Does anyone know anything about these families. I suspect a connection but for the life of me, I can't find Allen Turner born about 1830 on the 1850 Census. He moves around so much in MS from 1860-1880 that I can't get a read on him. But, note the use of the name Mansfield Turner in both of these families. 1850 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, Southern Division (image 40/165 on Ancestry.com) #236 William A. Turner-----30 M-----SC Elizabeth C.-----------35 F------AL Mary F.---------------7 F-------AL William S.-------------4 M------AL Margaret E.-----------3 F------MS Martha D.------------1 F-------MS Mansfield Turner-----19 M------AL [could be a brother of William A. Turner] 1860 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, P. O. Tripoli (image 51/480 on Ancestry.com) #332 William A. Turner-------42 M-----$600/$650-----SC Caroline E.--------------34 F-----AL Mary Ann F.------------18 F-----AL William S.---------------16 M-----AL Margaret----------------14 F-----AL Finley J.-----------------10 M----MS John W.-----------------8/12 M---MS 1860 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, P. O. Blackland (image 27/480 on Ancestry.com) #171 Allen Turner------39 M------$0/$100----SC Melvina-----------37 F------------------AL J. M.--------------6 M------------------MS W. W.-------------5 M-----------------MS A. J.---------------4 M------------------MS Elizabeth J.--------1 F-------------------MS {Note: Allen Turner married Melvina Beard on 29 March 1851 in Pontotoc Co. MS--"Mississippi Marriage Records"] Melvina Beard appears to be the daughter of Welcome Beard whose family was enumerated in 1850 in Pontotoc Co. MS (image 76/305 on Ancestry.com). She was 20 years old on that census year. Welcome Beard appears to be the same Welcome "Bierd" on the 1840 Census of Itawamba Co. MS (image 27 on Ancestry.com). This family moves to Pontotoc Co. MS by 1870. These moves can't be explained by county formation changes. 1870 Census, Pontotoc Co. MS, Township 9 (image 48/60 on Ancestry.com) Turner, Alline---------50 M-------NC [notice that this is different than 1860] Melvina---------------36 F--------TN [different than other census records but possibly confused by place of birth of father in TN] Mansfield--------------17 M-------MS [this appears to be son J. M. in 1860] Jackson----------------13 M-------MS [this is Andrew Jackson Turner] Jane--------------------11 F--------MS George-------------------9 M-------MS Virginia------------------3 F---------MS 1880 Census, Lafayette Co. MS, Lafayette Springs Turner, Allen-------59------SC SC SC Melvina----wife----49------AL TN TN Elizabeth----dau----21-----MS SC TN George W.---son---18-----MS SC TN Ollia V.------dau----14----MS SC TN Turner, Andrew J.---22----MS SC TN Josephine-----wife--20----AL AL AL Bullard, Martha--sis-in-law----14 Allen Turner dies between 1880 and 1900. The family of Andrew Jackson Turner stays in Lafayette Co. MS through the 1900 census and Melvina V. Turner, widow is living with his family. Census recorded her birth year as Jan. 1831 in AL. By 1910, the family has moved to Dawson Co. TX. They seem to move back and forth then from Lamar Co. TX and Dawson Co. TX. Andrew Jackson Turner had twin sons born on 31 May 1891--Andrew Rush Turner and Marian Rosh Turner. Their WWI draft registration cards said they were born in Oxford (Lafayette Co.) MS. The young man Mansfield Turner age 19 living with William A. Turner in 1850 Census (possibly a younger brother?) appears to have served in the Confederacy during the Civil War and then settled by 1880 in Lee Co. MS. He appears to be the following man: 1880 Lee Co. MS, ED 91 Mansfield Turner---------50M------AL - - Sarah E.--------wife------42 F------AL - - Eliza F.---------dau-------19 F-----MS Rosannah-------dau-------15 F------MS I am drawing a complete blank of finding Allen Turner born about 1820 probably in SC in the 1850 Census. There is an Allen "Tarver" about the right age living in Leake Co. MS but research on that family strongly suggests the name is accurately Tarver and not just a misrecording or misindexing. Hopefully, someone out there is researching the family of William A. Turner who lived in Tishomingo Co. MS in 1850 and 1860 or the line of Mansfield Turner. We have someone who has just joined the Turner DNA Project who is a direct male Turner descendant of Allen Turner who married Melvina Beard.

Interesting discovery. I just located the family of this William A. Turner (born about 1820 in SC) in 1870 Census and he has moved to Lafayette Co., MS (Lafayette Springs). This is the same place that Allen Turner and wife Melvina Beard Turner moved to by 1880 from Pontotoc Co. (1870). 1870 Census, Lafayette Co. MS, P. O. Lafayette Springs (image 64/113 of Ancestry.com) #127 Turner, W. A.------53 M----Farming-----0/$300-----SC E. C.---------------45 F----AL M. A.--------------26 F----AL M. E.--------------23 F----MS M. D.--------------21F P. J.----------------18 F [could be the Finley J. of 1860] J. W.---------------10 M K. P.---------------8 F G. E.---------------5 M J. A.---------------1 M #128 Turner, W. S.-----25 M----Farming----AL M. A.------------23 F---MS G. W.------------6 M----MS Coward, Joe-----14 M B laborer Additionally, I think I've found Manfield Turner in the 1870 Census. He was 19 in 1850 living with William A. Turner. He appears to be enumerated as: 1870 Census, Lee Co. MS (Lee County was formed in 1866 from parts of Itawamba and Pontotoc Counties) District 5 (image 20/105 on Ancestry.com) P. O. Verona. p. 521B #169 Turner, M. F.-----37 M --- Farmer-----AL Sarah-------------33 F----AL Elvira----13 F---MS Rosa------5 F----MS Compare makeup of names and ages with 1850 and 1860 and it is pretty clear that this is the same William A. Turner family. Please let me know if anyone can help identify any of these families or might be descended from them. Gail R. Blancett wrote: >Does anyone know anything about these families. I suspect a connection >but for the life of me, I can't find Allen Turner born about 1830 on the >1850 Census. He moves around so much in MS from 1860-1880 that I can't >get a read on him. But, note the use of the name Mansfield Turner in >both of these families. > >1850 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, Southern Division >(image 40/165 on Ancestry.com) >#236 >William A. Turner-----30 M-----SC >Elizabeth C.-----------35 F------AL >Mary F.---------------7 F-------AL >William S.-------------4 M------AL >Margaret E.-----------3 F------MS >Martha D.------------1 F-------MS >Mansfield Turner-----19 M------AL [could be a brother of William A. Turner] > >1860 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, P. O. Tripoli >(image 51/480 on Ancestry.com) >#332 >William A. Turner-------42 M-----$600/$650-----SC >Caroline E.--------------34 F-----AL >Mary Ann F.------------18 F-----AL >William S.---------------16 M-----AL >Margaret----------------14 F-----AL >Finley J.-----------------10 M----MS >John W.-----------------8/12 M---MS > >1860 Census, Tishomingo Co. MS, P. O. Blackland >(image 27/480 on Ancestry.com) >#171 >Allen Turner------39 M------$0/$100----SC >Melvina-----------37 F------------------AL >J. M.--------------6 M------------------MS >W. W.-------------5 M-----------------MS >A. J.---------------4 M------------------MS >Elizabeth J.--------1 F-------------------MS >{Note: Allen Turner married Melvina Beard on 29 March 1851 in Pontotoc >Co. MS--"Mississippi Marriage Records"] > >Melvina Beard appears to be the daughter of Welcome Beard whose family >was enumerated in 1850 in Pontotoc Co. MS (image 76/305 on >Ancestry.com). She was 20 years old on that census year. Welcome Beard >appears to be the same Welcome "Bierd" on the 1840 Census of Itawamba >Co. MS (image 27 on Ancestry.com). > >This family moves to Pontotoc Co. MS by 1870. These moves can't be >explained by county formation changes. > >1870 Census, Pontotoc Co. MS, Township 9 >(image 48/60 on Ancestry.com) >Turner, Alline---------50 M-------NC [notice that this is different than >1860] >Melvina---------------36 F--------TN [different than other census >records but possibly confused by place of birth of father in TN] >Mansfield--------------17 M-------MS [this appears to be son J. M. in 1860] >Jackson----------------13 M-------MS [this is Andrew Jackson Turner] >Jane--------------------11 F--------MS >George-------------------9 M-------MS >Virginia------------------3 F---------MS > >1880 Census, Lafayette Co. MS, Lafayette Springs >Turner, Allen-------59------SC SC SC >Melvina----wife----49------AL TN TN >Elizabeth----dau----21-----MS SC TN >George W.---son---18-----MS SC TN >Ollia V.------dau----14----MS SC TN >Turner, Andrew J.---22----MS SC TN >Josephine-----wife--20----AL AL AL >Bullard, Martha--sis-in-law----14 > >Allen Turner dies between 1880 and 1900. The family of Andrew Jackson >Turner stays in Lafayette Co. MS through the 1900 census and Melvina V. >Turner, widow is living with his family. Census recorded her birth year >as Jan. 1831 in AL. By 1910, the family has moved to Dawson Co. TX. >They seem to move back and forth then from Lamar Co. TX and Dawson Co. TX. > >Andrew Jackson Turner had twin sons born on 31 May 1891--Andrew Rush >Turner and Marian Rosh Turner. Their WWI draft registration cards said >they were born in Oxford (Lafayette Co.) MS. > >The young man Mansfield Turner age 19 living with William A. Turner in >1850 Census (possibly a younger brother?) appears to have served in the >Confederacy during the Civil War and then settled by 1880 in Lee Co. >MS. He appears to be the following man: > >1880 Lee Co. MS, ED 91 >Mansfield Turner---------50M------AL - - >Sarah E.--------wife------42 F------AL - - >Eliza F.---------dau-------19 F-----MS >Rosannah-------dau-------15 F------MS > >I am drawing a complete blank of finding Allen Turner born about 1820 >probably in SC in the 1850 Census. There is an Allen "Tarver" about the >right age living in Leake Co. MS but research on that family strongly >suggests the name is accurately Tarver and not just a misrecording or >misindexing. > >Hopefully, someone out there is researching the family of William A. >Turner who lived in Tishomingo Co. MS in 1850 and 1860 or the line of >Mansfield Turner. > >We have someone who has just joined the Turner DNA Project who is a >direct male Turner descendant of Allen Turner who married Melvina Beard. > > > >