Frederick Wallace Turrell (abt. 1826 - 1894)

Born about 1826 in Edmonton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Helen Seraphine (Perkins) Turrell — married 19 Apr 1865 in English Church of St.John the Evangelist, Smyrna, Turkey

Husband of Frances Honorine (Perkins) Turrell — married about 1877 in Izmir, Turkey

Descendants

Died 1894 at about age 68 in Bournabat (Bornova), Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Brigitte Theuma [send private message]

Biography

Frederick Wallace Turrell was born c1826, in Edmonton, Greater London, England. He was the son of Charles Turrell and Anne Wallace. Frederick's son Reginald claimed that his father had a twin brother but this is not supported by census and other documents. It appears to have been a family myth.

No birth record has been found for Frederick and he was believed to have been born in Cheltenham, England. However, a mercantile navy record has been found indicating that he was born in Edmonton, London. His eldest sister and 2 younger brothers were all born abroad, while his 3 middle siblings were born in England. Their mother was of Scottish and their father of Irish descent. further research required. The family housekeeper had a son fathered by Frederick's father, which may explain why his mother ended up living abroad.

In the census of 1841, Frederick was 15 years old and living at Rye Lane in Camberwell with his father and brother Charles, who was 3 years younger. ^[1]

Frederick was educated in England to the age of 15 and became an indentured apprentice on the vessel Wild Irish Girl in the UK merchant navy, on 16 Jun 1842. ^[2]On 2nd February 1854, when his recorded age was 26 and had served in the mercantile marine for 11 years, he was admitted to the Deadnought Seaman's Hospital with dysentery. This hospital at that time, was aboard three ships, the second of which was named the Dreadnought, and was anchored at Greenwich and run by the Seaman's Hospital Society. When the hospital was housed ashore from 1870, it retained the name of the second ship. Frederick remained in hospital for more than 2 months and was discharged in April 1854. Frederick is described as having been 5ft 11" tall and his date of birth is given as about 1828. ^[3]

During the Crimean war he was a French/English translator on Lord Raglan's staff. He ended up in Smyrna by the end of the Crimean, where the conditions were very poor and he developed tuberculosis. He was fortunate to recover, which he put down to the climate and alcohol.

He became a Freemason in Smyrna in January 1861 when he was 35 years old. Hiss profession was given as Principal of English Seminary ^[4]

He taught English and French in Smyrna and and some sources indicate that he established a private school for boys called the 'Smyrna College' in 1863. However, his registration with the Freemason Lodge in Smyrna in 1861, suggests that he was already running a school by then. He also wrote a grammar text book which was printed in Smyrna, for use in his school. His eldest sister Sophia migrated to Australia, while his brothers Arthur and Charles migrated to New Zealand. Arthur later left New Zealand for Australia after he was widowed. Frederick's brother Henry, obtained a PhD and established a school and the first accreditedd teacher training program in England. He also wrote a book of French phraseology.

Frederick married Helen Séraphine Perkins, in Smyrna in 1865, when he was about 41 years old. She was the daughter of a merchant in Smyrna. Frederick and Helen had 3 children: Wallace Henry Turrell born 1866, Edith Annie Turrell born 1867 and Alice Maud Turrell born 1871.

In 1871, Frederick was elected to a sub committee of the Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Bournebat (Bornova) Smyrna (Izmir), which was tasked with obtaining land for an Anglican cemetery. Land was donated by one of the grandsons of Charlton Whittall who had established the church and the cemetery was established in 1875. It has been claimed that the land was donated by Frank Whittall but he was only 11 years old in 1875, so it must have been another Whittall relative.

Frederick's wife passed away in 1876 when she was 33 years old and Frederick was left to raise 3 young children aged between 5 and 10.

Sometime between 1877 and 1878, Frederick was married again, in his early fifties, to his late wife's younger sister, Frances Honorine Perkins and they had 2 children: Reginald Edmund Turrell was born in 1878 and Frederick Arthur Turrell was born in 1880. Their younger son passed away in 1885 at the age of 4 years.

Frederick Wallace Turrell passed away in 1894, at the age of 69 in Bournabat (Bornova), Smyrna, (Izmir). His children were aged between 16 and 28 years. His widow Frances, along with his daughters Edith and Annie and his younger son Reginald continued living in the family house at Bournebat (Bornova) for the rest of their lives. Frederick's elder son was a lawyer in Smyrna and his 2 daughters remained unmarried and helped run the household. His younger son married and had 3 children who were raised in the same house and were taught grammar from the book Frederick had written many years earlier.

Sources

1. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQVY-V11 : 22 May 2019), Frederick Turrell in household of Sarrah Andrews, Camberwell, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
2. ↑ UK, Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910. His year of birth is given as about 1826. View Image View Record NameFrederick TurrellAge15Birth Year1827Registration or Indenture Date10/06/1842Port of RegistryLondonVesselWild Irish Girl
3. ↑ England, Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital Admissions and Discharges, 1826-1930 View Image View Record NameFrederick TurrellAdmission Age26Birth Date1828Birth PlaceEdmontonAdmission Date02/02/1854Admission PlaceLondon EnglandHousehold Members
4. ↑ Name: Frederic Turrell Gender: Male Initiation Age: 35 Birth Year: abt 1827 Initiation Date: 29 Jan 1862 Year Range: 1837-1862 Profession: Pump of Engleth Summary Lodge: Homer Lodge Lodge Location: Smyvna, Asia Minor Lodge Number: 1108 Folio Number: 259

• Scrapbook 1809 - 1922, A Village near Smyrna by Ray Bell published by Richard Bell, Surrey, UK, 1987.
• The Genealogy of the Whittall Family of Turkey by Betty & Paul McKernan, UK, 1996.
• Guildhall Manuscripts Collection at LMA, MS 30577 "Register of Marriages 1841-1889" 1865: Frederick Wallace Turrell - Native of Cheltenham (England) & son of Charles & Annie Turrell - Bachelor - and Helen Seraphine Perkins - born at Bournabat nr. Smyrna, daughter of the late George & of Seraphine Helen Perkins - spinster - were married on Wednesday, 19th April 1865 at the English Church of St.John the Evangelist, Smyrna.
• GRO Consular Marriages 1860-65 Vol.3 Page 984 Married in the Consul's Office 19th Apr. 1865 to Helen Seraphine Perkins. Father: Charles Turrell, Commander RN deceased.
• Marriage Certificate Copy of 4th Jan 2011, held in family collection.
• 5 May 1863 - foundation of Smyrna College (newspaper article).
• England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQVY-V11 : 30 October 2015), Frederick Turrell in household of Sarrah Andrews, Camberwell, Surrey, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• information from living relative, Michael Smith.
• Source: S-799024943 Repository: #R-1199855110 Title: Public Member Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members.Original data: Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. Note: Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=56322831&pid=980

Repository: R-1199855110 Name: Ancestry.com

• http://straydogphotos.com/familyhistory/languages/en/persons/Person_I7798.html
• http://www.levantineheritage.com/note54.htm
• https://seahospital.org.uk/history-shs/

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Brigitte Theuma for creating WikiTree profile Turrell-112 through the import of Family Tree.ged on Jul 1, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Brigitte and others.