Robert Newton Turpin had at least one sister. Mary was born about 1813. We find enough records for Mary that we can
begin to know about her. But the records
are scarce enough that her and her family’s lives are a bit of a mystery. The story is one that makes you wish that
time travel was possible!
The first record we find of Mary is the land
document where John and Elizabeth leave Elizabeth’s land to the children in
consideration that they will care for John and Elizabeth and their son, John
Jr. Then we find her marriage record in
the Owen County, Indiana records:
Mary Turpin to Carter Arnold,
24 June 1848
Carter Arnold was previously married to Ailsey
Carter in 1837 in Owen County. With
Ailsey we find another person from the Carter family! I believe Ailsey Carter Arnold probably died
and then Carter Arnold married Mary Turpin.
So on to the censuses! I love census records! Just a single census page can give you so
many clues and lead you on many different research paths! Look at the 1850 U.S. census of Owen County, Indiana. It shows that the newly married Carter, age
55, and Mary, age 37, are living with a full house!
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| Carter and Mary in Franklin Twp, Owen Co, Indiana |
First there is Elizabeth, age 27, and Eliza, age 19,
who were born in Virginia before the 1837 Indiana marriage of Carter and
Ailsey. A little research on Carter
Arnold reveals that there is a marriage record for Carter Arnold and Elizabeth
Carter 3 March 1817 in Halifax County, Virginia (Early American Marriages: Virginia
to 1850 by Jordan R. Dodd). This gives us another tie to Halifax County,
Virginia. But more interesting, it tells
us that Carter married an Elizabeth Carter and then an Ailsey Carter, both born
in Virginia. Or could Elizabeth and
Ailsey be the same person? Is Ailsey a
from of Elsie or Elizabeth? But if so,
why two marriages, one in Virginia and one in Indiana? And are these Carters related to John Turpin’s
wife Elizabeth Carter?
But we digress.
Let’s go back to the children shown in the census.
Child Elizabeth would have been born about 1823,
when Carter would have been about 28 years old.
Eliza would have been born about 1836, when Carter
would have been about 36 years old.
They could be children from the marriage previous to
Ailsey or perhaps other relatives of Carter.
The 1850 U.S. census does not indicate the relationships of members of a
household.
Also living with them is George Turpin, age 12, and
another Elizabeth, age 13, whose last name is not listed – it is likely
Turpin. So many Elizabeths! This makes us wonder if Mary Turpin was
married previously since she was about 35 when she married Carter Arnold. Or is George a nephew or cousin?
Finally, there is a 10-month-old Milikin Arnold who appears
to be the child of Carter and Mary. Milikin
would be the first Turpin descendent in this branch of the family.
In the 1860 census, Carter Arnold is residing in
Owen County, Indiana but Mary is not there. It’s assumed that Mary Turpin
Carter died before 1860 in Owen County however her grave has not been located. So now it seems Milikin may be the only
Turpin descendent in this branch!
In 1870 we find Carter Arnold, his sister, and
several of his children living in Hoosier Prairie Township of Clay County,
Illinois. The graves of Carter Arnold,
his sister Kiziah Moury, his son David, and his daughter Elizabeth Arnold
Franklin are in Number Four Cemetery in Sailor Springs, Clay County, Illinois.
As for Milikin (Millican). We can follow him through
time until his death 4 October 1924 in Clay City, Illinois. His death record states his parents were
Carter Arnold of Virginia and Mary Carter of Virginia. He was a farmer and married to Lydia. And true to the nature of this family, the
census tells such a story! In 1910, “Miligan”
and Lydia’s household consisted of brother Fletcher Arnold, mother-in-law Julia
Pierce, and John McCallister, nephew!
From a review of the censuses, it appears that Milikin and Lydia never
had children.
