Thomas Turpin (1708 - 1790)

Born 17 May 1708 in Henrico, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 Jun 1790 at age 82 in Powhatan County, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Thomas Turpin performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Thomas Turpin is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A117376.

Call Number 20938 Summary Commission, dated 31 August 1754, appointing Thomas Turpin (1708-1790) lieutenant colonel of the militia in Cumberland County, Virginia. Commission is signed by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie.

Thomas Turpin was born 8 May 1708 in Henrico County, Virginia, to Thomas Turpin (d. ca. 172 4) and Obedience Turpin (d. 1746).

• Thomas and Rebecca Angier Richardson had children:

• 1. Rebecca (1758-1776)

• 2. Benjamin (1760-1822)

• 3. Thomas (1760-1822)

• 4. William (1762-)

• 5. Ann (1766-1810)

• 6. Eliza (1768-1793)

• 7. John (1769-1833)

• 8. Susannah (1772-1810)

• 9. Richardson Joseph (1773-1800)

• 10. James (1777-1870)

• 11. Robert (1781-1781)

• 12. John (1786-1833)

• 13. George (1787-1875)

• Thomas and Mary Field Nicholls Jefferson had children:

• 1. Thomas (1732-1823)

• 2. Martha (1733-)

• 3. Obedience Branch (1734-1839)

• 4. Susannah Nicholls (1737-1790)

• 5. William (1741-1824)

• 6. Haratio (1755-1826)

• Thomas and Martha Ward Gaines had one daughter, Phoebe Obedience Turpin (1771-1860)

He lived in Goochland County, Virginia, where he served as sheriff from 1741 to 174 3. His home lay in what became Cumberland County, Virginia , in 1749, and he served as a justice of the peace and in t he county militia.

His home lay in what became Powhatan County, Virginia, in 1777, and again he served as a justice of the peace. Turpin married Mary Jefferson (1718-1784), the aunt of Thomas Jefferson (1743- 1826), and they had eleven children. Turpin died in Powhatan County 20 June 1790. ^[1]

Thomas Turpin was Thomas Jefferson's uncle by marriage. He was married to Peter Jefferson's younger sister, Mary. Thomas Turpin was one of the five executors of Peter Jefferson's estate and thus bore some degree of fiscal/material responsibility for Thomas Jefferson and his mother and siblings after Peter Jefferson died in 1757. Peter Jefferson's will states: "...I do appoint Constitute & Ordain the Honorable Peter Randolph Esquire, Thomas Turpin the Elder, John Nicholas, Doctor Thomas Walker & Colonel John Harvie/Harvey chief executor and other as Executors of this my last will & Testament & Guardian to all my Children in Testimony whereof I have signed sealed & Published this as my last Will and Testament..."

Thomas Jefferson also lived in Thomas Turpin's house in Richmond while he was governor of Virginia; the house was located on Shockoe Hill, probably just a little south of where the governor's mansion stands, near the intersection of 12th and Franklin Streets.

There is some correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Turpin; Jefferson also remained in touch with Thomas Turpin's sons, Horatio and Phillip, throughout their lives. What correspondence has been transcribed can be found in the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Henrico County taxed Thomas Turpin on one levy in 1736 . [Henrico County-Southside, 1 736, Virginia Colonial Abstracts (Fleet), vol. 3, page 39 3]

Thomas acquired several tracts of land in Goochland (later named Albemarle, now Buckingham, County during his lifetime: 2 83 acres [Patent Book 13, page 496] acres in September 1730 , 400 acres [Patent Book 17, page 317] on Turpin's Creek in June 1737, 350 acres [Patent Book 25, page 444] in January 1746/7, and 222 acres [Patent Book 26, page 508] in July 1748. Turpin Creek in what is today Buckingham County was undoubtedly named for Thomas Turpin.

Turpin held land in Amelia County - 400 acres [Patent Book 24, page 464] on the Great Branch of the Sandy River, in September 1746. Thomas Turpin was also a magistrate in Goochland County in 1735, the sheriff of the same county in 1741-43, and church warden of Southam Parish. [Patent Book 26, page 460] Turpin was later a county officer in Cumberland County. Thomas Turpin was head of a household of eight whites and 31 blacks in Powhatan County in 1783.

[Heads of Families at the First U.S. Census of 1790, Virginia, page and column 59C] Thomas Turpin died in Powhatan County 20th of June 1790 (will dated 11 March 1790), [Powhatan County Will Book 1, page 180] recorded 16 Sept. 1790). He was evidently wealthy for he owned forty- one slaves in an early census. Several Turpin grandchildren have not been placed: Thomas Turpin, Lucy Turpin, Obedience Turpin, and Sarah Turpin.

Sources

1. ↑ Thomas Turpin. Commission, 31 August 1754. Accession 20938 . Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

• 1. Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775

• 2. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

• 3. England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991

• 4. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970

• 5. Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940

• DAR A117376
• http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/thomas-turpin
• Thomas Turpin - Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775: Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume VII, Watson Family. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61175/images/colonialfamiliesvii-005142_489?pId=29627
• Thomas Turpin - U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900; Mary Jefferson https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1245091:7836?tid=&pid=&queryId=556bd829a5a9f9f6d1a6cda094bff69a&_phsrc=SIt445&_phstart=successSource
• Thomas Jefferson's Plan for Turpin Property on Shockoe Hill, Richmond: Picture of plat map. College of William and Mary. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/106310187/person/170051373383/media/c5c31ada-ef95-47a7-b21d-dd884d73ddfb?_phsrc=SIt449&_phstart=successSource
• Jefferson's Letter to Thomas Turpin: Phillip Turpin apprenticeship. Transcribed copy, picture of it. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/106310187/person/170051373383/media/026f7d4d-4bbd-4ac4-a900-558d90fda32e?_phsrc=SIt451&_phstart=successSource