Memorable Manitobans: John Percival Turner (1879-1948)

Click to enlarge

John Percival Turner
Click to enlarge

Insurance broker, trap shooter, historian.

Born at Toronto, Ontario on 4 December 1879, son of John and Mary Turner, he was educated at Trinity College School (Port Hope, Ontario). In 1897, he joined the Dominion Bank at Toronto, Ontario as a junior clerk. In 1901, he came to Winnipeg where he was a fire insurance adjuster until 1908. He became a fire insurance broker with Winnipeg Underwriters Limited in 1910, with offices in 505 McArthur Block.

In 1911, he married Kathleen Drennan (1886-1978) of Kingston, Ontario. They lived at 323 Assiniboine Avenue, Winnipeg. He was a member of the Carleton Club, Adanac Club, Canadian Club, Conservative party, and Anglican church. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Manitoba Game Protective Association and a member of the executive for the Winnipeg Conservative Association. He was the champion trap shot in Canada (1905). Considered on of Canada's greatest authorities on hunting and fishing, he was the conservation editor of Rod and Gun. Starting in 1949, he was historian of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

He died at Ottawa, Ontario in June 1948 and was buried in the Beechwood Cemetery.

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

“J. P. Turner historian of RCMP dies,” Ottawa Citizen, 29 June 1948, page 14.

Obituary [Kathleen Turner], Ottawa Citizen, 19 December 1978, page 62.

We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 10 September 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!