I was recently delighted to find the Bible of my 6th great-grandmother, Susanna Hamner Turner, wife of Stephen Reuben Turner, at the North Carolina Digital Archives. In it, she had recorded the births of all her 12 children, along with marriages and deaths.
After Susanna’s death, her Bible was inherited by her son, Henley Turner, according to handwritten notes filed with the Bible. It then went to Henley’s son, also named Stephen Turner. The notes state that Stephen had a plantation near the town of Manson in the Nutbush District of Warren County, North Carolina.
Stephen and/or another family member used the same Bible to record the births of enslaved people on their plantation. While transcriptions of the Turner family pages can be found online, I have not see a transcription of the slave births. So, I am posting this potentially valuable list here and on Ancestry so that it can be found by descendants.
As Stephen Turner is not in my direct line, I don’t want to get too far down the research rabbit hole on this one. However, a quick search of the 1870 census for Warren County shows Angelina Turner, black, born 1815, living in Manson, with her grandson, Richard. Angelina’s daughter, Leatha (Leathy) Turner, also lives in Manson. I am sure others can be found as well.
Note that entries are written in several different hands. I have transcribed as originally spelled. Original image below.
Richard, son of Angelinah, was born 5 of June 1835.
Lucy An was born the 8th day of October in the year or our lord 1837
Andrew son of Nancy was born the 14th of January 1844
Peggy darter of Angelinah was born the 15th of febuary 1844
Romy (?) darter of Mary was born the 20 of May 1844
Roan do (ditto) was born in July 1842
Leatha daughter of Angelina was born 7th September 1845
Frances daughter of Nancy was born the fifth day of August 1846
Mariah daughter of Angelinah was born the 26 day of January 1848
Jane daughter of Angelinah was born the 5 day of June 1849
George W, son of Angelinah was born the 16 day of May 1851
Andrew J son of Lucy was born the 25 August 1852
(Faded, illegible) April 1853
Nancy W daughter of Angelinah was born April 1852
Ellis son of Leatha was born Sep 12th 1861
Sarah, daughter of Roan was born Nov 6th 1861
William the son of Amy was born July 1862
Richard son of Leatha was born May 1864
Lureta (?) daughter of Roan was born the 19th Sept. 1864
Mariah the daughter of Amy was born in November 18 (cut off)
A Long Way to Tennessee 