One of the most prolific wooden shipbuilders in American history. Counts of his output range from about 228 to more than 270 vessels, at least 154 of them from the Benicia yard.
- Yards
- First near Hunters Point with his brother Horatio; Benicia from 1883, in partnership with Horatio Turner and John Eckley
- Output
- Sources disagree: Wikipedia gives more than 270 vessels, citing Bowen (2002); Collectors Weekly gives 228 watercraft, or 'some 200 wooden sailing vessels'
- Recognition
- A gold-mounted spyglass from Queen Victoria and a silver service from the Norwegian government, both for a sea rescue
- Legacy
- The brigantine Matthew Turner, launched 2015 at Sausalito, is an education vessel inspired by his Galilee
- 1848G. R. Roberts — schooner; his first design
- 1868Nautilus — brig, designed at Eureka
- 1891Galilee — brigantine; the model for the modern replica
Sourcing notes & unresolved questions
- Benicia is on the Carquinez Strait rather than San Francisco Bay proper, but the yard is inseparable from Bay maritime history.
- The frequently repeated claim that Turner was the most prolific wooden shipbuilder in American history is stronger than any independent source supports. Wikipedia hedges to 'probably never equaled in the American era of sail'; Collectors Weekly says 'more than any other U.S. shipbuilder of the late 1800s'. This atlas says 'one of the most prolific' and records the disagreement in the counts.
Wooden Boat Atlas v3.0 · built 30 July 2026 · a project of the Golden Gate Wooden Boat Foundation · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · open data · corrections