Family History Book - 2 MB PDF file
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The family has been located in Newcastle, Northumberland on the English side of the border. There is significant evidence both DNA and circumstantial to suggest there is a connection to the Turnbull's of Bedrule but that elusive connection is yet to be found. Click here to see his Family Tree.
(See Additional notes added by Grahame Thom in August 2025)
There have been many tales and two books written about John Turnbull, who sailed to Australia, with his family in 1801 on the Coromandel.
I was fortunate to come into contact with both authors; "Upon a State Unknown." by Fay Attewell and "In the Footsteps of John Turnbull by Marie Turnbull. I believed that the truth lay somewhere in between the two stories and this was greatly enhanced when Fiona Turnbull, a Clan member, contacted me with the contents of her family bible.
I come from a large family, my mother had 5 siblings, and my father 4. My parents had 8 children and 12 grandchildren. My mother was sixth generation Turnbull. My Scottish ancestor, Elliott Turnbull arrived in Mexico in the
late 1800s. My mother was very proud of her ancestry and many years later, I was lucky to find out about the Turnbull Clan Association, join and learn more about the larger sense of family.
It was my mother´s dream to bring together all her grandchildren. It was not an easy task because the eight grew up in different cities and countries. Unfortunately, my mother´s wishes only came true as a result of her passing in 2006. Knowing how much it meant to her, my siblings and I organized a memorial in which we did succeed to bring all of my mother´s children and grandchildren, together with cousins, and friends.
Adriana (center, orange dress) with cousins, siblings, nieces, and nephews from around the world reunite as a family and bond in Houston, TX.
Read more: My Family...The Story of Adriana’s Passion to Strengthen Family Bonds
My father John Colclough Turnbull was born in 1852 down near Rice Lake, 20 miles South of Peterboro in Ontario, Canada. They were a large family – William, John my father, Albert Leonard, Carrie, Myra, Annie and all were tall, hardworking Christians. I visited the old home near Bewdley at South end of Rice Lake
John Colclough Turnbull,
father of John RodneyAll the family went west to Manitoba except father. Each man finally owned a square mile in Manitoba near Hartney and Brandon and each woman married a farmer in the same area.
Father stayed at home and gave to his parents every dollar he earned till he was twenty-one. For that I believe he was unusually blessed of God. Certainly he was more successful in business than any of them and outshone them spiritually, too.
And so our father went to nearby Port Hope with his parents’ blessing where he worked as a clerk in a grocery store. Then he invaded the county seat Peterboro. In a few years he owned the largest general store in Peterboro on the strategic corner of George, the main street, and Simere. Later, his Turnbull General Store was bought and rebuilt by the Robert Simpson Company of Toronto renown. All of us boys worked in father’s store. I went on Saturdays for 10 cents a day and my pay increased to the magnificent sum of 50 cents.
The very large market was only a block away. The folks from around father’s birthplace brought their dressed fowl, eggs, butter, etc. to market and after selling their products came to father’s store. To induce trade he bought excellent tea in Toronto, blended it himself with other good tea and sold it for 25 cents a pound. The clerks took their sales money to the cashier’s office in the center of the store to get their receipts and charge. Later the metal containers shooting along overhead wires were installed.
The following is summarized and extracted from a handwritten memorandum in a hand-drawn genealogical tree of the Mexican branch of the Turnbull family: “From 1720 to 1920:” Andrew Turnbull, M.D. was founder of the American branch of the family. He studied medicine in Paris where he met the lady who became his wife, Gracia Dura Bin, a Greek by birth.
Gracia had been educated in Paris and was famous by her great beauty besides being most accomplished and an excellent wife and mother. She was most noticed at court by Queen Charlotte, as she spoke German which few ladies then did…Dr. Turnbull is mentioned by the Abbé Reynal in his “History of the East and West Indies” with encomium as “Le sage Turnbull."
About 1754 he emigrated to America, having received a grant from the British Government entitling him to large tracts in Florida where he lived and where most of his family was born. Of his sons, Elliott Bay came from England to Mexico with a mining company to work mines in the State of Oaxaca and there he met the lady who afterwards became his wife.”
My line starts with one of the Turnbulls, who did not go to Oaxaca, but to my home State of Veracruz, where another love story began this way: When my ancestor graduated from the university, his parents wanted to give him a gift. Having studied mining, he asked his parents to send him to Mexico to further his education since there were many silver mines in that country. He traveled all around and spent the night before he was to sail back to Europe at the port of Veracruz, on the East coast of Mexico. It is a warm and humid climate and in the evening he stepped out onto the balcony of his hotel room to enjoy the cooler air.
Across the street, the windows were also open and illuminated. He couldn’t help but notice a beautiful young lady. He was so taken by her that he did not sail the next
day but asked to be introduced to her and her family. That introduction led to a romance and when he did sail back, it was to ask permission to marry. His parents were not happy with the idea but agreed as long as he returned when his first child was born. This promise was never fulfilled. He remained in Mexico to his death. And that is how my line
began. I am the granddaughter of another beautiful lady of Veracruz, Leonor Turnbull Bouchez. If I write out all my names and surnames I am Leonor Adriana Rosado Muñoz Osorio Turnbull.
Below is a porcelain doll I commissioned as a little replica of our warriors.
