James’ Children - Susa,1st Child

I plan to blog what I’ve found on the known children of James Turpen.  This is a first post on his children.

From the www.sweetowen.net website, Nancy Jane Carter -- is this Jim and Janey?

Susa was the first child of James and Janey (Carter).   Susa was probably born about 1838 and is indicated in the 1840 census records of Owen County, Indiana as a daughter less than five years of age.  She is a 12-year-old in the 1850 census.  Since James and Janey cannot be found in an 1860 census, when Susa would have been 22, she drops from sight in that big time gap of 20 years.  That presents a research challenge.

Her name appears once, on a single census so it could be misspelled or shortened by the census taker.  Susa could have died.  She might have gotten married in Owen County, Indiana or Greene County, Iowa but there doesn’t seem to be any clues in the marriage records.  We don’t know where the family lived in Arkansas but we might find traces of her there someday.  It's an open project!

James of course had a son before he married Janey Carter.  When he was married to Jane Mills in Virginia, they had a son.  Both Jane and son are gone from records after 1830.  The most likely explanation is death but this is another open project. 

James Turpen Family

In previous posts, I have mentioned another Turpin who seemed to migrate with my great great grandfather John Turpin.  John and James are in Halifax County, Virginia and Owen County, Indiana.  After John died, John’s son Robert Newton “Newt” Turpin and James move to Greene County, Iowa. This family used an “e” instead of an “I” in their surname frequently.  

Here is an outline of what I’ve learned about James’ family.   

James TURPEN

Born:   6 April 1790   in Virginia

Marr:   2 Feb 1837    

Died:   6 Dec 1886  

Bur:     Greene Co., IA 

married

Nancy Jane CARTER (known as Janey)

Born:   10 Mar 1813, in Virginia

Died:   23 May 1910   Greene County, IA 

Bur:     Greene Co., IA 

Their children:

1. Susa TURPEN, born about 1838 IN

2. William TURPEN, born 1844 IN and married Newt's daughter Louise Ann Turpin

3. Luke born 1848 IN and married Emily Babb 

4. Isaac Newton TURPEN, born about 1848 in IN.  Followed Turpins to Nebraska

5. Henry Watson TURPEN, born about 1852 IN married Emily Marie "Emma" Bennett

6. Samuel Allan TURPEN, born Mar 1853 IN, married Lydia Jane Thornton

7. George Washington TURPEN, born 26 Dec 1856 IN, married Mabel Davis 

8  John TURPEN

James and Janey are supposedly buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, however Find-a-Grave does not list them.  I may need to revisit that topic to see if I can locate them.