Turner Hall - Ellon

[dumork]

My great-grandmother is listed in the 1881 census as cook at Turner Hall, Ellon parish, with
John White as Head, formerly of New Zealand. There are several young children.

I wonder if there is any archive material pertaining to Turner Hall, or the White family? I believe the house is now gone. In 1871 it was home to a huge family of Turners. I suspect that John White bought the Hall around 1879: the youngest of their three children  aged 5 months, was born there, but the middle one in Edinburgh (May 1879) and the oldest in New Zealand about 1877/8, the Whites having married in 1876 in Edinburgh. In 1891 they had moved to Turriff parish.

My ggm was born Ann(ie) Flett in 1849 in Orkney, claimed to marry John Emslie (an engraver) in 1875, and appears as Annie Elmslie (Married) in the 1881 Turner Hall list, though there is no John Elmslie  or Emslie around.

[GR2]

The owner of Turnerhall at that period was John Turner (1831-1899). He married Mary Ann, daughter of Alexander Donaldson and Maria Phillimore in 1854 and had three sons and five daughters. John was Colonel Commanding, 3rd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders.

The house was demolished in 1933.

John White will not have been the owner of the property. He may be the steward. The Turner family must be staying elsewhere.

[dumork]

Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. I think that John White may be a tenant, rather than steward, possibly because Lt-Col Turner was posted somewhere. Interesting, because the servants, including my ggm, might have "come with the house", so may be mentioned in a family archive. They had an Irish cook in 1871.

[DonM]

I have this Census entry, I am not related but was searching for another John White years ago.  I kept this one because of his occupation.  The actual census says he was a Rum Holder in New Zealand which cracked me up. 

Btw it says the "House Turnerhall"  I searched the 1885 Valuation Rolls and it appears they didn't stay there. He was from England his wife Scotland and Euphemia age 3 year, New Zealand.  The rest must be on page 2 which I don't have.  Normally they go from eldest to youngest.

Don

[GR2]

He must have been a tenant at Turnerhall right enough. He pops us fairly frequently in the newspapers. By November 1883 he was living at Foveran House, On 14th July 1884 he bought Glenesk House, Turriff, for £3,000. His wife died in Aberdeen in 1915 and is described as a widow in the papers.

[dumork]

Don - it's Run holder, which basically means sheep farmer, I believe.

You can get the full census entry for Turner Hall free on ScotlandsPeople (the LDS 1881 version)

I actually have the second page to yours - it has the younger children and servants, including my great granny.

GR2 - thanks. Would the tenancy of Turner Hall in the late 1870s have been advertised in the papers?

[MonicaL]

A reference to Turnerhall in the OS Name Books 1865-71 https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/aberdeenshire-os-name-books-1865-1871/aberdeenshire-volume-29/66

Added: https://aberdeen-asp.adlibhosting.com/Details/collect/9275 Sadly no images attached for those paintings online.

Monica

[GR2]

It might have been advertised. I didn't notice it, but might have missed it. If you want to research John White in New Zealand, the Papers Past site gives you free, searchable access to the New Zealand newspapers.

[DonM]

Could be run holder never thought of that, but it looks like Rum Holder on the original which was a term for being a tad lazy. But I laughed because I had purchased two antique rum holders one of  your typical chubby old fellow red cheeks who looks rather intoxicated.  It's a Don thing.