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BLOOMSBURY PLANTATION

 near Warrenton, Warren County, North Carolina

James Turner was said to have been born on December 20, 1766, in present-day Warren (then Bute) County, the son of Thomas and Rebecca Turner, farmers, who had lived in Granville County since at least 1754. Bute was formed from Granville in 1764. Newer sources indicate that he was born in Southampton County Virginia, that he moved to NC in 1770 and that after his family moved to North Carolina, Turner attended the common schools of Warren County. During the Revolutionary War, he saw service in North Carolina as a private in the army of General Nathanael Greene. Serving in the same company was an older Warren County resident, Nathaniel Macon, with whom Turner formed a lasting and formative friendship. By 1790 James Turner had twenty slaves; two plantations, Bloomsbury near Warrenton and Oakland near Williamsboro, were associated with the family. At the time of his death, however, he had a total of 173 Slaves listed across 4 plantations referred to as his Fishing Creek Plantation, Rich Neck Plantation, the Home Plantation and the Granville Plantation. Have found about 155 of those Slave names in his Distribution lists. The Home Plantation was Bloomsbury, the Granville would have been Oakland Plantation, but am not sure if the other two may have had different names. Turner was married three times and widowed twice. His first wife was Mary Anderson of Warrenton, who died in 1802; they had four children: Thomas, Daniel, Rebecca, and Mary. His second wife, Anna Willis, died in 1806, daughter of John Willis & Mary Hayes Plummer; she was 1st married to Joshua Cochran. His third wife was Elizabeth Park-Johnston, widow of Dr. William E. Johnston, who survived him. (this was also Elizabeth's 3rd marriage having previously married John Willis, d.1806, and William Eaton Johnston, d.1809). Elizabeth Park was the daughter of William Park & Elizabeth Eaton, and she was the granddaughter of Col. William Eaton, d.1759 Granville Co. Elizabeth Eaton had 1st married to Daniel Weldon, and 2nd to William Park. James Turner & Elizabeth Park had 2 daughters together, Sally and Ann. Elizabeth had 1 other daughter, Betty Willis, with her 1st husband, John Willis. James' daughter Rebecca, married George E. Badger, of Hillsborough, later a congressmen and secretary of the navy in the administration of President William E. Harrison. (Badger later married Delia Haywood-Williams, widow of Gen. William "Pretty Billy" Williams, owner of Montmorenci Plantation of Warren County.) The three marriages together produced six children, two sons and four daughters. Entering upon a varied career in politics, Turner represented Warren County in the House of Commons from 1798 to 1800 and in the Senate in 1800-1801. As a member of the General Assembly, he was affiliated with the so-called “Warren junto,” an influential group of conservative Republicans led by Macon, his former comrade in arms. On November 29, 1802, the Republican dominated legislature elected John Baptista Ashe governor. Ashe, however, died less than a week later, prior to taking office. In a second election, held December 4, Turner was selected in his place to his first term as governor. Reelected to office on two subsequent occasions, he served the constitutional maximum of three consecutive years. In November 1805 Turner resigned the governorship to accept his election to the United States Senate. There he remained for the next eleven years, generally associating himself with the conservative Republican politics of his mentor, Nathaniel Macon. Turner, however, achieved no distinction or prominence during his years in the Senate, his energies often depleted by poor health. Prevented by illness from returning to Washington in the fall of 1816, Turner submitted his resignation. Largely withdrawing from public life, Turner passed his remaining years quietly at his principal Warren County plantation. His second plantation (in present-day Vance County) near Williamsboro was called “Oakland.” It was at “Bloomsbury” that he died on January 15, 1824. He was interred on the grounds.

Breakdown of Slaves listed in the Inventory of the Estate of JAMES TURNER. May County Court 1824
Fishing Creek Plantation:
36 Slaves thereon

Rich Neck Plantation:
60 Slaves

Home Plantation MRS. TURNER residence:
11 Slaves

Granville Plantation:
51 Slaves including those in possession of THO'S TURNER
7 Slaves in possession of JUDGE BADGER
7 Slaves willed to GEORGE ANDERSON
1 Slave living with RICH'D VANLANDINGHAM

(Total: 173 Slaves)

We HY FITTS, ALFRED ALSTON, RICHARD DAVIS & WILLIAM G. JONES have in pursuance of an order of Warren County Court to us directed this 16th day of December 1825 divided the Negroes belonging to the Estate of JAMES TURNER dec'd among his four children in which division is included Negro girl LETTICE that was willed to MARY TURNER and is now thrown into the general division being value at $350 each legatee receiving their proportion of her value, also MRS. TURNER having a life estate in the following Negroes surrendered them up and which were also thrown into the common division, viz- JENNY, MARY, HARRIET, RITTER, MUTT & RACHEL after dividing the whole of which we have alloted them as follows vizt:

Lot No. 1 to THOMAS TURNER:

Lot No. 2 to DANIEL TURNER:

COLLIN valued
ROSE
JORDAN
COURTNEY
DICK
SUSAN
CAROLINE
THOMAS
BOB
SCIPIO
GILES
BONNER
TOM
ANDERSON (of SILLER)
AUSTIN
CHERRY
SILLER
MILLY
TEMPEY (of MILLY)
HARRIET
WASHINGTON
PEGGY
PRISSY
MIRANDA (of PRIS)
GID
ROSE BADGER
TEMPEY
CHARITY
LUCY (of CHARITY)
SALLY
SOPHIA
MATILDA
NELSON (of M)
NED (ginger)
EASTER
JOHN (of EASTER)
OLD DICK
Shoe maker JIM
CREASY

Total:

$8787

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Slaves named in the Will of BETSY TURNER, 1830 (widow of James Turner):
To my Brother ROBERT PARK- NANCY (the wife of his man BILLY)

To my daughter SALLY- BRUTUS, ELLEN, MARIA and NANCY and her child

To my daughter ANN- BOB (the Carpenter), BECK, BLACK SALLY and her children- HETTY and her children, and her husband ANTHONY

My faithful servant LOUISA be permitted to choose to which of my daughters she will belong; and each of my said daughters shall pay the said LOUISA five dollars annually so long as she shall live.
 

Division of Slaves from the Estate of BETSY TURNER, February Court 1831.

To ELIZABETH E. BASKERVILLE wife of GEO. D. BASKERVILLE:
ROBIN, AMERICA, ELIZA, RAPP, MINERVA, REUBEN, MORDENA, MARK, BETSY, CLARISSA, MATILDA, IRENE, FRANKY, HENRY, JOHN, MILL FANNY, HANNAH, OLD FANNY, BILLY, DICK, FRANCIS, PLEASANT, ABBY, RACHEL, HARRY, BECKY, PATSY, MILLY, ROSINE, DESDAMONA, MARGARETT, HARRIOT and SAM, being thirty three in number.

To SALLY P. TURNER:
BRUTUS, MARIA, NANCY, MARY ANN, ELLEN, PLATO, ROGER, SAL, SUSA (of SAL), HIDER, EDWARD, WESTLY, EATON, PETER, PERRY, WILLIAM, JUBA, ENBERT, BUCK, CAROLINE, JIM, ISHAM, MARIA, MARTHA, ONEY, LUCY, LOTTY, DOUGLAS, TOM, SUSA (of IRENE) & CHARLES, being thirty one in number.

To ANN TURNER:
BOB, ANTHONY, SALLY, JAMES, WILLIAM HENRY, ROBERT, HETTY, CUTCHENA (of HETTY), OLIVIA, DELIA, JOHN (of HETTY), BECKY, LOUISA, SHADRACK, OLD CUTCHENA, MARCUS, ISAAC, SCIPIO, JULIA, REMUS, MARY, ELBERT, CRAWFORD, REMUS (of MARY), POLLY, EVERET, JANE, EMILY, LETHE, and OLD SARAH, being thirty in number.

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Slaves named in the Will of THOMAS TURNER-1788 (father of James Turner)

To wife REBECCAH TURNER:
SAM, SALL, LUCE, CAIN, LONDON, NAZE, JUDAH, TOM, JEAN, BEN, RACHELL, AMY, BETTY & STEPHEN

To my son JOHN TURNER:
WILL, ROBERT, NAN, CHARLES, LUCY, STARLING, ESSIX, EDY, JOE, CILLAH, GILES, DARK, DOLL, NED, WILLIS & PLEASANT

To my son JAMES TURNER:
JUDAH, LUCEY, JERRE, SARAH, PETER, JIBB, SOLOMON, PHILL, FRANK, NED, DICK, COOPER, FREEMAN, ADAM, ABRAM & GREAT ISHAM

To my daughter HANNAH DAVIS (wife of PETER DAVIS, d.1804)
EASTER, DRURY, DAVY, FEREBERY and ARTHUR

To my daughter MARY MAYFIELD:
PATIENCE, CHINA, AGGY, LITTLE ISHAM, TEMPEY, JERRE, LUCY, MOSES, ARAN & ROSE

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Slaves named in the Will of HANNAH DAVIS in 1826 (widow of Peter Davis; daughter of Thomas & Rebecca Turner).

To WINIFRED DAVIS, JACOB, TEMPERANCE D. DAVIS (of JNO. DAVIS dec'd) THOMAS DAVIS, and TEMPERANCE DUKE the following Slaves:

PETER, FANNY, DAVY, ARTHUR, DICEY, BETSEY, GRACE and FEREBEE

To THOMAS DAVIS:
two Women DINAH & CHERRY

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(Note: this was Elizabeth Parks during her 2nd marriage)

August Court 1798
JOHN WILLIS gives up his interest (as husband of BETSY PARKS-WILLIS) in the Slaves she was entitled to from the estate of her grandfather, WILLIAM EATON, died 1759, by conveying them to Mrs. BETTY PARK, daughter of the late EATON. The Slaves were:

HANNAH, DELCEY, CHARLES, DICK, LUCY, AMY ALSTON, BOB, EPHREN, ADAM, AGGAR, LUCY, MODENY, ANTHONY, CARMEY, BOWSER, JAMES, TILLIE ALSTON, VIOLET BEN, and BETTY, JENNY & her son NED, LUCINDA, ERENN, BRUTUS

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