Soldiers in King Philip's war. Containing lists of the soldiers of ...

NO. XVII.
CAPT. WILLIAM TURNER AND HIS MEN.
WILLIAM TURNER came from Dartmouth in South Devonshire
to Dorchester, Massachusetts ; admitted to the church
in 1642 ; freeman May 10th, 1643. Is in a list of owners of
certain pasture lands there in 1646. Was chosen bailiff of the town
in 1661 ; signed a petition of the inhabitants of Dorchester in 1664.
He pi*obably moved to Boston in the latter part of 1664, as he was
one of the original members of the First Baptist Church gathered
in Boston May 28th, 1665. The chief members of this church at
the start were, Thomas Gould, the elder and preacher, who with his
son-in-law Thomas Osborne, withdrew from the first church in
Charlestown ; Edward Drinker and John George who had lived in
Mr. Turner
the country many years but had not joined any church ;
and Robert Lambert had belonged to Mr. Stead's church in Dartmouth
before coming to this country ; Richard Goodall and Mary
his wife were from Mr. Kiffin's church in London, and these, with
Mary Newell, made up the original membership of the church. To
these were soon joined John Farnham, Isaac Hull, Jacob Barney,
John Russell Jr., John Johnson, George Farlow, Seth Sweetsir,
Benjamin Sweetsir and his wife, and Mrs. Osborne, wife of Thomas.
For some time after the church was gathered, they met quietly at the
house of Edward Drinker at Charlestown, without any interference
from the authorities, partly, it is probable, because the Royal Commissioners
were in Boston at the time, and would not countenance any
rigorous measures by those who had clamored so loudly against religious
intolerance at home, but chiefly for want of a leader in the persecution.
The church at Charlestown, finally in July, 1665, excommunicated
those members who had withdrawn from them ; and in the
following September they were summoned to appear before the Court
of Assistants to answer for their heresies, and, after hearing their con-
fession of faith, this Court charged them to desist from their "schis-
matical practice." Because they did not cease from their practice of
separate worship as usual, they were summoned before the General
Court, Oct. 11, which convicted them of " high presumption against
the Lord and his holy appointments, as well as the peace of this Government,"
and the said Thomas Gould, William Turner, Thomas Osborne,
Edward Drinker and John George, such of them as were freemen,
were sentenced to be disfranchised, and upon conviction of fur-
17 *