The Family of
Walter Charles Turner
Family Chart
The left picture is thought to be of Walter Charles Turner and his second wife,
Barbara. On the right is what appears to
be a Turner family group, taken around 1920.
It is assumed that the seated, older couple are Walter and Barbara. Behind Barbara are Walter Edward Neal and
Elsie May. Behind Walter are Robert
Henry and Dorothy Violet, with Elizabeth Kate between the two younger
couples. The identities of others are
not known.
Walter Charles Turner was born 17 May 1851 at Enford, Wiltshire, a son of Henry Turner, a labourer , and Ann Susanna formerly Guley. Ann Susanna Turner (X) registered the birth. He was baptised at Enford 28 September 1851, of East Chisenbury (father a labourer). His date of birth in the baptism register was given as 29 May 1851.
In the 1861 census he was at home with his parents, at Wick Hill, Holy Trinity Bracknell, aged 9, born at Enford, Wilts.
In the 1871 census he (as Walter Charles) was a private in the 33 Foot Regiment, at Aldershot. He was aged 19 and born at Chisenbury, Wiltshire.
He has not yet been found in the 1881 census. However there is a Charles Lever, aged 29, unmarried, a butler, born at Chisenbury, Wilts, in the household of John C. Thynne at Little Cloisters (precincts of Westminster Abbey). Apart from the name (!) the rest of the data fits exactly.
Walter Charles Turner married Annie Searle at St George's Church, Kensington, after banns, on 19 May 1886. He was aged 34 years, a bachelor and man servant, of 16 Upper Phillimore Gardens, a son of Henry Turner, deceased, a labourer. Annie Searle was aged 25 years, a spinster of 46 Campden Street, a daughter of George Searle (sic), deceased, a carpenter. The witnesses were Edward Turner and Elizabeth Kate Turner, Walter’s brother and sister. It is now known that Annie was illegitimate, so her father’s name is not known with certainty.
In August 1886 Walter was a butler.
On 18 April 1889 Walter’s address was 67 Lexham Gardens, Kensington, when he registered the death of his brother, Edward Guley Turner.
In the census of 1891, of 35, Campden Street, living in 2 rooms, Annie was at home as a married wife, but Walter was absent. She was aged 28, born in Hersham, Surrey. With her were children Walter E. N. aged 4 and Robert H aged 2, both born in Notting Hill Gate.
In the census of 1901, of 36 (road not identified but presumed to be Campden Street), Annie Turner, married, was aged 38, and born at Hersham, and her sons were Robert H aged 12, Walter E. N. aged 14 and Alfred C. aged 9, all born in London. With them were four boarders, Richard G. Fisher, 24, a bricklayer, born Bath, Albert Hawkins, 20, a bricklayer, born Taunton, Emmanuel Griffith, 29, Clerk, born Chepstow and Arthur Force, 24, a Grocer's assistant, born Collompton.
Walter Turner was found in the 1901 census in the household of Charles Peile at 14 Queensgate Gardens, Kensington, a barrister at law (retired) and a director of Indian Railways and Trustee of the Great Indian Peninsular Annuity Trust. Walter was aged 49, married, a domestic indoor servantman. Walter C. Turner was born in Wiltshire, at 'Clusenham' Devizes. 'Clusenham' appears to be the correct reading of the place name in the census image but has not yet been located. More likely is that the place is Chisenbury and was mistranscribed by the enumerator when the schedule was compiled. Devizes is the nearest town to Chisenbury, about 11 miles away.
In August 1907 the family took their holiday at Boscombe, Hants.
Annie Turner died 16 March 1909 and was interred at Kensington Cemetery.
In the census of 1911, at 36 Campden Street, Kensington, in 6 rooms, Walter Charles was aged 59, a widower and waiter working on his own account, born at Chisenbury, Wilts. With him were his unmarried sons, all born in Kensington: Walter Edward Neal aged 24, a carpenter and joiner, working for a ‘furnishers’, Robert Henry aged 22 a clerk in the motor industry and Alfred Charles, aged 19. There was also a boarder, George Montague Gibbs, aged 22, a milkman, born at Battersea, and a housekeeper, Emily Charlotte Woolf, a widow aged 35 born at Notting Hill and her son, Charles Henry Streek Woolf aged 9 and born in Salisbury.
In the records of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, W.C. Turner was described as a waiter when Alfred Charles was admitted in October 1911.
Walter Charles married secondly Barbara Griffiths (born 14 March) 20 July
1912 in the Parish Church, Kensington, after banns. Walter was aged 60, a butler of 36 Campden Street, a son of Henry Turner (deceased), a labourer. Barbara
was of full age, a spinster of 5 Campden Grove, a
daughter of Thomas Griffiths, an engineer. The witnesses were Elizabeth K. Turner
[sister] and J.C. Faulkner.
In the marriage certificate of his son, Robert Henry, 3 September 1918, Walter Charles was described as a boarding house proprietor.
Walter Charles Turner, formerly a domestic butler, died 28 June 1933, aged 82, at 2 Finstock Road, Kensington North. He died of chronic bronchitis (no post mortem). His sister, E. K. Turner, of 72 Gordon Court, Ducane Road, W12 registered his death. He was interred in Kensington Old Cemetery.
Walter and Annie's children were
- Walter Edward Neal, born
17 August 1886 at 46 Campden Street, Kensington.
Walter Charles was a butler and Annie registered the birth.
- Robert Henry, born about
1888/9 in Notting Hill Gate
- Alfred Charles, born 12
March 1892 at 36 Campden Street, Kensington.
Walter Charles was a butler and he registered the birth.
Revised April 2012