Dawson Palgrave Turner was born on 15 December 1846 in Calcutta, India.^[2] He was the son of Gurney Turner (1813–1848) and Mary Anne Hamilton Mowatt. His paternal grandfather, after whom he was named, was Dawson Turner (1775–1858), the banker and botanist, and he got his middle name from his paternal grandmother, Mary Palgrave (1774–1850). He attended Rugby School^[1]

Turner, having played rugby at school, went on to play for Richmond F.C., one of the clubs of choice for Old Rugbeians. Turner made his international debut on 27 March 1871 at Edinburgh in the Scotland vs England match.^[1] Of the six matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on three occasions. He played in the first five matches against Scotland, the only man to do so.^[1] He was described as a "desperately hardworking forward, always keen and untiring" and "regardless of risk or danger".^[3] He played his final match for England on 8 March 1875 at Edinburgh in the Scotland vs England match.^[1]

On 12 March 1867 he married Emma Morgan in St. John's Church, Toronto. They had at least two children, Harold Palgrave Turner (born 1872 in London) and Mary Hamilton Turner (born 1873 in Peterborough, Canada West). He initially trained as a doctor and in 1871 was student obstetrician at University College Hospital.^[4] By 1891 he had divorced Emma and described himself as a retired military officer.^[5] He died in March 1909 in England.