John Furbush Turner's Petition, 1781

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Amanuensis Monday, hosted by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

It was just earlier this year that I discover that John Furbush Turner was my 4th great-grandfather and I really haven't done much research on him. Yesterday at Google Books I found the following.

Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
Begun and held in the town of Richmond, In the County of Henrico,
On Monday, the seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-One

Page 28
A petition of Thomas Rose and John Furbush Turner, was presented to the house, and read; setting forth, that in the month of January, 1777, a small schooner, the property of the petitioners, was impressed for the purpose of transporting part of the ninth Virginia regiment from the county of Accomac to the head of Elk; that on her return, she was captured by the enemy, and the auditors have refused to make them any allowance for the said vessel, alleging that they are not authorized by law to do so; and praying relief.

Page 67
Mr. Richard Lee reported, from the committee of Claims, that the committee had, according to order, had under their consideration several petitions and a resolution to them referred, and had come the following resolutions thereupon, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the clerk's table, where the same were again read and are as followeth:

Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, That the petition of Thomas Rose and John Furbush Turner, praying that a reasonable compensation may be made them by the public, for a small schooner, which was impressed from them in the month of January, 1777, for the purpose of transporting part of the 9th Virginia regiment from the county of Accomac to the Head of Elk, and on her return was captured by the enemy; and also, a further compensation for the time that she was in public service, previous to her capture, for which the auditors have refused to make any allowance, is reasonable; and that the petitioner's said claim ought to be referred to the court of Claims in the said county of Accomac, to be inspected by them, and if allowed, to be transmitted to the auditors of public accounts, for certificates to issue thereupon.

Page 81
Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, That the petition of Thomas Rose and John Furbush Turner, praying that a reasonable compensation may be made them by the public for a small schooner, which was impressed from them in the month of January 1777, for the purpose of transporting part of the ninth Virginia regiment, from the county of Accomac to the head of Elk, and on her return was captured by the enemy; and also, a further compensation for the time that she was in public service, previous to her capture; for which the auditors have refused to make any allowance, be rejected; the same being a continental claim.

This was a ver interesting find. Was John Furbush Turner a sailor or did he just own a share in the vessel? It's too bad that the name of the vessel isn't given.

I guess governments have been passing the buck since they were formed. I was unsuccessful in determining the final outcome. I would think that they was have gone on to petition Congress. Something to add to the list of things to track down.


Journal of the House of Delegates of the State of Virginia, Virginia. General Assembly. House of Delegates,Supt. Public Printing., 1828. Original from the University of Michigan. Digitized Feb 10, 2009. Viewed 1 November 2009 at Google Books
http://books.google.com/books?id=QcGTdl0n0YEC&lpg=RA3-PA67&ots=kbIFL_UMtV&dq=%22john%20Furbush%20Turner%22&pg=RA3-PA67#v=onepage&q=%22john%20Furbush%20Turner%22&f=false

Albert Rose 1884-1954

The last letter was written by Albert Rose to my grandfather, Daniel M. Carlisle, so I wanted to know more about him. I also hope that in writing about him and his family that one of his descendants will discover that I have a copy of the letter to share with them.

Albert was born 9 Mar 1884 in Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan, the son of George and Henrietta (Mulford) Rose. [His birth record is available at Family Search Labs.] Being close in age he and Daniel most likely went to school together.

Based on his letter, the family had moved first to the state of Washington and in November 1907 to Jonesboro, Arkansas. I found the family on the 1900 census living in Bellaire Village, Antrim, Michigan. His mother had remarried and was Henretta Shirbondy, a widow, age 57. She had had 13 children but only 6 were still living; the 4 living with her were, Frank age 30, Elve age 19, Frederick age 17 and Albert age 16. So my theory is that George Rose had died, Henrietta had remarried and was yet again a widow.

The family is next found on the 1910 census in Kamilche, Mason, Washington. In his letter, Albert indicated that the family would not stay in Arkansas long and it appears they didn't. He also mentioned that on the trip to Arkansas that his mother and the "two children" had been ill. The family in 1910: Henrietta Shidord, age 67, married-3, 10 years (but husband not enumerated with family); Frank, age 40; Robert, age 32; Elve, age 29, M-1 (no length of marriage and enumerated with maiden name Rose); Fred, age 27; Albert, age 26; and grandchildren, Earl R Leggert, age 9 and Hellen M Leggert, age 7. It says both grandchildren were born in Michigan and I don't know whose children they were.

On 12 Sept 1918, Albert's WWI draft registration card was filled out showing that he lived in New Kamilche, Mason, Washington and he had a wife named Erma.

The 1920 census for Kamilche shows Fred Rose, age 37 and single as the head of the family with; mother, Henrietta Shirboudy, age 77; Albert, age 35 and his wife, Erma, age 25; brother, Robert, age 46; Alice, listed as daughter, age 4 2/12 (but whose daughter?); and nephew, Earl Leggitt, age 19.

Henretta Shirbondy died 30 Mar 1922, New Kamilche, Mason, Washigton at the age of 79.

By 1930 Albert was living on North Shore Rd, Clifton, Mason, Washington and may have remarried. He is working in a logging camp, age 46, shown with wife, Jessie Z, age 35 and three children.

Albert died, 7 Feb 1954, Shelton, Mason, Washington. On his death record his parents are listed as George Rose and Henrietta Mulford.

A bit of further research and I believe that I have located one of Albert's children. I tried sending an email to an address I found but the account is no longer active. I will try to contact them by other means.

Albert Rose, 25 Feb 1908

The next letter was written to Daniel Carlisle by his friend, Albert Rose, and is dated, Jonesboro Ark. Feb 25 1908.

Albert and his family had moved from Seattle, Washington to Jonesboro, Arkansas, arriving there 11 Nov.

We had a pleasant trip except for Mother & the two children getting sick on the way.

Albert does not like his new home but they haven't gotten the price they want for their claims so they can't sell yet. He goes on to tell of men hiding out in the swaps and of the need for caution when approaching any man's home, lest you be shot at. He relates a recent incident.

They used to shute aman down for fun out in the wolley west but down here they shot a man for killing dog. There was a man shot and killed two men one man an his son the other day for killing a dog.

He also tells of killing a big bear before leaving Washington and laments that it's not safe to go hunting near his new home. He asks Daniel if he's done much hunting and asks if he has his "gray hound" yet.

He also asks Daniel if the money panic has affected the Carlisle's and then goes on to tell of the cost of having goods shipped.

Well we sent our goods by freight when we left Seattle and we have not got them yet but we heard from them and we expect them any day. We sent 203 23.30 lbs of freight from Seattle Wash and it cost us over $100.00 what do you think of that and we sent to Montgomery wards Chicago for over $100.00 order of freight since we got here.

After a bit of searching I discovered that Albert Rose died in Washington in 1954 so I have not published his letter.


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Rose, Albert (Jonesboro, AR) to “Friend Daniel”
[Sarah Ann Camfield]. Letter. 25 Feb 1908. Digital Images 1-6.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1908,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]