The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-11-26


nine miles west Of the county seat,
near New Chapel Methodist church,
on the first day Of February, 1884.
His father was son Of white wo-
man, the offspring of an Illicit inter-
course with one of her slaves, mu-
latto, and her foreman on a large
plantation, with many slaves. This
is all the white blood in Bishop Tur-
ner's veins, he being what might be
called an oetoroon or ohe-eigbth
white. His father and mother sep
arated when Henry was only three
years Of age, and his mother married
"a man named <Iabez Noble, likewise
free Henry worked in the cotton
fields until his fourteenth year; when
he found employment in an office as
servant and messenger boy, in Able
Vile county, this State. Some young
men of the legal profession observ-
ing his great ambition to acquire q
rudiment of learning, assisted him
in his studies and taught him reading,
writing. grammar and geography n
fact all that learning known as the
'three RS" The young men who
gave him this assistance in his efforts
to learn were john W. Wilson, Lu-
clan Wilcox, John Jacob -Baseom and
Edward Noble, s:5l Of GoVernor
Noble. General Samuel MCGOWAN,
late chief justice, also rendered him
great service. By the friendly bene-
fits Of such men, it is easily seen how
the young, ambitious negro boy was
esteemed by some Of the best white
men of the State. This one instance.
among the thousands, should show
that the South held no hatred to the
blacks.
Young Turner was not satisfied
with a common English education,
but sought the higher learning, and
finding no opportunity in this State
to crafty his ambition, he went to
Baltimore. There, through; the in
fuence of white friends, he got en-
ployment as laborer in the Medical
college. But he was not content to
labor with his hands alone, but en-
ployed his mind as well. While there
he studied anatomy, physiology and
hygiene. Afterwards he secured
foothold at Trinity college, and there
learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Ger
man and Divinity. He was. taught
elocution and oratory by Bishop
Cummings, Of the Protestant Episco-
PAL church. -. -. =. -:
: In l848 he associated himself with
the Methodist church, and: IL
censed to preach in 1853. He now be-
gan ON that great career as a minis
ter Of the Gospel, in which his great
learning and native oratory.' stood
him so. we'll in hand He2s':traveled
and preached throughout the whole
South, to large congregations, both
white and black: .,.
He transferred his membership to
the A. M. E. church in 1858, and
Joined, the Missouri conference, be-
coming an itineraht minister, preach
inc throughout the States'1 Of the
North, Canada and the West Indies.
He was transferred to the Bali
more conference, by Bishop Payne,
D. D., and remained in that city tor
four years. He was given the: degree
of D. D. by the University Of Penn
sylvania in 1879, and the degree Of
LII. D., by Wherefore university in
1873. By the Liberia college,. Africa,
he was given D. c. L. in 1894.
In 1856 he married quadroon OF.
Columbia, S. c., daughter of Joseph
A. Peecher, colored carpenter, who
by thrift and industry purchased the
freedom of. himself, his wife and in
FAINT, afterwards the wife Of Bishop
Turner. By this union he has two
children living, John P. Turner, NJ.
D., of Washington, D. c., and David
NJ. Turner Of Philadelphia He was
married again in 1890 to Mrs. De-
Witt, and then in 1900 to the widow
of the late Bishop A. W. Wayman.
At the outbreak Of the war, he
was occupying the pulpit at Israel
church, Washington, D. c., tony
colored congregation. He remained
there during the years of '62 and
'63. After the undecisive battle Of
Antietam, which gave President Lin
coin an opportunity to issue his
n - MOS