The Turner Family

In memory of M……..er

Who departed this life July 20th 1829

Also John Turner

Who ………..d this life April 22nd 1841

Also Agnes Turner

Wife of the above John Turner

Who departed this life May 20th 1854

“So many children and Jane Wright’s charity in action”

Agnes was born in West Cotttingwith, 10 miles to the south east of York and had been baptised in Thorganby Church in September 1786. We don’t know how Agnes met John, but they married in 1807 at St Michael, Spurriergate.

Mary Turner, daughter of John and Agnes, is the first person listed on this gravestone although her name can no longer be read. Her parents’ third child, she was born and baptised in Holy Trinity in 1814. At this time, John was a Sergeant in the Marines. Unfortunately, Mary died in 1829 at the age of just 15.

In 1815, John left the military and turned to a career as a Publican. John and Agnes ran The Cross Keys pub on Goodramgate. The building they occupied was demolished in 1903 when College Street was opened up and Deangate created. The Cross Keys we see today was built on the site of the previous one.  

John and Agnes had 12 children 

  • Ann 1810 
  • Betty 1812
  • Mary 1814 who lies in the grave with her mother and father 
  • Joseph 1815  
  • Sarah 1818 
  • Jane 1819 
  • John 1820 
  • Thomas 1822 
  • William 1823  
  • Alfred 1825 
  • Frances (Fanny) 1827 
  • Mary Agnes 1833 

John died in 1841, after 34 years of marriage. In 1841, Agnes and her two youngest daughters (Fanny (14) and Mary (8)) are recorded as living in Dundas Street, Hungate - one of the poorer areas of York. 

10 years later, Agnes is back on Goodramgate, at number 76, not far from the old Cross Keys and receiving funds from the Jane Wright Charity. There is a donor board inside Holy Trinity, Goodramdate which refers to Jane Wright and her gift. Jane was baptised at Holy Trinity Goodramgate and clearly remembered her roots when making her will. Jane Wright left £1000 to be invested with “the rents and profits to be used to put to apprenticeships as many boys and girls as possible and any remainder to be used for the relief of the poor widows and housekeepers of the parish”.  

Agnes was clearly a poor widow of the parish and it feels appropriate that she was helped by the fund. Established in 1675, the Charity of Jane Wright is the oldest charity in York today and has a small complex of 11 almshouses on Goodramgate, still providing accommodation to the citizens of York.