Andrew Turnbull (colonist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Turnbull
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| Consul to the Ottoman Empire | |
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Andrew Turnbull
1718 Scotland |
| Died | March 13, 1792 (aged 73–74) Charleston County, South Carolina |
| Resting place | Saint Philip's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina |
| Spouse | Maria Gracia Dura Bin (or Maria Gracia Rubini) |
Andrew Turnbull (1718–1792) was a doctor from Scotland. He later worked as a British Consul (a type of diplomat) in Smyrna. Smyrna was part of the Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey.
In 1768, he started a very large British settlement in the New World. He called it New Smyrna, Florida. He named it after his wife's hometown, Smyrna, an old Greek city. Turnbull's wife was Gracia Dura Bin, whose father was a Greek merchant from Smyrna. His colony was in British East Florida. It was about 101,400 acres (410 square kilometers) big. This was almost three times the size of the famous Jamestown colony.
Starting the Colony
Andrew Turnbull worked with Sir William Duncan. They received a grant of 40,000 acres (160 square kilometers) of land. This land was on the east coast of Florida. The British government required them to settle one person for every 100 acres within 10 years.
In 1765, Turnbull sailed to St. Augustine, Florida. This city was the capital of the province. He received the land grant from Governor James Grant. The land was located where New Smyrna Beach is today. It was about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of St. Augustine.
Turnbull then went back to England. He got money for his project from the government and the Board of Trade. After that, he sailed to the Mediterranean region. He wanted to find colonists, especially Greeks, for his new settlement in East Florida.
Finding Colonists
One person who almost partnered with Turnbull was Francis Levett. Levett was an English agent working in Livorno, Italy. He came from a powerful family with many trading connections. Levett hoped to use his influence to help Turnbull find Greek workers.
Levett later moved to British East Florida. Governor Grant gave him a 10,000-acre (40 square kilometer) plantation. However, his plan to work with Turnbull did not happen.
In June 1767, Turnbull arrived in the Mediterranean with his ships. He visited several places like Mahon in Menorca, Livorno, Smyrna, and various cities in Greece. He faced problems from French, Italian, and Turkish officials. These officials did not want their people to leave.
But Turnbull kept trying. He finally gathered over 1,400 colonists. Most of them were from Menorca. Then, they left for his new colony in East Florida.
Life in New Smyrna
Turnbull's settlers successfully grew good quality indigo, hemp, and sugarcane. The sugarcane was used to make rum. However, the plantation had many problems. They lost crops due to insect-borne diseases. There were also raids by Native Americans.
Over time, problems grew between Turnbull and the colonists. The settlers felt he neglected them. They also felt mistreated by his overseers. In 1777, the remaining colonists marched north to St. Augustine, Florida. They traveled along the King's Road. They wanted to complain to Governor Patrick Tonyn about their mistreatment.
Governor Tonyn offered them a safe place to live. Because of this, the colonists permanently left New Smyrna. In 1783, Florida was given back to the Spanish. Turnbull then left his plantation and moved to Charleston, South Carolina.
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Andrew Turnbull
