TURNER – John 90th Regiment – Enrolled Pensioner Force WA

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Name	TURNER – John
Regiment (s)	90th Regiment
Regiment Number (s)	3850
Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation	6th December 1854 / 23 years / Westminster Middlesex England Tailor (shown as weaver on discharge)
Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars	5 Ft 5 in Fresh / Blue / Light Brown / Gunshot wound on left thigh
Overseas Service/Duration	Malta – 1 month Crimea – 11 months
Length of Service	1 year 349 days
Rank/Date/Place of Discharge	Private / 18th November 1856 / Chatham Kent England
Campaign Medals	Crimea War Medal Turkish Crimea Medal
Intended Residence at Discharge	Hunt Street Mile End New Town London
Pension Districts	1856 1st East London 1863 Tilbury 1863 Western Australia 1874 New Zealand (paid October 1874-dec 1875). Paid Otago and Dunedin 1876 Melbourne (not paid) 1876 South Australia (paid Jan – 30th June 1876) 1876-1890 Western Australia
Pension Paid	8d per diem
Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland	15th March 1863 Portland Dorset England
Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia	CLYDE 29th May 1863
Date/Place of Birth	1831 Bethnal Green London Middlesex England
Date/Place of Baptism	Not yet known
Father Date/Place of Birth	TURNER James
Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Siblings	Not yet known
1^st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism	DIXON/DICKSON Frances B 1846
Date/Place of Marriage	11th October 1865 Perth Western Australia
Children by 1^st Wife	Frances B 1869 Fremantle Western Australia John B 1871 Perth Western Australia Sarah B 1872 Perth Western Australia Jane 1873 Perth Western Australia D 1873 age 9 days Perth Western Australia
Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth	DICKSON Richard
Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
2nd Wife	NASH Sarah Ann B c1851 (From age at death) Father John NASH
Date/Place of Marriage	8th December 1877 Fremantle Western Australia
Children by 2^nd Wife	None known
Land Grants Western Australia	Perth lot 29/H Hay Street Perth Date Assigned 11th November 1881 Title Application 8th November 1883 Title 6/76 – 0.3.12 3 roods 12 perches
Occupation after Arrival	Not yet known
Newspaper Articles	Eastern District Chronicle York Saturday 24th May 1890 – page 6 John Turner 90th regt wrote a letter to the newspaper about the hardship of living on a pension of 8d per day The Record Thursday 21 August 1890 page 7 Obituary John Turner.
Departure from Western Australia	John departed late in 1874 for New Zealand returning to Western Australia on the Annie Lisle from Adelaide on 30th June 1876
Date/Place of Death/Burial	14th August 1890 York Hospital Western Australia Not yet known
Date/Place of Death/Burial 1st Wife	Not yet known
Date/Place of Death/Burial 2nd Wife	ROACH Sarah died Perth hospital April 1926 age 75
Will or Probate	SROWA Cons 5795/1890/31 List of possession of John Turner that were listed for sale however a note attached saying to cancel the sale due to a will having been found (no sign of said will)
Further Information	Discharge due to a wound to the left thigh received on the attack on the Redan September 8th 1855 During the voyage of the Clyde John Turner was reported for talking and conversing with convicts against regulations, he was deprived of his grog for 4 days and had 6 days extra duty at the barricades. After his arrival in Western Australia in 1863 John established himself in a business as a broker and Commission agent in Howick Street opposite the town Hall in Perth, however, his marriage was not going well and in the Inquirer and Commercial News on 29th April 1874 he advertised he would no longer be responsible for his wife Fanny’s debts as she had left his home and children. Subsequently, on 10th June the same year Fanny advertised in the Inquirer and Commercial News that John Turner was no longer associated with the business and she would be carrying on in her own name. The business traded in fresh provisions, groceries, men’s and boy’s apparel, haberdashery, millinery etc. According to his obituary, after the breakdown of his marriage John voyaged to England before returning to Western Australia by way of New Zealand, Melbourne and Adelaide where he put in progress the trial of his wife Frances for bigamy. Finally he returned to York in Western Australia where he lived for the rest of his days. In his absence Frances sold the business and travelled to Adelaide with her 3 children on the Georgette departing Fremantle 13th August 1874 and calling at Albany where it is probable a man named John Whelan joined the ship. On 28th January 1875 Frances applied to have her children Frances age 6, John age 4 and Sarah age 3 admitted to the industrial school for twelve months as she was unable to support them as she had had thirty five pounds stolen from her. She proposed to go into service to support them. The children were admitted to the industrial school for 12 months. A John Whelan was informed against and charges with stealing the money from Frances Turner, a single woman, of £36 and a gold watch worth £6/1/10. Frances said she had recently arrived from Western Australia with one hundred and fifty five pounds in gold the proceeds of the sale of her shop in Perth, this money appears to have been used in setting up a business in Port Adelaide with Whelan. She and Whelan had been living together as man and wife but after a disagreement he had left the premises taking with him thirty five pounds and a watch. Whelan was sent to trial at the Supreme Court. When the case went to the Supreme Court it was found to be Nolle Prosequi as the charges could not be sustained. On 22nd June 1875 Frances Turner married John Whelen(sic) at the Wesleyan Parsonage Adelaide, and thereby caused another problem as on 26th November 1875 Frances was charged on information given by John Turner, General Dealer, with having on 22nd June 1875 married John Whelan while married to him while he was still alive. Frances said she had been advised by PC George Cunningham after a visit to Perth that her husband, Pensioner John Turner, had died at Champion Bay Western Australia. Frances was committed to trial at the Supreme Court where she pleaded guilty. At the sentencing the Magistrate remarked it was a pity she had pleaded guilty as no jury would have convicted her as she genuinely believed her husband had died, sentence 14 days imprisonment. Frances disappears from this time but as John remarried in 1877 she probably died before then. 9th September 1879 ‘Complained to the WO of being dismissed from the Enrolled Force and asks for a Court of Inquiry’ 15th May 1881 – Comment: subject for investigation. 13th May 1881. After the death of John, Sarah Turner married John ROACH on 25th December 1890 at York.