Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/229

 TURNER

TURPIE

Providence in 1860 ; and became president of the Equitable Fire and Marine Insurance company, which office he held till 1875. He was a colonel of the state militia, taking part in the Dorr re- bellion, 1843 ; a representative in the general assembly ; state senator ; twice a presidential elector ; lieutenant-governor under Gov. Elisha Dyer, 1857-59, and governor, 1859-60. He was a trustee of Brown university, 1862-74, and a mem- ber of the Rhode Island Historical society. He died in AVarren, R.I., Jan. 3, 1875.

TURNER, William Wadden, philologist, was born in London, England, Oct. 23, 1810 ; son of Robert Wadden and Elizabeth (Jamison) Turner. His father came to New York city in 1817, where he established himself as a lumber merchant. William received a liberal preliminary education, and in 1828 engaged in the printing business. In 1827 he removed to Brooklyn, N.Y., and made a special study of the ancient languages, mastering Latin. Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and cognate Orien- tal languages. He collaborated with Dr. Isaac Nordheimer in the publication of a " Hebrew Grammar" (1838), and printed the work on the Yale college press, at that time the only press having Hebrew type in the country. He was assistant librarian at Columbia college ; was pro- fessor of Oriental literature at the Union Theologi- cal seminary, 1842-62, and organized the library of the patent office, Washington, D.C., in 1852. He was married, Sept. 13, 1855, to Mary Meade, daughter of Col. William B. Randolph of Vir- ginia. He contributed to the Transactions of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, of which he was secretary ; and to those of the American, Oriental and Ethnological societies, and those of the Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of translations of Van Raumer's "Amer- ica" (1845) ; Mackeldey's "Modern Civil Law." (Vol. I, 1845) ; Freund's " German-Latin Lexi- con" (1851), and edited a "Vocabulary of the Trade Language of Oregon" (1851) and of the " Yoruba Language " (1858). He died in Wash- ington, D.C., Nov. 29, 1859.

TURNEY, Hopkins Lacey, senator, was born in Smith county, Tenn., Oct. 3, 1797 ; son of Peter and Frankie (Haynes) Turney and grand- son of Henry Turney of France, later of Ger- many. His father was born in Germany, and on coming to America settled in Tennessee. He learned the tailor's trade, and joined a regiment of volunteers in the war with the Seminole In- dians in 1818. In 1820 he began the study of law and later practised in Winchester, Tenn. He was married in May, 1826, to Teresa, daughter of Miller and Hanua (Heni-y) Francis of East Tennessee. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1828-38 ; was a Democratic represen- tative in the 25th-27th congresses, 1837-43 ; and

U.S. senator from Tennessee, 1845-51. He died near Winchester, Tenn., Aug. 1, 1857.

TURNEY, Peter, governor of Tennessee, was born in Jasper, Marion county, Tenn., Sept. 22, 1827 ; son of Hopkins Lacy Turney (q.v.) and Teresa (Francis) Turney. He attended the com- mon schools of Winchester, and the academy at Nashville, Tenn., studied law with his father, with W. E. Venable, and Judge Nathan Green of the supreme court ; and practised law at Winchester, Tenn. 1848-61. He was defeated for attorney-general in 1854 ; was alternate presi- dential elector on the Breckinridge ticket in 1860, and favored the secession of Tennessee in 1861. He was elected a delegate to the secession con- vention, Feb. 9, 1861, but the action of the conven- tion was defeated by the popular election that fol- lowed. He raised a company of volunteers, being chosen its captain, and was elected colonel of the 1st Tennessee regiment on its organization. He served in Jackson's valley campaign, and was severely wounded at Fredericksburg. He com- manded the eastern division of Florida, 1864-65, and surrendered his entire force. May 19, 1865. He returned to his law practice at Winchester ; was judge of the supreme court of Tennessee, 1870-93 ; chief justice, 1886-93, and was elected governor of Tennessee to succeed John P. Bu- chanan in 1892, taking the office in January, 1893, and serving until 1897. He was twice married ; first, in June, 1851, to Cassandra Webb, daughter of Thomas Heslop and Eliza (Vernon) Garner of Franklin county ; secondlj-, in April, 1858, to Han- nah Ferguson, daughter of John and Aletha Graham of Marion county.

TURPIE, David, senator, was born in Ham- ilton county, Ohio, July 8, 1829. He was grad- uated from Kenyon college, Ohio, in 1848 ; was admitted to the bar in 1849, and practised at Logansport, Ind. He was a Democratic repre- sentative in the state legislature in 1853 and 1858 ; judge of the court of common pleas, 1854-56, and judge of the circuit court of Indiana, in 1856. He succeeded Joseph A. Wright as U.S. senator, com- pleting the unexpired term of Jesse D. Bright, and serving from January to March 3, 1863* He was a member of the state house of repre- sentatives, 1874-75, serving as speaker, and was appointed one of the three coni^tituting the board

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