Wilburn Turner 1845-1916

The sixth son of Thomas H. Turner(1812-aft 1880) and Mary Johnston(1815-1853)

Mary died of fever when Wilburn was just 8 years old. I have read that Thomas

sent the children to live with relatives after her death. Thomas according to

family lore was called "Humpy Tom" because of a humped back and was said to

be a"very contrary" man.

In 1860 Wilburn was living with his father Thomas, sister Mary, and brother Shadrick

in Breathitt County,KY. On Oct 31, 1861, the the age of just 16, he enlisted as a private in Company G. 8th Regiment of KY volunteers, Union Army. Sometime during the Battle of Stone Creek, Wilburn was captured by the Rebels about Jan 2,1863. He was paroled at City-Point, VA January 20,1863 reported at Camp Parole, MD January 21,1863 and was sent to CCO and re- enlisted in either March or May of 1863. On February 1,1864 he was paid $60 bounty and was due $340. On Nov 17, 1864

he is shown as have drawn a clothing allowance of $22.18 a bounty paid of $110 as a

veteran volunteer bounty recruit and $290 due. On November 17,1864 he was shown as discharged by reason of re-enlistment as a veteran.

The 1890 Veteran Census says that he was shot in the left shoulder sometime during his service. I did not see any absent to hospital record so either it was not too serious or it occurred during his capture by the Rebels.

Wilburn was 23 years old when he married 24 years Burnetta Tompkins on 15 Mar 1866 in Laurel county, KY. The marriage bond was signed by Wilburn and his cousin, Robert Johnston,

( a son of Elliott Johnston, the brother of Wilburn's mother) Wilburn apparently never learned to read and write but his wife could. There are Turner researchers that state Burnetta was a teacher,but I have not yet found where they get that information. I have not found the couple in the 1870 census so perhaps that will tell me something.

1850 Breathitt, KY Thomas Turner 38 Polly Turner 35 Jesse Turner 15 Timothy Turner 13 Elliott Turner 11 Edward Turner 9 John Turner 7 William Turner 5 Mary Turner 4 Paschal Turner 3 Shadrach Turner 1	1860 Breathitt Co. KY Thomas Turner 50 b.Wilkes NC farmer Wilbourne Turner 17 b. Breathitt KY farm laborer Mary Turner 14 b. Breathitt KY Shadrick Turner 10 b. Breathitt KY	1870
1880 Turner Wilbourn 37 KY KY KY Turner Burnetta 30 wife KY VA VA Turner Wm 12 son KY KY KY Turner Robert H 5 son KY KY KY Turner Elizabeth A 3 dau KY KY KY Turner Millie B 1 dau KY KY KY	1890 Veteran's name    Willburn Turner Home in 1890       Dallas, Pulaski, Kentucky Year enlisted    1861 Year discharged    1864 Rank    Private	1900 Turner Wilborn head Mar 1843 57 KY NC KY farm Turner Burnettie wife Feb 1841 59 7 births 6 living KY NC VA married 35 yrs Turner Mollie dau Feb 1878 21 KY KY KY servant Turner John D son Dec 1880 19 KY KY KY Turner Jesse E son Nov 1884 15 KY KY KY

Doubts at every turn

         This weekend I decided to change my family tree.  For over a year now I have known that DNA evidence was not leading me up the Smith branch of my tree the way I had been told by other researchers.  But I was holding fast that it would eventually be shown that my supposed gggg-grandfather  was a cousin to the DNA proven line.  I like the story that he  and his wife have attached to them.  But when I found myself trying to make the evidence fit my theory, instead of following the trail of evidence to wherever it may lead... Then I knew it was time to give it up.  No point in leaving that on the list, I can always put him back if the evidence ever supports it ,right?

          So with a deep breath I hit DELETE.

         Then to console myself , I decided to dig around a bit with one of my favorites, Hot Grandma Elizabeth.  I  found her Wild Child Malinda mentioined in an old Rootsweb list and began to read about her husbands and children and then----OH NO!!!  The writer suggested that Malinda was the granddaughter of Lewis Wilburn.  Now I am sure Lewis was a great guy, he was the brother of Stephen Wilburn , the grandpa I have listed.  The problem with this Lewis theory is that, if true, I will lose my beloved Wallen/ Walling connection!!!!! I have spent hours reading about the Longhunters and their adventures. I have studied the Salem Witch Trials, and poured thru pages of early New England Puritan history.  Now to possibly lose that whole line!!!!!!. 

       So I pushed myself away from the computer last night, with a very Scarlett O'Hara attitude of     "I'll think about that tomorrow".  
      
        This morning I turned to Morning Wallen, sad that I could lose her wonderful history.  I looked at the picture I had attached to her not really sure what that was, though I  thought it was a page from the marriage records book.  When I brought it up on screen -Lo and Behold- it was a page from a diary dated 1850  listing  births of her, Stephen,  and their children including Hot Grandma Elizabeth! 

From intro to document: The pages copies herein are from an old record book brought from Eastern Tennessee to Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas in 1850 and discovered among the personal papers of Thomas J. Walden, Busch, Arkansas, after his death in 1951

 

 That is what happens when you collect so much you can not keep track of it all.  Anyone that wishes to see that page can find it at Ancestry.com   posted on the Kelsey Wilburn Family Tree    

Breakfast of Ancestors

Like so many people my New Years Resolution, Diet
Today that little bowl of oatmeal is less than appetizing so I had to wonder,
what did the ancestors eat?  I am currently working on many families.in the mid 1800's
 so that is today's search

 1853 breakfast menu suggestions in a cookbook
 Hot cakes, cold bread, sausages,
 Hot bread, cold bread, chops, omelet.
 omelet, a nice hash, fried potatoes
 Corn bread, stew, Boiled eggs.
 And the morning cup of coffee cost 12-18 cents a pound
 By 1861 the price would rise to  15-20 cents/lb

People  apparently ate a hardy breakfast, a large lunch ,  a mid afternoon tea or snack
and / or light supper( most likely leftovers in some form)
 the suggested tea menu found was a bread and either stewed fruit
 or oysters or fish

Breads seem to have been mostly some type of cornbread or corn base pancake.
Desserts were seldom made with sugar but more likely honey or sorghum molasses.
My "Hot Grandma" Elizabeth kept several bee hives, be sure to read her story.

Elizabeth Wilburn, Hot Grandma

     My Elizabeth was married to Eli T(h)ompkins about 1820. She was the daughter of Morning Wallen and Stephen Wilborn of TN. There has been some discussion that she was perhaps the second wife of Eli, the first could have been a Martha Beatty, (TL NOTE I believe "Beatty" was Betty as in Elizabeth.)  They  had  a lot of children at the very least these four girls Nancy Tompkins Morgan, Malinda Tompkins Adams, Mary Tompkins, Burnetta Tompkins Turner, and quite likely these two boys Charles Storm Tompkins and Benjamin H. Tompkins , &  possibly Andy. 
The marriage ended sometime between about 1840 to 1850, apparently the papers were loose and no date is on them.

Marriage Notes for Eli Tompkins and Elizabeth Wilborn: Transcription of divorce papers:

To the Honorable the Judge of the Laurel Circuit Court, in Chancery sitting, your petition in Eli Thompkins humbly complaining, would respectively show unto your honor that some 20 years since he married his wife, Elizabeth and **** as a family *** life tolerably well for some time but at last
         by degrees a fire began to rise in the breast of my wife till it has grown to such an extent, that it cannot be put out with management and good treatment or with water.
She seemed to be everything but a wife and everything but a prudent woman. I have a large family of gals and boys and I am willing to take them and work for them and do all that is in my power if I could get them out of her company. She is no wife to me nor has she been for 4 or 5 years, she is loose in her habits and plays too much with other men. With her there is no confidence in her virtue or chastity. Adultery seems to be her pleasure, therefore your petition in **** in Justice and mercy on your honor to set aside the marriage contract to divorce me and dissolve the union between us and in mercy ever will pray a he is in duty bound and prays that said Elizabeth Thompkins may be made a *** to this bill.

     Ok, now really what do you think Grandpa Eli meant "with water" ?
Elizabeth  has been a bit hard to track after the divorce, She remarried a man named Dudley Faris in 1859  Elizabeth died in  the fall of 1873 (TL NOTE found this on internet M.E. makes me believe she was  named Martha Elizabeth-remember the note above)

"M. E. Tompkins married Dudley Faris in Laurel Co. in 1859, the date is given is February 29, 1859, although it was a leap year and the date cannot be correct. Witnesses were Burnetta Tompkins and Mary Tompkins, clearly Elizabeth's daughters."       from Casey Meshbesher 

 Census July 20, 1860, Laurel county Kentucky, Page 102
Dudley Farris m 60 ky farm laborer
Elizabeth Farris f 55 ky
Viva Farris f 11 ky
Bernetty Farris f 18 ky

 I don't know if Dudley died or they divorced. I am still looking but Elizabeth was calling herself Thompkins again in her will.

      Notes for Elizabeth Wilborn: Transcription of Elizabeth Thompkins' will.

I, Elizabeth Thompkins of Laurel County being  feeble in health and
advanced in years and being of sound mind and disposing memory and
desiring to make such disposition of my estate as seems to me justice do make and constitute this my last will and testament.
It is my will and desire that my daughter Nancy Morgan have one  bee hive.
This my desire that my daughter Malinda Adams have one bee  hive.
This my desire that my daughter Mary Thompkins have one bee hive.
This my desire that my grandson W. S. Turner have my red heifer calf and  bed clothing, bedstead.
It is my desire that my daughter Burnetta Turner have one bee hive and all the rest of my estate consisting of household and kitchen furniture and one brown milk cow 2 years old heifer, two head of sheep, and five head of hogs.
This is my will and desire that Robert Early be appointed Executor of this my last will and testament. It is my desire that this instrument be placed upon record in the Laurel County Court.
Witness my mark and signature this 25 of Aug, 1873.
Witness: W. E. Smith      Elizabeth Thompkins mark
John Sparks   State of Kentucky

Laurel County Court, Oct. two 1873, a paper purporting to be the last  will and testament of Betty Thompkins was produced to court and by the oath of W.E. Smith subscribing who also attended the signature of John Sparks. Whereupon the same to record this day by: L. Ewell
(TL NOTE  "grandson W. S. Turner"  was William Sherman , my great-grandfather)


I have done some reading on the Wilborn  (also Wilburn) , have found several notes about them being, shall we, say a bit rowdy.  If you consider that Elizabeth was also a descendent of  our Bad Boy Tom Wallen , there can be little doubt that it was in her DNA .
 Her daughter Malinda has been referred to on the internet as Wild Child  She will require her own page.