If he was German and it was that early, the chances are that he came from
Pennsylvania. Several German families came to PA and then migrated south
through WV, portions of MD, the Winchester/Front Royal area and then
proceeded further south through the mountain valleys. That's the path that
my German ancestors followed.
Ancestry.com (Dave McIntyr) has source information referring to your
Ludwig/Lewis Turner in Loudoun Co., VA. He lists the father as Michael
Turner/Dreher who was also in Loudoun Co. in the 1790 Tax Records and back
in Morris Twp., Greene Co., PA in 1800. He also lists a source citation of
service in the Military in Northampton Co., PA in 1777, age about 25 as
follows:
Transcription of text Third Battalion, Lehigh Twp., Northampton County
Militia.
Detail Series 5, vol. 3, p. 292
Other information Michael Dreher, 1st Class.
He lists the mother of Michael as Margaret c. 1773 without source so he
hasn't found the record for that. Margaret is listed as born about 1755 and
died in May 1808 in Greene Co., PA. Michael is listed in Greene Co., PA in
1808 but there are no sources for either fact.
Lewis/Ludwig Turner/Dreher is listed as the father for Michael. Ludwig was
born c. 1730 in Germany (no source), immigrated c 1750 in New York City (no
source).
Cathy H. Palmer says:
Michael Turner (Dreher) Sr. was born about 1750; his wife's name is said to
be Margaret or Peggy. A Hans Michael Dreher, along with Andreas Dreher, was
listed among the passengers of the ship Hamilton, departing Rotterdam 6
October 1767, arriving in Philadelphia, and taking an oath of allegience.
Both Hans Michael and Andreas are named in a 1767 census of Philadelphia. I
could not locate any other Michael Dreher arriving in America prior to the
1770s, by which time this Michael Dreher was known to be in Virginia, and I
assume them to be one and the same. His age at emigration would have been
about 17, which would not have been an unusual age for a young man to leave
his homeland and seek his fortunes overseas. Under German inheritance rules,
only the eldest son would inherit property; we can assume that Michael had
at least one older brother. Based on historical naming patterns (naming
one's firstborn son after one's father), the assumption can be made that
Michael's father was named Ludwick (Ludwig) Dreher. "Dreher" is the German
word for "Turner", as in a turner of wood on a lathe. In legal records (such
as tax records, which would have been kept by a British-based government),
it appears that Michael used the last name Turner, while in the Lutheran
Church records the family was referred to by their German name. By 1790,
Michael and his oldest son Ludwick (being 16 years of age) are listed on the
personal property tax lists for Loudon County, Virginia. Following Ludwick's
marriage, he disappears from the Loudon County tax rolls, presumably due to
a move to Bedford County, Pennsylvania, where he appears in the Bedford
County census starting in 1810. Michael Jr. appears in the Loudon County
tax rolls in 1799 and 1800.
Cathy refers to sources:
The book, History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with Biographical
Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Chapter IV. Pioneer
Settlements--Erection of the County--Establishment of the County-Seat lists
Michael Turner as one of the settlers of the area and has general
information about the period.
Cynthia McDaniel
-----Original Message-----
From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lucy Cronin
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2012 12:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] DNA & Turner Brick Wall
I have researched my Turner Family for many years. The earliest I can find
the family is 1790 in Loudoun Co., VA. In the Personal Property Tax Records
the name is Turner. In the Church Records for the New Jerusalem Lutheran
Church in Lovettsville, the name is Dreher or
Drayer or Dreer, etc. In German dreher is a turner of wood or ivory.
My branch of the family (Ludwig Turner) ended up in Bedford Co., PA.
I found his brother (Michael Turner) ended up in Clermont Co., OH.
The Ohio branch said we were from the Tourneur Family of Harlem, NY & they
were French Huguenots. I couldn't prove that. I researched the Tourneur
Family & found a male Tourneur willing to do DNA. In 2008 I paid for his
DNA test & used Family Tree DNA. I had a Turner cousin from Bedford Co., PA
also do the DNA test thru Family Tree DNA. Alas, NO match. Since 2008 there
have been many matches to the Tourneur Family thru Family Tree DNA, but
there are NO other matches to my Turner Family.
I cannot not find where my Michael Turner Sr (born abt 1750) & his wife
Margaret (Peggy) Unknown came from before they showed up in Loudoun Co., VA
in 1790. I am sure the family was German. Was the family name originally
Dreher? There is a Hans Michel Dreher who arrived in Philadelphia, PA in
1767. I have not been able to find him after 1767.
DNA is a valuable too; that can prove or disprove lineage. I keep hoping
that someday I will get a DNA match for my TURNER lin.
Lucy Turner Cronin
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