"London" School

[Jan65]

Well well well ... Good old Google has come up with two possibilities for Bernard Turner.

In 1783, the sheriff of London was Sir Bernard Turner. If I've understood the information correctly.

But more excitingly, I think, is this more specific reference in a directory called "An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County Palatine of Durham".

Church of St Mary le Bow, City of Durham (monument inscriptions):
On a slab below the gallery:
"Here lie the remains of Mr Bernard Turner, late of Mortimer Street in the parish of St Mary le Bone, London, who died the 7th of December 1788 aged 75 years."

Wow. A possible relative of Ann (father/grandfather?) who lived in the parish where she was married, at the right time, and who ended up being buried in Durham. The villages where the Heslops lived were on the border between North Yorkshire and Durham.

I'm speechless. For once. I wonder if this is the witness?

[Kerrywood]

Well done! You can download his PCC will from Documents Online.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...Edoc_Id=437481

Kerrywood

[Jan65]

Thanks Kerrywood, hadn't thought - yet - of looking for a will! I have now downloaded it - I haven't transcribed it all yet, but skimming through it, I'm elated to see that "Ann Heslop, wife of George Heslop", was Bernard's niece and he left her a bequest of the interest on an annuity of £500 for her lifetime, then the £500 to be split between any children she may have, and in the event of her having no children, to his nephew John Turner's children (possibly Ann's brother, then, and the executor of the will.)

I'm so overwhelmed by all this information. One little niggle (am I never happy?!) - if only Ann had been named as Deborah Ann in the will, that would have been fantastic and would have confirmed almost everything, but a little too much to hope for, I suppose!

I also note that Bernard, poor soul, was not buried where he had requested to be. If he died in Middlesex then he wanted to be with his brother's wife and his niece in Finchley Church "as near as can be to the clerks reading desk", and if he died anywhere in the county of York he wanted to be in the parish church of (looks like) Crambe, with the remains of his "dear mother". So I wonder how he ended up in St Mary le Bow in Durham? Presumably he was in Durham when he died and obviously hadn't thought of that possibility!

However, I'm inclined to think that this does reinforce the idea that he had family in Yorkshire, or at least some reason for regularly visiting.

Janice

[gimmerlamb]

Jan,
I have not been in touch for ages, but have just found another reference to your George Heslop schoolteacher at Newsham, he was witness to a will of someone else in Newsham in 1816 and signed as George Heslop of Newsham schoolmaster.
Marion M
moverley DOT lyons AT virgin DOT net