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Walter TURRILL (1852–1927)
His wife Mrs Sarah Jane TURRILL, née Wheeler (1854–1933)
Their children Walter TURRILL junior (1879–1916) and
Rosetta Jane TURRILL (1885–1890)
St Giles (Ss Philip & James) section: Row 53, Grave P34½

 

 

 

 

Walter Turrill junior was born at 60 Cornmarket Street, Oxford in 1852 and baptised at St Martin’s Church on 11 April. His father was a poulterer, who had moved his shop to 28 Walton Street by 1861, and James had joined him in the business by 1871. For more about his parents and six siblings, see the graves of his father and his mother.

Sarah Jane Wheeler was born in Oxford in 1854, the daughter of the printer Rowland Wheeler and Jane Jones, who were married at St Mary Magdalen Church, Oxford on 4 July 1853. At the time of the 1861 census Sarah Jane (6) was living at 94 Walton Street with her parents and siblings Elizabeth (4) and Rowland (3). By 1871 the family had moved to Bevington Road and there were five more children: Martin (9), Mary (7), John (5), Gilbert (3), and Jessie (1), plus a servant girl.

On 3 August 1876 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Walter Turrill (24) married Sarah Jane Wheeler (22). They had the following children:

• Susie Rosamond Turrill (born at 2 Graham Villas, Kingston Road, Oxford in 1877 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 18 November)
• Walter Turrill junior (born at 2 Graham Villas, Kingston Road, Oxford in 1879 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 3 November)
• Sarah Winifred Turrill (born at 2 Graham Villas, Kingston Road, Oxford on 29 July 1883 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 9 September.)
• Rosetta Jane Turrill (born at 66 Kingston Road, Oxford on 18 September 1885 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 18 October)
• Daisy Beatrice Turrill (born at 69 Southmoor Road, Oxford in 1888 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 19 August)
• Ethel Annie Turrill (born at 69 Southmoor Road, Oxford on 28 June 1890 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 1 August)
• Rowland Bertie Turrill (born at 69 Southmoor Road, Oxford on 29 January 1895 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 17 March).

In 1877 Walter Turrill obtained the first lease on Nos. 67 and 68 Kingston Road, but they appear to have lived at No. 66, which was called Lynton. In about 1880 that street was taken into Ss Philip & James’s parish, and was numbered for the first time in about 1884.

When his father died on 13 January 1880, Walter and his brothers James and Alfred took over the family poultry business.

At the time of the 1881 census Walter (29) and Sarah (26) were living at Lynton, Kingston Road with their children Susie (3) and Walter junior (1). Walter’s unmarried sister Sarah Turrill (35) was also living with them. Next door at Norbrook were his brother John and his family, and they had Walter and John’s mother and brother Alfred, the third poulterer, living with them.

Walter and Sarah’s daughter Rosetta Jane Turrill was born there in 1885 .

In 1886 Walter Turrill took out the first lease on 69 and 71 Southmoor Road, and had moved into No. 69 by the time his daughter Daisy was born in 1888. His daughter Rosetta died there at the beginning of 1890:

† Rosetta Jane Turrill died at 69 Southmoor Road at the age of 4 in January 1890 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 16 January (burial recorded in the parish register of Ss Philip & James’s and St Giles’s Church).

Their daughter Ethel was born less than six months later.

In Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 24 January 1891, their son Walter junior (11) was praised for rescuing a 13-year-old boy who fell through the ice when they were skating on the old river just above Upper Fisher Row.

At the time of the 1891 census Walter and Sarah Turrill were at 69 Southmoor Road with their five surviving children. Their last child Rowland was born there near the beginning of 1895.

In 1899 the brothers James and Walter Turrill listed themselves at 28, 29, and 41 in the Covered Market in Oxford.

At the time of the 1901 census Walter (49) was living at Oakthorpe, 234 Woodstock Road with his wife Sarah (47) and their six surviving children Susie (23); Walter junior (21), who was a poulterer working for his father; Sarah (17); Daisy (12); Ethel (10); and Rowland (6), plus their servant.

In 1911 four of their children were still at home: Walter (31) and Rowland (16), who were poulterers; Daisy (22); and Ethel (20), who was a poulterer’s clerk.

In 1915 the poulterers James and Walter Turrill listed themselves as fishmongers as well as poulterers, and in addition to their stalls in the market had a shop at 245 Banbury Road.

Their son Walter Turrill junior was still living at Oakthorpe, 234 Woodstock Road in 1916, but he died in Surrey:

† Walter Turrill junior died at Thames Ditton at the age of 37 in October 1916 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 2 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles’s Church).

His effects came to £225 12s., and his probate record described him as a poulterer's assistant. His executor was his father, who was described as a gentleman.

Walter Turrill senior died of throat cancer in 1927:

† Walter Turrill senior died at Oakthorpe, 234 Woodstock Road on 4 November 1927 at the age of 75 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 8 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles’s Church).

The following obituary was published in the Oxford Journal Illustrated, 9 November 1927:

DEATH OF MR WALTER TURRILL

We regret to record the death of Mr. Walter Turrill, who passed away at his residence, “Oakthorpe”, Woodstock Road on Friday at the age of 75. The deceased was a prominent and popular figure in Oxford and had a wide circle of friends. He formerly represented the West Ward on the City Council for nine years, and during that time served as Sheriff. Mr. Turrill was Vice Chairman of the Directors of the Oxford Gaslight and Coke Company, he was a member of the Clarendon Club and a Free mason. A keen sportsman, he was a founder of the North Oxford Tennis, Cricket and Bowls Club and was for 22 years (1901–1923) President of the Osney, St. Thomas and New Botley Allotment Association. The deceased was proprietor of an old-established firm of fish and poultry dealers in the Market and Banbury Road.

The funeral took place at St. Sepulchre’s Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon when the service was taken by the Vicar of Summertown (Rev. E. A. Burrough). The chief mourners were the widow, Mr. R. B. Turrill (son), Mr. and Mrs. P. Wykes (daughter and son-in-law), Mrs. D. P. Bourne (daughter), Mr. A. Jepson (brother-in-law), Mr. J. C. Bennett (son-in-law), Messrs. Tom, George, and W. Turrill (nephews), Mr. Percy Wheeler, Mrs  E. Turrill, Miss Turrill and Mrs. T. Turrill. Among others present were Alderman F. W. Ansell, and G. C. Druce, Councillor F. G. Blackler and Mr. H. J. Bradley (representing the Clarendon Club), Mr. W. E. Caton (representing the Oxford Gaslight and Coke Company), Mr. G. H. Hudson (representing the Osney, St. Thomas and New Botley Allotment Association), Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Lewendon, Mr. W. H. Castle (City Surveyor), Messrs Philip Darby, Frank Weaving, F. Cambray, J. Gee, S. Crozier and J. Simms.

Floral tributes were sent by the widow and children; Jack and Gertie, Harold and Flo (Beaconsfield), Tom, Ridy and family; Alfred (Wimbledon); employees at the Market and Banbury Road; Chairman and Directors and General Secretary and Staff of the Oxford Gaslight and Coke Co. Ltd.; President and Members of the Clarendon Club; Officers and Members of the Osney, St. Thomas and New Botley Allotment Association; Mr. & Mrs. J. Hodgkinson; Mr. A. E. Webb and Ruth; Mrs Arthur Pearson; Mrs. Hambridge and family; Mr. H. F. Galpin; all at 31, Walton Well Road; Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Richards; Mr. & Mrs. Alec Parker; all at 5, Davenant Road.

The funeral arrangements were entrusted to Messrs. S. W. French & Son, 144 Kingston Road.

His effects came to £6,744 0s. 3d., and his executors were the schoolmaster Percy Harold Wykes, the solicitor's manager Dudley Percy Wheeler, and the poulterer Rowland Bertie Turrill, his son.

Mrs Turrill moved to 160 Singlewell Street, Gravesend to be near her married daughter, and died in a nursing home there in 1933:

† Mrs Sarah Jane Turrill died at 142 Windmill Street, Gravesend on 2 August 1933 at the age of 79, and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 5 August (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles’s Church).

Her effects came to £1,021 12s. 7d., and her son Rowland Bertie Turrill, a poulterer, was her executor.

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The above obituary was kindly provided by Miss Ethel Turrill (daughter of Roland Bertie Turrill), who came to the Open Doors event in September 2011 to look for her grandfather’s grave. Miss Turrill writes (November 2012):

I cannot tell you much about my paternal grandfather Walter Turrill as he died of throat cancer when I was two years old. The poultry business was where Jemini the Florists is now and ran until early in the last war. The firm had previously served several colleges including Christ Church when the late Edward VIII was an undergraduate. We were granted the Royal Patent. I think the Banbury Road shop (fish, run by Walter’s brother James) closed fairly soon after.

The Woodstock Road house had been given up shortly after grandfather died; all the six living children were married and only one, my father, was living in Oxford. My grandmother, Sarah Jane, went to live in a Nursing Home at Gravesend where a married daughter lived. I remember being taken to visit her when I was a child of about eight years and she seemed to be a very old lady in a long black dress sitting in her chair. She died a few years later in 1933.