TURNER, CHRISTOPHER, CAPT ~ 1790 U.S. Census 2-5-6-0-0

The Capt. Christopher Turner house on 
Town Farm Road is thought to have been the 
first frame house built in Readfield circa 1776.
It later was used as a barn and is gone now..

Capt. Christopher Turner (1755-1803) was born in  England  s/o John George & Hannah (Chapple)  Turner of Yorkshire, England. Christopher moved to Dresden, Maine with his family as a child, where his father died when Christopher was 9 years old. He and his brother, John came to Readfield on the first wave of Winthrop/Readfield settlers and settled near each other, Christopher on lot #160 bordering North Wayne.[i] He is said to have built the first frame house in Readfield which was later used as a barn and no longer stands. [ii] He married Catherine (Carlow), she born 1761 in Pownalborough d/o Jacob & Elizabeth Carlow. This family came on the immigration voyage of the ship PRISCILLA from Germany. They arrived at Broad Bay Plantation (Waldoboro) in 1752 and moved to Pownalborough (Dresden) soon afterwards. The Carlows were Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. [iii]

Christopher & Catherine’s 11 children were born in Readfield 1777-1797 (Readfield was a part of Winthrop until 1791). He is given credit for Patriotic Service during the Revolutionary War, a resident of Winthrop at that time.[iv] Perhaps this is how he attained the title of Captain. In 1783 he was elected a constable in Winthrop and in 1791 voted a selectman at the very first town meeting of the newly incorporated town of Readfield. In 1782 a road was laid out to his house and described as leading E to W from the road around the mill pond (Maranacook) between lands of James Craig and Moses Ayer (Winthrop Rd); then NW to Christopher Turner’s NE corner; thence to William Hankerson’s E line; thence NNE to a road between James Lane’s and Thomas Smith’s (Nickerson Hill Rd).[v] This road ran E to W from just beyond/south of Dead Stream Bridge westward and became known as the Lombard Road because it ran to Solomon Lombard’s farm – later owned by the Town of Readfield and used as the town poor fam. It was also part of what we know today as Town Farm Road. Neither Lombard Road nor Turner, Hankerson, Lane, Smith or Lombard’s houses exist today except on the pages of history. Town Farm Road is no longer accessible by the public on the north end and impassible to motorized vehicles.

Christopher and John Turner were no doubt close to the ferryman and miller, James Craig, who was also born in England, because in his last will and testament Craig named them both as guardians of his minor children should his son and primary appointed guardian, Thomas Craig predecease said minor children. It is noted that Thomas Craig’s son, John O. Craig, married Sally Turner, daughter of Christopher and Catherine.[vi]

When Christopher Turner died his wife, Catherine was named the administrator of his estate in 1804[vii] but in 1807 when his farm was sold, John Hubbard was the administrator. A notice had been posted in a public venue per the law of the day, for an auction to be held at Catherine Turner’s dwelling house at which time Nathan and Samuel Moody, merchants from Hallowell purchased 102 acres and buildings for $1,038.31. This included part of Catherine’s right of dower and she was given the right to live there for the rest of her life. Three years later the Moodys sold the Turner homestead to the Turner’s son-in-law, Peter Huntoon for $1,200.[viii] Catherine was listed as head of household and living alone on the 1820 census so she likely continued to live there until she died in Readfield in 1828. The Turners’ place of burial is unknown but I suspect they are in the Huntoon Cemetery where many of the graves are unmarked. It is interesting to note that his daughters, Hannah, Peggy and Catherine named their sons Christopher Turner ______.

Children of Christopher & Catherine Turner: [ix] 

1. Hannah b.1777 m.1797 Benjamin Jenness, II. They may have moved to Rye, NH; 7 children 
2. Peggy b.1779 m.1797 James Norcross of Readfield; they moved to Charleston, ME; 7 children
3. Catherine “Caty” b.1781 m.1799 David Huntoon, Sr. of Mt. Vernon; they lived on a 30 acre farm on Fogg Road, no longer standing; 10 children 
4. Betsey b.1783 m.1799 Peter Huntoon, a brother of David Huntoon above..Peter bought Christopher Turner’s homestead in 1810 for $1,200[x]) . He and Betsey lived there for the rest of their lives. Their son Lafayette took it over after them. He died in 1861 and his widow, Lucinda (Brown) married Samuel Cunningham. They lived on the Turner homestead until 1878 when they sold it and bought the Robert Morrison farm on Old Kents Hill Rd.  Peter & Betsey (Turner) Huntoon had 9 children,
5. Christopher, II b.1785 m.1809 Polly White (he built the house at 21 Old Kents Hill Rd. circa 1846. At this time it is not known where they lived prior to 1846. He was a teamster - no doubt trucking products from the nearby sawmill, grist mill and woolen mills on Factory Square. His wife Mary "Polly" White may have been d/o Jeremiah who was a tanner and owned land on White Stream, today known as Handy Stream. This is in close proximity/west of where Christopher and Polly built their home. Jeremiah sold his land and tannery to Joshua Bean in 1816 and moved to Albion. Christopher and Mary's 12 children were born in Readfield: 1) Mary b.1810; 2) Susan b.1812; 3) Sally b.1815 d.1819; 4) William b.1817; 5) Llewellyn b.1819; 6) Daniel b.1821 he was disabled and unable to live on his own; 7) Margaret b.1823; 8) Edwin b.1825; 9) Lorenzo b.1828; 10) Elmira b.1830; 11) Leona Diana b.1833; 12) James H. b.1834. He served in the Civil War.
6. Jacob b.1787 m.1812 Lovina Eldridge 
7. John b.1789 m.1815 Nancy Kittredge and four years later a notice in a local newspaper reads “John Turner of Readfield whereas Nancy, my wife, has left my bed and board I will not pay her debts.” Nancy and John Turner were divorced in 1826 and Nancy took back her maiden name. She moved back to live with her parents, Peter and Sarah Kittredge, at Readfield Corner. In 1828 she had a son she named Braddock Kittredge. It is not known if he was a son of John Turner or not.
8. James b.1790 d.1814 in battle War of 1812
9. Polly m.1792 d.1805 at age 12 years 
10. Sally b.1794 m.1816 Col. John O. Craig grandson of James Craig; they resided in Readfield; 11 children; she d.1874 and he d.1881. They are buried in Readfield Corner Cemetery.
11. William b.1797 m1.1816 Hannah Babcock m2.1821 Anna Bullen He moved to St. Albans where he died in 1877. 12 children

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[i] Kennebec Registry of Deeds: book 11 page 462-463; and book 16 page 145.

[ii] Readfield Historical Society Newsletter Spring ~ Summer 2003 by Dale Potter-Clark

[iii]  Early Carlow History by Thomas W. Bentum, IV, January 2007. “The Carlows were part of a plan by the government of the Broad Bay Colony to recruit poor Germans to settle the frontiers. At that time the frontier were places like Dresden and Waldoboro, Maine, which was the target of this particular settling of people. It was risky business since there was much hostility between the colonists and the Native Americans. The Germans would help populate the area and provide a buffer between the sometimes hostile native population and the English… Their son John, was born on board ship on 17 October 1751. Jacob and Elizabeth had at least 4 more children that lived to adulthood, probably all born in Pownalborough: Margaret (born 17 February 1756), Martin (born 11 October 1757), Catherine (born 14 February 1761) and Thankful (born 14 March 1764) .In a local census taken in 1766, the Carlows were living in a one story log home with a single fireplace and the house had four windows with glass. It did not have a brick chimney or stone cellar.4 Contained in The History of Dresden is a map that shows where the original Carlow lot was. It was roughly located on the east side of the Kennebec River north of where the Eastern River joins the Kennebec. Their religious preference is recorded as Lutheran.. In 1776 when the colonies declared their independence, Jacob was about 51 years old, Elizabeth aged about 46, John aged 24, Martin aged 23, Catherine aged 15 and Thankful aged 12. It is presumed that they all went to the British fort in Bagaduce (Castine) by 1779 for protection during the war. Brothers John and Martin were active in the war helping to build the fort at Bagaduce. Lorenzo Sabine records in Biographical Sketches of the American Revolution, "[John and Martin Carlow] set out to travel by land in 1778 and, after enlisting with the 'Rebels' to avoid detection, and various other adventures, they arrived in Nova Scotia. The year following, Martin was in Lunenburg and John at the British post at the mouth of the Penobscot, [Castine]. By 1782 Martin had 'gone to live at home in peace... Jacob and Elizabeth moved back to their home in Pownalborough. Son John appears to have lived in St. Andrews for a time and then moved on to St. John, New Brunswick. Son Martin moved back to Maine for about 20 years and then back to St. Andrews until around the War of 1812. Some of his descendants stayed in St. Andrews...” Daughters Margaret married a Moses White. Thankful married Peter Fisher and moved to Wayne, Maine and started a family. "

[iv] Soldiers, Sailors and Patriots of the Revolutionary War – Maine; page 808; compiled by Carleton & Sue Fisher; pub. 1982 by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Louisville, Kentucky.

[v] History of Winthrop, Maine, Page 69 by Everett Stackpole; pub. 1925.

[vi] The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine 1760-1800 page 315; Maine Genealogical Society; Picton Press, Camden, ME 1991.

[vii] Vital Records from Maine Newspapers 1785-1820 page 615; David & Elizabeth Young; Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie Maryland, 1993.

[viii] Kennebec Registry of Deeds: book 11 page 462-463; and book 16 page 145.

[ix] History of Winthrop, Maine with Genealogical Notes of Readfield Vol. II pags 821-822; Young, David & Elizabeth; Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie, MD 1994; AND To Those Who Led the Way: Vital records 1768-1913; page 45 by Dale Potter-Clark; pub. 2009, AND research of Dale Potter-Clark.

[x] Kennebec Registry of Deeds: book 16 page 145