Daughter of Walter and Margaret (unknown) Thornborough. She was born bet 1739 and 1745 in either Chester County, Pennsylvania or Virginia, British America. She died after the Aug 1820 census and before the 1830 census. She was living in Greene County, Ohio near several family members at the time of the 1820 census and most likely died there. Her son Joseph is buried in the Turner Cemetery which was on the family land.

Wife of Robert Turner, who she married 23 Feb 1765 in Guilford County, North Carolina. This is the date that the Quaker records record her as having married "out of unity." On March 30, 1765 she was disowned by the church for marrying out of unity. On Feb. 28, 1767 she was recorded as condemned for marrying out of unity. This action reinstated her to her former status in the church. She was most likely pregnant with her son Walter at the time of her marriage.

Robert and Mary (Thornborough/Thornburg) were the parents of 10 children:
Walter (B: bet 1764-65)
Elizabeth (B: 26 Jul 1766)
Margaret (B: abt Jul 1767)
John (B: 8 Aug 1768)
Sarah (B: 1770)
Joseph (B: 17 Aug 1771)
George (B: abt 1772)
Robert (B: abt Oct 1773)
Dorothy (B: abt Nov 1774)
Jonathan (B: abt Dec 1775)

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Robert was captured after the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge near Wilmington, North Carolina on 27 Feb. 1776. As an officer with a group of Loyalist, he was put in prison in Halifax, North Carolina. Mary and several other wives pleaded to have their husbands released from prison in what is known as the Halifax petition which contains her name. However, by the time the petition was submitted in October, Robert had already been moved.

Later the State of North Carolina confiscated the lands without clear titles held by prisoners of war, so Mary's land was sold. She and her children were forced to leave their farm. On December 3, 1791 she was granted a certificate from Springfield Monthly Meeting, North Carolina to Westfield Monthly Meeting. This was probably for her journey to Tennessee which was still a part of North Carolina at the time. On February 26, 1807 she was granted a certificate from Lost Creek Monthly Meeting, Tennessee to Ohio.

There is a Mary Turner in the 1820 census in Caesars Creek Township, Greene County, Ohio. She is on the same page as her son Joseph, son George, son-in-law, James Hickman and two grand-sons-in law, Tomas Bone and Nathan Beason.

Contributor: AnnS (47388778) • November 1, 2021