A J J Turner signed the marriage certificate at this J Turner's son Alfred's wedding in 1878; who was this J J Turner?

There are far too many Joseph Turners who died after 1878, so I’ll never find his death date. [TFPL, 2016: But see below...]

TFPL, May 2019: It looks like this JJ Turner was the first son of this Joseph Turner.  So that snippet can be added to the son's details.  And confirmed by the copy of the death register entry.
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TFPL, Oct 2011: In fact he, Joseph, died before 3rd April 1860 as his wife, then a widow, married James Rennie.  She gave birth to their last child around 1857, so he could have died any time from late 1856 to 1859.

His age and occupation are primarily known from the very detailed birth certificate for their son George.

George’s birth certificate also showed that Elizabeth and Joseph had had a second girl, unnamed, who had died by 1855.
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From a transcript of the Ceylon Almanac of 1851, a resident there was:

Name – Place of Abode – Province – Employment or Firm

(Province: N - North, S - South, E - East, W - West, C - Central)

Turner, J – Belligam – S

So he lived at Belligam in the South Province.
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TFPL, June 2016: His death certificate was found on Scotland’s People and trancribed:

Name:      Turner Joseph late Sugar Planter in Ceylon afterwards Brewer in Dumfries.  Married.
Death:     1858 July Twentieth 9hrr 20 mn am Buccleuch Street. Old brewery Dumfires
Sex:       M
Age:       40 years 4 ms 4 days [ie born on 16 March 1818)
Parents:   John Turner Farmer (Deceased) Catherine Turner maiden name Charteris
Cause;     Organic Disease of Liver & Kidney for many months. Certified by James Grieves
              M D Dumfries who saw him on day of death.
Burial:    St Michael’s Churchyard Dumfried Certified by W Coupland sexton
Inform:    J? S? Smith brother-in-law to the deceased 3 Waterloo Place Dumfries Present
             [at death]
Register:  1858 July 23rd At Dumfries John Sanders Registrar.
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TFPL, Aug 2016: His death certificate, above, lists his parents as John Turner, farmer, deceased and Catherine Turner née Charteris.

There is a marriage listed on Scotland’s People on 12 Dec 1809 between a John Turner of Lochmaben and Catherine Charters.  The marriage register adds that Catherine came from the parish of Johnston.  I am not convinced that this marriage is the marriage of his parents.

The above death certificate includes his age in years, months and days, giving a birth date of 16 March 1818.  So far, no baptism can be found after that date.

At the birth of his son George Smith Turner on 1 Feb 1855 in Moffat he, Joseph, was the informant and included that he was then 38 years old and born in Liverpool.  This puts his birth year at 1816 or 1817, slightly different to the age on the death certificate.

This then led to investigating his birth and FamilySearch threw up:

His baptism:

Name                Joseph Turner
Gender              Male
Christening Date    21 Apr 1816
Christening Place   OLDHAM STREET PRESBYTERIAN,LIVERPOOL,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND
Birth Date          26 Mar 1816
Father's Name       John Turner
Mother's Name       Katherine Charters

Indexing Project (Batch) Number  C02360-1
System Origin                    England-ODM
GS Film number                   304665

Definitely a Bingo and I give thanks again for the Scots practice of retaining the birth surnames of wives.

My conclusion now is that all this data is correct, particularly in view of the suggestion that John Turner and Catherine Charters took their family to the USA, for which see Catherine’s Main Notes.  The only difference is in the year of his birth:

At the birth of their son George Smith Turner, registered on 5 Feb 1855, Joseph said he was 38, so born in 1816 or 1817.
After death on 20 Jul 1855, his brother in law said Joseph was of age 40 years, 4 months and 4 days, so he was born on 16 March 1818.
At his christening on 21 April 1816, his birth was said to be on 16 Mar 1816.
So it looks like his Smith brother-in-law got the birth day right but the birth year wrong by two years, not surprising.
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The will, inventory and testimaentary processes found on a record on Scotland’s People:

...  Inventory

At Dumfries the twenty second day of June Eighteen hundred and fifty nine, in the presence of William Milligan Esquire Justice of the Peace for the County of Dumfies appeared Mrs Elizabeth Smith or Turner residing in Buccleuch Street Dumfries relict and executrix of the deceased Joseph Turner Brewer in Dumfries who being solemnly Sworn and examined deposes that the said Joseph Turner died upon the Twentieth day of July Eighteen hundren and fifty Eight and the deponent has entered upon the possession and management of the deceaseds Personal Estate as one of the Executors nominated by him in a Testament executed by him upon the Seventeenth day of July Eightenn hundred and fifty eight which is now exhibited and signed by the deponent and the said Justice of the peace as relative hereto that the deponent does no know of any Settlement or writing relative to the disposal of the deceaseds personal Estate or Effects or any part of them other than that now exhibited and another testament executed by him of the same date relative to certain estate in the island of Ceylon and of which a natural Copy (the principal being sent to Ceylon) is now exhibitedand signed by the deponent and the said Justice of the Peace as relative hereto.
That the foregoing inventory which is signed by the deponent and the said Justice of the peace, as relative hereto is a true Inventory of all the personal Estate and Effects of the said deceased Joseph Turner wheresoever situated already recovered or known to be existing belonging or due to him beneficially at the time of his death and that the value of said Estate situated in Scotland is of the value of fifteen hundred Pounds and under the value of Two thousand Pounds.  Allof which is truth as the deponent shall answer to God - (signed) Elizabeth Smith, Wm Milligan J.P.

I Joseph Turner Brewer in Dumfries for the Love and favor [sic] I have to my Spouse and Children and other good causes do hereby give grant assign and dispose to and in favor of Elizabeth Smith or Turner my Spouse in liferent for her liferent use only and to and in favor of the children of your marriage surviving at the decease of the longest liver of me and my said spouse equally  among them share and share alike and their heirs in fee for my whole means and estate heriable and moveable and real and personal wherever situated or addebted which shall belong to or be due to me at the time of my decease with the whole vouchers and instructions of the same but always with and under the burden of any lawful debts sickbeds and funeral Expenses Declaring that if my said spouse shall enter into a second marriage he liferent right and interest in any such means and Estate shall thereupon cease and determine and the fee shall open up to my said children and I nominate and appoint my said spouse and John Stace Smith Esquire her brother and the acceptor and survivor of them to be my sole Executors if they shall see cause And I empower my said Executors to conduct and carry on any business in which I may be engaged at the time of my decease And that under the management of my said spouse or any other person whom they appoint and to coninue the same so long as in theri opinion it shall be for the benefit of my family Declaring that my my said Executors shall not be liable for their manager nor for omissions nor in diliggence singule in solidum nor for one another but only that they shall act honourably and truly account each for his or her actual intromissions And I reserve my own life rent with power of revocation and I dispense with delivery of these presents  In Witness thereof I have subscribed these presents written by John Symeons Writer Dumfries at Dumfried the seventeenth day of July Eighteen hundred and fifty eight years before these Witnesses Adam Brown my foreman Brewer and the said John Symons (signed) Joseph Turner, Adam Brown, Witness, J Symons, Witness

I Joseph Turner sometime of Colombo in the island of Ceylon now of Dumfries North Britain do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my friend Alfred Wise of Colombo aforsaid to be my Executor in said Island of Ceylon and I direct and request him to realise my whole means and estate real and personal, convert the same into money and remit and pay over the free proceeds thereof to and in favor of my Executors in Great Britain namely Mrs Elizabeth Smith or Turner my spouse and John Stace Smith her brother and the acceptor and survivor to be hald and applied by them as my Executors foresaid In witness whereof I have subscribed these presents written by John Symons Solicitor in Dumfries at Dumfries the seventeenth day of July Eighteen hundred and fifty eight years before these witnesses the said John Symons and Adam Brown, Brewer in Dumfries (signed) Joseph Turner, Signed sealed and delivered by the said Joseph Turner as his act and deed in presence of (signed) Adam Brown of Dumfries, Brewer, Witness, J Symons of Dumfries, Solicitor, Witness.  Dumfries 17th July 1958
Dumfries 9th Sept 1858. - a true copy Incase, (signed) John Jackson, Notary Public.
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