From Wikipedia: On the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 enemy troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and proceeded to invade the town. When they left the following evening, the entire town lay in ruins, burned to the ground as punishment for Fairfield's support of the rebel cause. Ten years later, President George Washington noted after traveling through Fairfield that "the destructive evidences of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet.
So, when researching this family, remember some of them lived to see the Revolutionary War. Keep in mind where they were or might have been during the turmoil and what information you might find in the military and town records.
Thomas Turney
Parents: Benjamin Turney and Mary Rebecca Keeler
Born 5 Jan 1678 Fairfield Township, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Note: Fathers name in record spelled Beniamin
Married Abigail Wells 24 Nov 1709 Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Will written: 9 Apr 1756 and Proven 5 January 1762
Died: December 1761 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Will of Thomas Turney
In the name of God, Amen, this ninth
day of April 1756, I, Thomas Turney, of the town and county of Fairfield,
in the colony of Connecticut, being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and
memory, thanks be given to God therefore calling to mind my mortality do make and ordain this my
last will and testament. Principally and
first of all, I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to the Earth
to be decently buried at the discretion of my executor’s hereafter named and as
to what worldly estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me in this life, I
give, devise, and dispose of the same in the following manner and form, viz:
I will and order that all my just
debts and funeral charges be paid out of my moveable estate
Item: I will give and bequeath
unto my beloved wife, Abigail, one third part of my moveable estate
(unreadable) improvement of one third part of my real estate during her natural
life.
Item: I give and devise unto my
beloved son, Thomas Turney, my farm at Grumans Ridge so called bordering
southerly on land of George Barlow and extending northly to the great brook so
called (unreadable) third cross highway with the buildings thereon being to him
and his heirs and assigns forever
Item: I give and devise to my
beloved grandson William Osborn, to his heirs and assigns forever twenty
acres of land lying and being at Worden’s Meadow so called being the southerly
end or part of my farm there.
Item: I give and devise to my
beloved son Samuel Turney , to his heirs and assigns forever, the remainder
of my land at said Worden’s Meadow, to begin at the northerly end of that (?)
before given to said William Osborn and to extend northerly to land I have
heretofore given to my son Benjamin, deceased, taking in the width of Bennits Long
lot so called in quantity about eight acres which land lies below the second
crop highway.
Item: I give and devise to my five
grandchildren, Elizabeth, Rueben, Benjamin, Abigail, and Eunice, children
of my late deceased daughter, Abigail Whitehead,
and to their heirs and assigns to be equally divided between them in equal
proportions and remainder of my land in Bennits Long lot not yet before disposed
of.
Item: I give and devise unto my
beloved daughter, Ann, the easterly end or half of my now-dwelling house
and one half of the cellar under the same and the westerly end or (?) of my
barn standing near my house, also a division in Adams Long lot on which said barn
and house stand, lying between John Wilson on the South and land of Stephen
Adams on the North to be hers and her heirs and assigns forever; reserving to
the other heirs liberty to pass and repass to the others part of said house and
barn.
Item: I give and devise to my
four daughters, viz: Rebecca, Sarah, Jemima, and Ann, to their heirs and
assigns to be equally divided between them, all the rest of my land lying
between the river a little below my dwelling house and the first crop highway
with the other half of my house and barn not before disposed of.
Item: I give and devise to my
beloved grandchildren, Dorothy, Hezekiah, and Isaac Osborn, children of my daughter Elizabeth, twenty acres of
land lying in Turney, and Lyon’s long lots and bound north on the land of Nathan
Lyon to their heirs and assigns to be equally divided between them.
Item: All the remainder of my
estate, both real and personal not before disposed of, I give, devise, and
bequeath unto all my aforenamed children and to their heirs and assigns to be
equally divided between them.
Finally, I nominate, constitute,
and ordain my beloved son, Thomas, and son-in-law, Elnathan Sturgis
to be executors of this, my last will and testament, declaring this and no
other to be my last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills by me
heretofore made. In the witness thereof,
I have hereunto let my hand and seal in Fairfield this day and date hereabove
written.
Signed, sealed, and declared by
the testator to be his last will and testament
(Thomas Turney’s mark)
In presence of
John Wilson
Rebecca Davis (her mark)
David Burr, Esquire
At a court of probate held in
Fairfield January 5, 1762, personally appeared David Burr, Esquire, and John
Wilson and Rebecca Davis subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will and made
oath that they saw Thomas Turney, the testator, sign, seal, and heard him pronounce
and declare the same to be his last will and testament and then judged him to
be of sound mind and memory and that they all signed as witnesses to said will
in the presence of the testator and each other, sworn before the court.
(?) signature
At court also personally appeared
Thomas Turney one of the executors named to the foregoing will accepted
the (?) committed to him by the testator and exhibited said will to court for
approbation and the same being proved is said by court approved and ordered to
be recorded
(?) signature
Sources
Birth: IGI Film 0002959 Batch 7450373
Note: Extraction of birth information from statewide indexes for Vermont and Connecticut. The actual town records may have more details.
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield page 622-623
Last Will/Testament/Probate Record dated 9 April 1756 and proven 5 Jan 1762
Family Search
ancestry.com
Abigail Wells
Parents Deacon Samuel Wells and Abigail Wheeler
Born
15 October 1688 Stratfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Died 12 June 1679 Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
 |
| In her husband's will - for translation see her husband's will above |
Sources
Online Book: Genealogical and family history of the state of Connecticut Volume 2, Part 2 By William Richard Cutter, Edward Henry Clement, Samuel Hart, Mary Kingsbury Talcott, Frederick Bostwick, Ezra S Stearns
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield
Her husband's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
CHILDREN
Abigail Turney
Born 1711 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Nathaniel Whitehead abt 1740 Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: Elizabeth, Benjamin, Abigail, Eunice, Reuben
 |
| Her children mentioned in her father's will - also proving that she predeceased him - for translation, see her father's will in his section of this post |
Died 1755 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
 |
| Benjamin headstone |
Benjamin Turney
Born 13 Jan 1713 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Eunis Lyon Oct 1740 Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Note: She died before him, in 1744
No Children - as proven in probate record
Died 7 Mar 1755 Greenfield, Connecticut
Buried Greenfield Hill Cemetery, Greenfield, Connecticut
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Connecticut Wills and Probate Records
His father's will which gave what would have been due him to others
Family Search
ancestry.com
Headstone:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62539970/benjamin-turney
 |
| Benjamin's probate record page 1 |
 |
| Benjamin's probate record page 2 |
Elizabeth Turney
Born 1715 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married William Osborn 7 Nov 1733 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: Dorothy, Hezekiah, William, Isaac
 |
William mentioned in his grandfather's will
|
 |
| The rest of Elizabeth's children mentioned in her father's will |
Died 16 Feb 1741 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Note: her death proven by her father's will which mentions her four children
Buried
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
U.S. and International Marriage Records
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
Rebecca Turney
Born 4 Aug 1717 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Elnathan Sturgis 14 Mar 1733 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: Samuel, Ebenezer, Elizabeth, Elnathan, Nathaniel, Rebecca, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Nehemiah, Elizabeth, Joel
 |
| Rebecca and surviving sisters mentioned in will |
Died
Buried
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
North America Family Histories
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
*Thomas Turney
Born 1719 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Martha Lyon 28 Dec 1746 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: David, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Eunice, Thomas, Hannah, Martha, Sally, Jemima
Died: 21 Jan 1783
 |
| Thomas mentioned in father's will - he was also one of the executors |
Sources
Online Book: Lyon Memorial: Families of Connecticut and New Jersey by Louise Lyon Johnson, Samuel R. Winnans (Jr.) page 270
Book: History and Genealogy of the Old Families of Fairfield Vol 1 page 976
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 623
His father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
Samuel Turney
Born 1721 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Mary Baker 5 Nov 1750 Westport, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: Abigail, Samuel, Mary
 |
| Samuel mentioned in his father's will 1756 |
 |
| Samuel's probate record, mentioning his children |
Died 27 Aug 1777 Fairfield, Greenfield, Connecticut, United States
Buried
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Connecticut Wills and Probate Records
His father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
Sarah Turney
Born 1723 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Peter Bulkley 1 Jan 1741 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Children: Elizabeth, Andrew, Peter, Aaron, Sarah, Gershom, Turney, Nathan
Died
7 Jun 1759 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
 |
| Sarah mentioned with her sisters |
Buried
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
Jemima Turney
Born 1725 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married Nehemiah Barlow 25 Jan 1751 British Colonial America
Children: Jemima, Mehitable
Died about 1757
Buried
|
| Jemima mentioned in her father's will, establishing she was alive in 1756 |
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
Ann Turney
Born 1727 Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, British Colonial America
Married John Olmstead Jr after 1756?
Died
Buried
|
| Ann mentioned with her sisters |
 |
Ann mentioned in her father's will separately from her sisters
- perhaps because she was unmarried at the time? |
Sources
Book: History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield p 622
Her father's will
Family Search
ancestry.com
