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.)
