Yeovil Trades & Traders

William Turner

Butcher of Middle Street

 

William Turner was born in Yeovil in late 1834 or early 1835, and was baptised on 14 January 1835 at St John's church. He was the second of the seven children of master butcher of High Street, John Turner (1811-1893) and Sarah née Marlow (1810-1871). John and Sarah's children, all Yeovil-born, were; James (b1833), William, Sarah (b1837), Mary Ann Marlowe (1842-1881), John (1843-1859), Martha (1844-1920) and Charles (b1847).

William became a butcher, like his father. He married Elizabeth Lloyd Pounsford (1831-1893), originally from Westonzoyland, Somerset. Elizabeth was the daughter of farmer Robert Pounsford (1807-1841) and Tryphena née Lloyd (1798-1879).

William emigrated to the United States of America, whether he married Elizabeth before or after his emigration is unknown. Certainly by 1859, when he was aged 24 and Elizabeth was aged 28, their first child, Charles Ponsford (1859-1919), was born in New York, as was their daughter Alice Lloyd (1860-1949). Their next three children were all born in Illinois, USA; Agnes Mary (1861-1927), William Marlow (1863-1918) and Sarah Bishop (1866-1945).

By the time of the 1871 census, William had moved his family back to Yeovil. They were listed in High Street together with Elizabeth's widowed mother, Tryphena, William's sister Martha (visiting) and a general servant. William gave his occupation as a butcher employing one man and one boy. The fact that he moved back to Yeovil and began operating in his father's High Street butchery, suggests that his father John had retired after the death of his wife, Sarah, in 1871.

It is not known how long William stayed in Yeovil, but by 1891 he had given up butchering and moved his family to Hammersmith, London, He worked there as a life assurance agent.

William Turner died on 24 February 1907, probably in Camberwell, London.

 

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William Turner's entry of 14 January 1835 in the baptismal records of St John's church.

 

William's advertisement in the 1878 edition of Whitby's Yeovil Almanack Advertiser.