.htm and Centennial history of First Baptist Church, Concord (published in 1991).]
  • 1803: "The Last Will and Testament of Andrew Russell" of Augusta County, Virginia was probated in Knox County, Tennessee. Elizabeth Russell (possibly the same Elizabeth as the soon-to-be the wife of Martin Turpin) is listed as his daughter, possibly implying the Russell family's presence in Knox County in 1803. [Worth Ray, Tennessee Cousins, a History of Tennessee People, 212]
  • October 28, 1805: At about 22 years of age, Martin Turpin married Elizabeth Russell in Knox County, Tennessee. The marriage certificate was signed by both Martin Turpin and James Scarborough. (Eleven years later in a court record dated October 14, 1816, both James Scarborough/Scarbro and Martin are listed as workers on a road. Source: Anderson County Tennessee Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Minutes, 1814-1819, page 111.)
  • Time Gap: 1805-1812?: transition from Knox County to Anderson County.
  • 1805-1812?: moved from Knox County to Anderson County, Tennessee.
  • Abt. 1807: At about 24 years of age, Martin's son, James Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1809: At about 26 years of age, Martin's son, William Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1811: At about 28 years of age, Martin's son, David Turpin, was born.
  • 1812: At about 29 years of age, Martin Turpin was drafted to serve as a Private in the East Tennessee Militia, 5th Regiment (Col. E. Booth's Regiment; Capt. Richard Marshall is also noted in the record). However, the record shows that he was "discharged for inability." (Source: Noted by Barbara Oliver. Also Sarah Turpin citing listing from Tennesseans in War of 1812, page 503.)
  • Abt. 1812: At about 29 years of age, Martin Turpin's son, Thomas Turpin, was born.
  • Oct. 12, 1812: At about 29 years of age, Martin Turpin was appointed as a juror in Anderson County, Tennessee.
  • Oct. 13, 1813: At about 30 years of age, Martin Turpin was appointed as a grand juror in Anderson County, Tennessee.
  • Abt. 1816: At about 33 years of age, Martin Turpin's son, Martin Turpin, was born.
  • October 14, 1816: At about 33 years of age, Martin Turpin, James Scarbro/Scarborough and others were associated with work on a road in Anderson County, Tennessee. (Eleven years earlier on October 28, 1805, James Scarborough signed Martin and Elizabeth's marriage certificate. Source: Anderson County Tennessee Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Minutes, 1814-1819, page 111.)
  • Abt. 1819: At about 36 years of age, Martin Turpin's son, Isaac Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1822: At about 39 years of age, Martin Turpin's son, Henry Turpin, was born.
  • Apr. 26, 1832: When the senior Martin Turpin was about 49 years old, his first grandson, Martin Turpin (son of James Turpin), was born.
  • November 12, 1836: When Martin Turpin was about 53 years old, he sold a parcel of land (50 acres located on the north bank of the Clinch River in Anderson County) to Joseph Harden for the sum of $300. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing from Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book I-1, Pg. 253)
  • February 6, 1837: When Martin Turpin was about 54 years old, he acquired 300 acres (Anderson County) from the State of Tennessee. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Land Grant No. 712)
  • 1840: according to the census, lived in Anderson County
  • 1850: according to census, lived in Anderson County
  • August 23, 1853: When Martin Turpin was about 70 years old, Abraham J. Hagler and Jacob C. Hagler sold him 100 acres of land for $100 in Anderson County on the side of Chestnut Ridge (on the north side of the Clinch River). (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book Q-1, Pg. 564)
  • May 28, 1857: At abt. 74 years of age, Martin Turpin gave his son, Henry Turpin, a parcel of land in Anderson County, Tennessee as a gift for Henry living with him and taking care of him in his old age. No acreage amount is mentioned in the record. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book S-1, Pg. 397)
  • April 17, 1858: At abt. 75 years of age, Martin Turpin sold William Turpin (son?) 100 acres in Anderson County, Tennessee on the north side of the Clinch River for $165. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book P-1, Pg. 570-572)
  • 1858: Martin Turpin appears in the 1858 Tax List for Anderson County owning 200 acres valued at $500. (Source: Sarah Turpin)
  • 1858-1859: presumed death at abt. 75-76 years of age. (Source: Sarah Turpin: Martin's widow (Elizabeth) appears in the 1859 Tax List for Anderson County, owning 210 acres valued at $420. Elizabeth also appears in the 1860 census alone.)



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Monday, August 10, 2009

James Turpin of Anderson and Roane Counties

The following is a chronology of the life of James Turpin of Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee:

  • Abt. 1807: born the son of Martin Turpin and Elizabeth Russell Turpin.
  • Abt. 1809: When James was about 2 years old, his brother, William Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1811: When James was about 4 years old, his brother, David Turpin, was born.
  • 1812: When James was about 5 years old, his father, Martin Turpin, served in the East Tennessee Militia, 5th Regiment (Booth's Regiment). (Source: Barbara Oliver)
  • Abt. 1812: When James was about 5 years old, his brother, Thomas Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1816: When James was about 9 years old, his brother, Martin Turpin, was born.
  • 1816: When James was about 9 years old, his father, Martin Turpin, worked on the construction of a road in Anderson County, Tennessee.
  • Abt. 1819: When James was about 12 years old, his brother, Isaac Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1822: When James was about 15 years old, his brother, Henry Turpin, was born.
  • 1830: The Indian Removal Act was passed.
  • Bef. 1832: James' marriage to Jerusha/Jerusa--reportedly a Cherokee woman. Someone has noted that in light of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, James married Jerusha to prevent her removal.
  • Apr. 26, 1832: When James was about 25 years old, his first son, Martin Turpin, was born.
  • 1838: The removal of the Cherokee from the southern Appalachian Mountains began. Someone has noted that when Jerusha's sisters (and possibly other Cherokee family members) were forced to move as a result of the Indian Removal Act, she became imbittered.
  • Abt. 1839: When James was about 32 years old, his son, William G. Turpin, was born.
  • Abt. 1843: When James was about 36 years old, his son, John Turpin, was born.
  • July 7, 1845: At the courthouse door in Clinton, Tennessee (Anderson County), as the highest bidder James Turpin purchased 170 acres (the property of Mary Millers' heirs) for the amount of four dollars thirty-three and 3/4 cents (the amount owed in taxes for 1842-1843). (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book Q-1, Pg. 593-594)
  • August 31, 1847: James sold 75 acres to Harbard H. Crawford for the sum of $100.00. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Deed Book N-1, pgs. 15-16)
  • January 1848: When James was about 41 years old, his daughter, Amanda, was born. (Source: Amanda Turpin's tombstone)
  • March 4, 1851-1853: When James was abt. 44-46 years of age, his daughter, Serelda, was born in Tennessee. (Her tombstone shows a birthyear of 1851, but the 1860 Roane County census shows Serelda as 7 years old.)
  • February 1, 1854: James Turpin transfered to his wife, Jerusha, the title of the land previously purchased on July 7, 1845. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book Q-1, Pg. 593-594)
  • Bef. August 5, 1854: James Turpin acquired/built a new house in Anderson County. (Implied bySarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book Q-1, Pg. 588-589)
  • August 5, 1854: Samuel C. Young sold James Turpin 33 acres in Anderson County for $20. The parcel was adjacent to James Turpin's newly built house. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book Q-1, Pg. 588-589)
  • November 6, 1858: James Turpin and wife, Jerusha Turpin, sold William Gallaher 250 ¾ acres in Anderson County, Tennessee on the north side of the Clinch River for $300. The land description seems to indicate that the property had frontage on the river. "This may have been when they moved to Roane County." (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book S-1, Pg. 65 )
  • 1858-1860: Presumed death of James' father, Martin Turpin. (James' mother, Elizabeth, appears in the 1860 census alone.) James would have been abt. 51-53 years of age at the time.
  • August 26, 1860: according to the census, living in Roane County at or near Welcker Mill. (Welcker Mill was located at the confluence of East Fork and Main Poplar Creek adjacent to the present-day site of the K-25 Oak Ridge plant on the northeast side.)
  • 1861: Tax List shows James Turpin living in Roane County, Tennessee. (Source: Sarah Turpin)
  • 1861: At the age of 54, the American Civil War began.
  • 1861: His sons, William and John, swam across the Clinch river to escape the Confederates. They walked to Kentucky to join the Union Army.
  • August 9, 1861: James' sons, William G. Turpin and John T. Turpin, enlisted in the Union Army, First Regiment, Company K. [Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Tennessee : of the military forces of the state, from 1861 to 1866. Ancestry.com]
  • August 21, 1861: James' sons, William G. Turpin and John T. Turpin, mustered for service in the Union Army, First Regiment, Company K. [Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Tennessee : of the military forces of the state, from 1861 to 1866. Ancestry.com]
  • June 7, 1862: James Turpin's land in Roane County, Tennessee (75 acres) was valued at $250. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918, Ancestry.com)
  • July 9, 1862: James' brother, Martin, Jr., "died of disease" as Private in Co. K, 1st Regiment, Tennessee during the Civil War. (Source: Sarah Turpin citing Ancestry.com, "Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Tennessee; of the military forces of the state from 1861 to 1866")
  • 1862-1864: James' death at abt. 55-57 years of age. 1864 Tax List shows James Turpin heirs in Roane County, Tennessee. (Source: Sarah Turpin)


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