Person Page - 370

Alexander was born in Auckland on 18 November 1901, the son of Joseph Hurst Turner (d. 1913) and Gertrude Kingcome Reid (1870-1952).^1,2,3

His distinguished legal career is summarised in the following extract from the NZ Dictionary of Biographies: -
"He was the son of Joseph Hurst Turner, a teacher, and his wife, Gertrude Kingcome Reid, the daughter of a leading Methodist minister. He attended Mount Eden School and Auckland Grammar School. When he was 11 his father died, leaving Alexander's mother and her four sons in a state of poverty.

In 1917 Turner won a university entrance scholarship and enrolled the following year at Auckland University College. He graduated BA (1921), MA with first-class honours in economics (1922), and LLB (1923). Meanwhile, he had become a legal clerk in an Auckland law firm, and there spent six years learning to behave 'as a lawyer and a gentleman', in the course of which, in 1923, he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor. On leaving in 1926 Turner practised for 10 years on his own, and then as a partner in what became Turner, Kensington and Haynes.

Turner's working commitments left him little time for social and other pursuits, but he enjoyed golf and music and achieved success as Auckland table tennis champion in 1926 and Auckland mixed doubles tennis champion in 1931.

While practising at the Auckland Bar, Turner was active in academic circles. He was president of the Auckland University College Students' Association (1928), president of the Auckland district Court of Convocation of the University of New Zealand (1933), and a member of the Auckland University College Council (1935--51). He represented the college as a governor of Massey Agricultural College from 1944 to 1953 and his interest in agricultural research led to a Carnegie Corporation travel grant in the United States in 1949.

In 1952 Turner was made Queen's counsel and on 29 June 1953 he was appointed judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. After serving on provincial courts he became senior Auckland judge. On 30 August 1962 he was elevated to the Court of Appeal, and the Turners moved to Wellington. From 1 February 1972 until his retirement 17 months later he was president of the court.

His statements were quoted with approval by the Privy Council, and a number of his judgements, notably The Queen v. Convery and Naniseni v. The Queen , were to be highly influential in New Zealand law. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1963, a privy councillor in 1968 and KBE in 1973, and he was awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Auckland in 1963.

In December 1973 he was made editor in chief of the New Zealand Commentary on Halsbury's Laws of England , and he held this post for the next 19 years. He also served as a director of Butterworths and organised the writing of numerous New Zealand legal texts."^4,5

He married Dorothea Frances Mulgan, daughter of Alan Edward Mulgan and Marguerita Blomfield Pickmere, in New Zealand on 21 March 1934.^6,1,7

Alexander died on 7 July 1993 in Auckland at age 91.⁸

Frances Mary Cecilia Turner was born in Auckland on 27 July 1944.¹

Frances died on 17 July 2009 in Auckland at age 64.¹

The divorce proceedings of Richard Arthur Goodwin and Mary Scott Fergusson in 1928 listed Gilbert as a co-respondent.²

Gilbert's marriage to Mary Scott Fergusson, daughter of Norman Gardner Fergusson and Caroline (Lina) Mary Graham Scott, was registered between October 1928 and December 1928 in Brighton, Sussex.¹

In 1933 Gilbert petitioned Mary Scott Fergusson for divorce citing Gerald TURNER as the co-respondent (this may be meant to be Gerald TREVOR).³

Gwendolen Isobel Turner was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, on 5 November 1889.^1,2

She married Thomas Henry Forsaith, son of Thomas Edward Forsaith and Helen Lucy Shepard, in Tompkins, Saskatchewan, on 2 January 1917.^1,3

She was listed in the 1921 census at House 83 in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, with her husband Thomas; he was farming. Their child Thomas was listed as living with them.⁴

She was listed in the 1931 census in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, with her husband Thomas; he was a farmer and they owned their own 7-roomed house valued at $2000, without a radio. Their children Thomas were listed as living with them.⁵

Gwendolen died on 9 February 1966 in Alberta at age 76.^1,6 She was buried at the Hillside Cemetery in Medicine Hat.⁶

Mary Anne Caroline Turner was born in Secrole, Bengal, on 16 November 1841. She was the daughter of John (with the 51st Regiment, NI) and Pamela Turner.^2,1 She was baptised in Secrole Benares, Bengal, on 15 April 1842.¹

She married Charles Cecil Stevens KCSI, son of Charles Green Stevens and Deborah Hannah Blomfield, at St Paul's Cathedral in Calcutta, Bengal, on 16 December 1862.^3,4

She was listed in the 1881 census as Head of Family at Broomhills in Honiton, Devon; she described herself as 'the wife of C C Stevens (ICS)' and the household included a governess, cook, housemaid and nurse. Her children Algernon, Nina, Arthur and Henry were listed as living with her.²

She was widowed at age 67 on the death of her husband Charles on 27 March 1909.⁵

She was listed in the 1921 census at 15 Elmsleigh Park in Paignton, Devon.⁶

Mary died on 1 April 1933 at 15 Elmsleigh Park in Paignton, Devon, at age 91.⁷

Richard Nicholas Turner was born in Auckland on 4 May 1935.^3,1,2,4

Richard died in 2016 in New Zealand.⁴

Charles died in 1980 in New South Wales.¹

Charles's birth was registered between July 1868 and September 1868 in Lancashire.²

He married Mary Isabella Paul, daughter of Ralph Paul and Barbara Warner Marshall, in Merewether, New South Wales, in 1891.¹

Charles died in 1944 in Mayfield, New South Wales.³

Henry Ward Turvey was born in New Zealand on 19 May 1922.^1,2

He married Vera Mildred Sullivan in New Zealand in 1948.^1,3

Henry died on 1 July 2012 in New Zealand at age 90.^1,4

Laura Elva Tussing was born in Ohio on 9 January 1860.¹

She married William Albert Donaldson, son of Joshua Donaldson and Catherine Marlow, in Franklin, Ohio, on 23 October 1884.²

She was listed in the 1910 US census at 1596 East Main St in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, with her husband William; he was a lawyer in general practice, living in a house with no mortgage (so presumably owned). Their child Florence was listed as living with them, as were William's mother Catherine Marlow and their daughter's husband Henry Knapp Harrington.³

She was widowed at age 67 on the death of her husband William on 7 July 1927.¹
She was listed as the mother-in-law of Henry Knapp Harrington in the 1930 US Census at 2464 Sherwood Rd in Marion, Franklin, Ohio.⁴

Laura died on 18 March 1943 in Ohio at age 83.¹ She was buried on 20 March 1943 at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.⁵