Turner, John N.

Epithet: of Add MS 38276

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x00015b

Epithet: of Add MS 29557

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x00015a

Epithet: DD; Chaplain to George I

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x000155

Epithet: of Dublin

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x00015f

Epithet: of Evoias Greece

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000210.0x0000e0

Epithet: witness of Wolley Ch ii.63

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000700.0x000238

Epithet: Secretary (?) to Sir A Abdy

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x000164

Epithet: afterwards Dryden

Title: 1st Baronet of Canons Ashby 1795

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000438.0x000166

John Turner is best known as the author of the Dictionaries of British circus Biographies which is an invaluable source for researchers of Victorian and twentieth century circus performers. He also created a database which enables quick searches of performers and provides citations of primary sources that were used in his research.

John Turner was born in Hull and graduated from the University of Leeds with a Ph.D1959 He worked as an academic biochemist, in California, London, and finally as a Reader in Biochemistry at the University of Liverpool from 1963 until 1989

After his retirement, John Turner became interested in the history of circus. This stemmed from his discovery that Hengler's Grand Cirque had once flourished in Hull, Liverpool and other provincial towns as well as in the Metropolis. Initially he collected information on the many performers and showmen of the Victorian period later continuing his research to include performers in the twentieth century.

His aim was to produce a definitive series of source-books on the history of British circus which could be used by others to discover more about this popular form of entertainment. He continued his research right up until his sudden death in 2007. We are privileged to be able to have his research and database at the NFA enabling others to continue to be able to access the information that he painstakingly worked to gather.

For many years, John Turner was the librarian for the Circus Fairground Association, taking over from Malcolm Airey, and helped to get the library into the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield.

From the guide to the John Turner Collection, 1990-2007, (National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield Library)