Priscilla and Joseph Turner, Wilmington

The majority of the quilt block makers of the Chester Criswell Quilt lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Locations such as Lower Oxford, Sadsburysville, East Nottingham, and Londonderry get frequent mentions.  Joseph and Priscilla Turner are some of the minority that did not live in Chester County.  Their block lists their home as Wilmington which is in the state of Delaware.

Turner is not a family name and I didn't know anything about Joseph and Priscilla.  There are two other Turners on the quilt still living in Chester County, so I assumed that Joseph married Priscilla and they moved across the river. I don't know Priscilla's maiden name which is one of the most useful bits of information to have.  So, I put their names in the Ancestry.com search engine and this is the first historical record I found.

This is from the church records of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington.  It appears to be a record of church members visited before the quarterly Holy Communion service.  Halfway down the page you can see 'Presallie Jane Turner'.  The next name is Joseph Turner, who unfortunately is dead.
Poor Joseph.  I wanted to get to know him but this is the only piece of infomation that I have.
Priscilla's life is easier to follow.  She is recorded in the Wilmington City Directory and here is her address in 1867.

Priscilla J. Turner, widow of Joseph.  That is how Priscilla is recorded in the next ten directories.  Even twenty years after Joseph has died, she is listed as Joseph's widow.  The Orange St. address stays the same for a few years, then Priscilla starts relocating and eventually  has a different address every year.  There is no evidence of any children, or any other family members.

The City Directory was a useful book.  It gave the address and occupation of everyone living in the city of Wilmington.  It also listed businesses, council members and city regulations.

Block 4 is due out next week on 1st November.  It belongs to Nancy and James Smith, whose historical records reflect a much happier life than poor Priscilla and Joseph Turner.