I have located marriage records for Joel and Henry Turner.

Groom: Joel Turner
Bride: Mourning S Davis
Bond_Date: 04 Jan 1843
County: Nash
Bondsman: Willie Made his Mark Turn [probably Turner-see below]
Witness: S Brown (Clerk)

Groom: Henry Turner
Bride: Amandy E Daughtridge
Bond_Date: 21 Jun 1849
County: Nash
Bondsman: J L Made his Mark Boon
Witness: J W Bryant

Circumstantial evidence is mounting that not only were Warren and Orren brothers, but Joel was as well. Linking in my Josiah is a last step.

And, I have likely located Shanny who lived next door to Joel in 1850.

Groom: William Turner
Bride: Shanney Joiner
Bond_Date: 31 Mar 1825
County: Nash
Bondsman: Saml W W Vick

Since Shanney was born about 1800 and married in 1825, if William Turner was the father of the boys, she was probably the second wife. The only detractor from that is that in 1840, I find a family that might match William Turner with only children born since 1825.

Knowing my luck though, they will all turn out to only be distant cousins.

Here is a genealogy conundrum I am working on. This is a line that dead ends for me at Josiah Turner, and I am attempting to push it back a generation by examining the people who might be associated with him.

Josiah Turner (1812-abt 1876) m. Nancy Jackson in 1836 in Edgecombe Co and later married Lenoir Cox. Lived in Burke Co, NC.

Joel Turner (abt 1818-abt 1878)m. Mourning Spivey Davis in 1843. Lived in Coopers, Nash, NC.

Henry Turner (1820-1907) m. Romandy Daughtridge. Lived in Rocky Mount, Nash, NC.

Orren Turner (1823-1879) m. Minerva. Lived in Rocky Mount, Edgecombe, NC.

I am attempting to determine if these four men are siblings. Currently I am working on circumstantial evidence.

My circumstantial evidence:
1. Josiah had a son named Joel. After Josiah Turner’s death, a Joel who is of the appropriate age (b 1859) is located on the 1880 census
with Orren Turner’s wife. There is no relationship noted. There is no guarantee that the Joels are the same. However, it seems likely that
Joel would have gone to live with his uncle’s wife since she may have needed help on the farm and his own mother may not have been able to
support him.
2. Josiah and Henry both named a son “Joel.” I am relying on family naming patterns that might not hold any water in this case. (Orren had
girls.) And Josiah also named a son “Oren.”
3. Henry and Orren are buried in the same cemetery in Rocky Mount which is a city that straddles the Edgecombe and Nash county line. Their burial location could be simple coincidence. Transcription of cemetery: Jackson Cemetery.
4. The name of that cemetery is “Jackson” because of the number of people with that surname who are buried there. Jackson is the maiden
name of Josiah’s wife.
5. In 1860 another name coincidence occurs when Joel is “next door” to a Rhody Daughtridge age 50.

Another person of interest: In 1850 Joel lived “next door” to a Shanny Turner, a 52 year old woman. In her home were Hardie age 21 and Rhoda age 16. She is of an age to be the mother of at least the elder sons (she’d have been 14 when Josiah was born). Or, she could be an aunt. Another naming “coicidence” occurs when Josiah’s son Warren named one of his sons “Hardie.”

Circumstances might at least point to the fact that they are cousins if not brothers. I would, however, bet just about anything that at least Henry and Orren are brothers.

Just in case I am not busy enough (apparently too busy to blog), a friend and I have decided to start a genealogical research service. I have been researching my and my husband’s families since 1995 and have eyed the possibility of becoming a certified genealogist for quite some time. The problem has been that you have to have some client reports to send in your portfolio. This is one of those Catch-22s where you have to say you are a professional before you can be a true professional. Maybe now in a few years I will be able to actually apply for my certification.

The service will be offering all kinds of things: full service research, teaching you how to do your own genealogy, research trips, research consulting, editing of manuscripts (English teacher perfect!), digitization of family heirlooms and documents, and publishing of family history books, family cookbooks, family directories, family photo books, family calendars, family charts, etc.