1822 Turner Sibling Baptisms

On June 30, 1822, Métis siblings, Philip, Joseph Jr., and Elizabeth Turner were baptised together into the Anglican Church at the bustling Hudson’s Bay Company outpost of Moose Factory on James Bay.

The Turner siblings’ Métis mother, Emma, was a skilled harvester and active contributor to her fur trade community. Their father, Joseph Turner Sr., had been employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company since 1799.

Together, Joseph Sr. and Emma Turner spent many years travelling between Moose Factory and its connected inland posts following Joseph Sr.’s evolving career with the HBC. Throughout that time, Joseph Sr. and Emma welcomed several children into their young, growing Métis family, including Philip in 1812, Joseph Jr. in 1815, and Elizabeth in 1818.

By 1821, the Turner family had returned to the HBC’s regional headquarters at Moose Factory, where they could once again access religious services which were not available to them over the previous decade while stationed at smaller Company posts. 

It was with this access to religious services in Moose Factory that on June 30, 1822, Joseph Sr. and Emma Turner were finally able to baptise Philip (age 9), Joseph Jr. (age 7), and Elizabeth (age 3) together into the Anglican Church.

See Our Sources

• Turner Sibling Baptism Records, 30 June 1822

• HBC Kenogamissi Post Journal, 1812-1813

• Joseph Turner Sr. HBC Bio Sheet

• Turner Family Vignette

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