A Maryland Family and Its Ancestor, William Turnbull 1751-1822 of Stirling, Scotland

by John Grason Turnbull of H and H Rutherfor (Rud) Turnbull III

 THE AUTHORS

The principal author of this book, John Grason Turnbull of H (son of Henry), is a direct descendent of the William Turnbull who emigrated to America from Scotland. John, a retired businessman who is the second major genealogist of the family, conducted the research and wrote this book. Archibald Turnbull was the first (see below for information about him and his book about the family).

Rud was responsible for ensuring a consistent voice and style throughout the entire book; writing many of the profiles that describe family members of the fifth through eight generations; and, based on John's recommendations and his own judgment, writing Part III Chapter 9.

A GENEALOGY AND A HISTORY

There are two ways to characterize this book. One is to regard it as a genealogy of a man, William Turnbull, and his descendants, especially those who lived in and contributed greatly to the civic life of Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The other is to regard it as a history about that man, his descendants, and the places and times in which they lived. This book combines the two approaches.

As to genealogy, John relied on genealogical charts that he compiled in collaboration with a professional genealogist, Josh Jenkins. (For the full chart, please see Part IV. Within the main text, we have excerpted information from these charts and present it in family tree form, to help readers connect subjects with previous generations.)

As to history, John compiled some 600 pages of history about the Turnbull family. Included in that massive collection are documents about not just the family but also about the customs and culture of Scotland, especially Lowland Scotland, where the ancient Tumbulls lived. Much of John'·scollection is excerpted or summarized in this book. One cannot appreciate John's nearly 20 years of research, however, without acknowledging material too extensive to include in this relatively short genealogy and history. 

1. Copies of the records of the Sterling, Scotland Commissary (register of births, deaths, and deeds) regarding William Turnbull

2. Letters of William Turnbull, in his own hand

3. Photographs of the iron works that William Turnbull created and operated in Pennsylvania

4. Photograph and partial history of the military troop to which William belonged during the Revolutionary War

5. Photographs of the Turnbull Clan crest

 PDF of this book