Born in Crewkerne in England, Turner emigrated to the United States in 1856, settling in Philadelphia.
In 1882, he began working as a clerk in the Quartermasters' Department in Washington DC, but in 1883, he left to undertake an apprenticeship as a gold beater.
[1][2] Turner found himself blacklisted due to his union activities, and in 1877, the Knights set him up in business as a grocer.
He worked with Victor Drury, Henry G. Taylor, James L. Wright, R. N. Keen, R. C. McCauley, and Joseph N. Kennedy, to call for reforms to the union, including a return to the swearing of secret oaths.
[3] Turner returned to his trade as a gold beater, and settled in Jersey City, where he was still living in 1902.