Etymology of the Turnage Name
The Turnidge family began their westward movement from the time they entered the northeast part of North Carolina. They continued west as the opportunity arose, or the land was cleared. Now they are on the west coast in Oregon, Washington and California. Some have not stopped there. They have gone into Alaska and also, they have gone across the ocean. Several have become missionaries overseas, and a few have been in the Peace Corps. The latest missionary is Trude Higbee who went into Taiwan Mission in November of 1979. She is the granddaughter of Bessie Turnidge Higbee of Stanwood, Washington. Bessie is the fifth generation from Michael Turnidge.
In the early 1700\'s the name was spelled either Turnidge or Turnedge. Perhaps the i\'s often were written with a loop, and became e\'s. But soon spelling became a big problem. Education was not always the best, and also, people did not hear the name correctly. So it was spelled in many ways, especially on courthouse records of that early day. Finally by about 1727 the name had settled down to one one spelling, Turnage. At least this was the way the court house records were spelling it. So, this became the acceptable spelling for the Turnage family. Perhaps all the family didn\'t want to give up on the original spelling, but it seemed to be the best thing to do at the time.
The Turnage\'s were beginning to move into the central part (but was perhaps then the western part) of North Carolina. As new territory opened up, Turnages were pushing west.
Michael Turnage, by the beginning of the new century, was thinking of going into new territories out of North Carolina. He was, perhaps, thinking of the original spelling of the name, and was concerned why it was changed. We don\'t know the time he left with his family, or the time the name was changed back, but he went into Tennessee for several years, then on into Missouri, which was not a state.
By 1816, Elder William Turnidge, the Village Preacher of Bluffton, was a circuit rider, in the little village of Bluffton, Missouri. The town is now called Camden. The town overlooks the raging Missouri River. Elder William Turnidge was the oldest son of Michael Turnidge, who now lived across the river in Lillard Co., Missouri (now known as Lafeyette Co., Missouri).
The spelling of the name was still a problem. The census records and county records were still spelling the name wrong. It was spelled Tonnage, Tunage, and also Turnage. For about 50 years Turnidge family fought to keep the name spelled correctly.
Sometime after the Civil War, the Turnidge family had a long talk. Should we go back to the North Carolina spelling? Of course, there were differences of opinion. By this time, three of the sons of Elder William Turnidge had died. Jesse Calvin had been killed in the Civil War. Jospeh Warren and Harrison had died as early pioneers in Oregon. Elder John T. was soon to go into southern Missouri, and later into Oregon. Elder William Turnidge was elderly.
So, some of the Turnidge family remaining in Missouri at that time, decided to definitely change the name back to the spelling as it was before 1800, Turnage. Elder John Turnidge and his brother\'s families left the spelling as it was.
For the Turnidges in Oregon, or the Turnidges who had left Oregon, the spelling has remained to this day. I have only come in contact with one Turnidge family that were not from this Oregon group. They said they were direct from England.
My father often said that one of his great-grandfathers (either William Turnidge or his father Michael Turnidge. Michael Turnidge was the son of Joseph Turnage, killed in the Revolutionary War.) changed the name back to the original spelling. He liked that spelling. But I think both names should be cherished. Both names are a part of our heritage. The problems of name were only some of the problems the pioneers went through. our Turnidge-Turnage family helped make America great! Soon we will b e entering a new century. Let\'s be a strong family group to help keep it that way!"
by Helen Turnidge Stover
"A good name is rather to be chosen that great riches." Proverbs 22:1a