Follow-up on James R. Carter (Nov. 12 blogpost)

 

In my Nov 12th blogpost about the Iowa 10th Infantry and Thomas Benton Turpin, I mentioned James R. Carter enlisting at the same time.  

James R. Carter of Rippey enlisted as a Private on 23 August 1861 at the age of 18 in Company H, 10th Infantry Regiment Iowa on 7 Sep 1861.

James is the same age as Thomas.  Carter was probably Thomas’s grandmother’s maiden name. So looking to see if there is a connection could help me. A bit of research shows there are no records of him in Greene County, Iowa in the 1860 census. I may want to scan the census in case the indexing is in error. I don’t see any James Carters in 1870 census that look like a potential match either. There is a 1890 Veteran’s Schedule which shows many James Carters. I guess this is a research project to put on my rainy day list.

Dennis Bell found the following entry for a James R. Carter in the 1860 census of Washington, Warren Co., Iowa.  Dennis suggested:

... he might be the James R. Carter (b. ABT 1843 in Indiana) who lived in Warren Co. IA in 1860?  See the below.  It appears to me that Charlotte (b. ABT 1820 in Indiana) is his mother, and that she remarried to John Epps and started a 2nd family.  John and Charlotte Epps were living in Washington, Greene, Iowa in the 1870 census.  John Epps was a widower in the 1880 census (Indianola, Warren, Iowa).

1860 Census of Washington, Warren Co., IA for James R. Carter

The beauty of cluster research!  I saw that E. A. D. J. Carter

Michael Turpin's Complete Will

Signatures on Michael Turpin's Last Will and Testament

In May 2016, I blogged about Michael Turpin’s will.  I had found a portion of it quoted on a website. Since that time, I have located a copy of the complete will.   It names three sons of Michael and Edith Turpin – Obediah (who seems to be the oldest), John, and James.  I have transcribed it below as best as I could.   Italics are used for verbiage that I couldn't quite interpret.

Michael Turpin’s Last Will and Testament

In the name of God, Amen.  I Michael Turpin of the County of Halifax being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain in this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul unto the hand of almighty God that gave it and my body I recommend to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the general resurrection.  I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to help me in this life I give, devise, dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Edith all my stock of all kinds also my household furniture and the land which lies the other side of the creek during her lifetime and then to decend to my son John and James.  Secondly I give to my son Obediah Turpin who I likewise ordain, constitute, and appoint with his two brothers before named to be my executors of this my last will and testament, the remainder part of land to him and his heirs forever and if the rent of the said land does not pay for the land at the end of four years then each of the boys before mentioned to pay equally what is their due.  I also give my mill and the profits one half to wife Edith and the other half to my son Obediah by him freely to be possessed and enjoyed and I do hereby xxxxly disallow, revoke and disannull all and every other form in testaments, wills, legacies, bequests and executors by me in anywise before named willed and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness xxx I have here unto set my hand and seal this second day of September in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety three.  Signed, sealed, published, pronounced, and declared by the said Michal Turpin as his last will and testament in the presents of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have here unto subscribed our names. 

Michael (his mark) Turpin

Allen Whitehead

Benjamin Clements

Josiah (his mark) Shelton