John Turnbull of Turnbull, Forbes

London merchant, partner in Turnbull Forbes (q.v.), which was bankrupt in 1802. Probably the John Turnbull of St Pancras whose will made 18/11/1814 at Brighton was proved 10/12/1816. This will made no reference to bankruptcy, but left his widow Beata Maria Turnbull an annuity of £2000 p.a., with his residuary estate left to his four sons including his eldest Peter Evan Turnbull, with whom John Turnbull had made some form of settlement 01/01/1806.

1. John Turnbull of Turnbull Forbes wrote to Henry Dundas 17/11/1797 with a detailed account of the commitments in St Domingue of Turnbull Forbes and its associated house of Bertrand Littledale in Port-au-Prince. The purpose of the letter was to seek grants of land for MM Bertrand Littledale in Trinidad or Demerary when they were compelled to flee St Domingue upon the planned British evacuation. He set his firm's annual commissions as consignee for St Domingue slave-owners at £3000 p.a.

London Gazette 15617 3 September 1803 p. 1165; PROB 11/1587/111. The affidavit attesting to his signature dated 06/12/1806 and describing him as late of Guildford Street St Pancras and as having died the previous August in Geneva appears to have been misdated, and to have been given in 1816. The will of Beata Maria Turnbull of Newport Isle of Wight was proved 13/08/1833, PROB 11/1820/414.

1. Carl Ludwig Lokke, 'New Light on London Merchant Investments in St. Domingue', The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Nov., 1942), pp. 670-676.