When John Turnbull and his wife, Ann
Warr Turnbull, left their native village of
Annan in Dumfriesshire in Scotland (Annan,
by the way, is just across the border
from the English town of Carlisle in Cumberland)
Annan is also famous as being
the birth place of Lieut. Col. George Johnston,
the crusher of the Rouse Hill rebellion of 1804,
later on to become the tool of that unspeakable
bully and land monopolist, John Macarthur, and when George
Johnston received grants for his service
to the military oligarchy (the Rum Corps officials),
he used his native town's name as a prefix to his several
estates, hence, Annandale, Annan Lodge, Annangrove, etc.
But to come back to the Pioneer Turnbulls.
John Turnbull had established a business
in London as a tailor's cutter, where he
had pursued that calling since about the
age of 22 years. When in the year 1802 the
couple heard that free settlers were wanted
in New South Wales to cultivate the
soil, he was induced to come here along
with nine other families, with the promise
of 100 acres of land each on their arrival,
and rations for a certain period afterwards,
with the services, of two assigned Govern-
ment men, assured also to them. (Settlers
were usually allowed one assigned man for
each 50 acres in their possession.) The
story of Australia can be told in the lives
of such as this worthy couple and their descendants.
The Turnbulls' early struggles, as told
in the lives of these pioneers, contain
strange chapters of personal effort, fierce
hardships, of defeat and victory, of disaster
and triumph. The practical elements
which made for success were predominant
and to the fore. It was but the qualities
of endurance and strength which tell in a
new country. Of the Turnbulls, it may
be said they were what faith and circum-
stance made them. John Turnbull must
have been of rugged, persevering stock,
with the blood of the old Covenanters in
him, and his life's story is well worth the
telling. John Turnbull, pioneer, the found-
er of the family of Hawkesbury Turnbulls,
was born in the year 1750, learnt the trade
of a tailor's cutter, and with his wife set
up in business in London, where a number
of children were born, those being the
names of the English-born children of
John and Ann Warr Turnbull, and their
respective ages were in the year 1802 (as
per "Coromandel" list).—Ralph (I.), aged
10 years; Mary, aged 5 years; James, aged
4 years; and Jessica, aged 19 months. After
this pioneer couple acquired the 100 acres
land grant just below where stands Ebenezer
Church on the Hawkesbury, and where the pioneer
built a stone residence on a high headland of
the river (still there) the place is worthy
of preserving, in all conscience. There it was
that great and good man, Dr. J. D. Lang, was 'put up'
on the various occasions of his visits to the
Hawkesbury, and to the worthy minister
Pioneer Turnbull told his experience at
the hands of Governor King on his arrival
by the "Coromandel" on the 13th June,
1802. After personally interviewing each
settler that arrived on that occasion, the
Governor, coming to Turnbull, exclaimed,
''One foot in the grave and the other out
of it! What brought you here, old man?"
It is remarkable of the physical fitness and
diligence that the pioneer lived to the age
of 86 years; indeed, the Ebenezer "Burial
Register Entry" of John Turnbull's death
records his age at death as being 91 years!
On the 100 acres of land was grown wheat
and other cereal crops. John Turnbull's
name often appears in the lists of tenders
for supplies to the Government in issues of
'The Sydney Gazette' newspaper of wheat, pork and beef.
On the Turnbull grant was also a fine orchard planted by
the pioneer, where various kinds of stoneand citrus fruits
grew in abundance.
On one occasion Pioneer Turnbull, in the late
twenties of last century, was taking a cart
load of peaches for sale into the markets at Sydney and
was 'stuck up' by that notorious bushranger of the time,
Russel Crawford, on the Parramatta-road, near what is now
Grace Bros. establishment.
The old pioneer held his own and beat the
ruffian off until assistance arrived.
I may here remark that Russel Crawford
in the year 1832 was hanged in Sydney after
his conviction for attempting to murder
Mr. George Banks Suttor by stealing up
on the back of the chaise in which Suttor
was driving and delivering him a violent
blow on the head. That blow affected Mr.
Suttor all the rest of his life, although he
lived to the great age of 80 years, only dy-
ing on the 27th October, 1879 (after a fall
from his buggy) at his ancestral home residence
and farm 'Chelsea Park,' Baulkham Hills (the
original George Suttor's grant).
The story of Mr. George Banks Suttor and
his wife, Jane Johnston, an Australian-born
daughter of Andrew Johnston the first, will
be told later.
To come back to Pioneer Turnbull, I find
that he was one of the settlers who in the
year 1816 gave a donation of ten shillings
to the "Waterloo Fund", to be sent to England
to relieve widows and orphans whose soldier-husbands
were killed in the Battle of Waterloo (1815). That
list contained the names of 239 subscribers in all, and
the amount in cash collected totalled £231/8/-
(quite a respectable sum of money in
those days). From time to time I intend
to quote the amounts given by Hawkesbury
pioneers that came by the "Coromandel"
not in any way for comparison, but to
show their unswerving loyalty to the old
land, and also for their good deeds of
charity to those bereaved by war. Ralph
Turnbull (I.), eldest and English-born son
of the pioneer, contributed £1 to this fund.
But on of the proudest achievements,
that can be spoken of with pride by the de-
scendants of John Turnbull the first, is the
fact of his being one of the main princi-
pals (it may be said that there were fifteen
in all) who were the founders of Ebenezer
Church. In a family bible of the pioneer
there is inscribed in his handwriting: 'I
have agreed this day to contribute £5 per
year to a minister for Ebenezer Chapel'
for a date in the year 1817 (for which exact
date and month the writer has mislaid his
note). There was also a note stating the
date of his arrival in the 'Coromandel' in
the year 1802. All these references are
extremely valuable for the recorders of his-
tory, because when notes of events are
made at the actual times one can judge
them as being quite veracious and accurate.
After the pioneer occupied his holding at
Ebenezer there were born to John and Ann
Warr Turnbull three Australian-born chil-
dren, respectively named: John (II.), born
year 1804; George (I.), born year 1806; and
William Bligh, born year 1809.
It is a great misfortune that no portraits
of the Pioneers of Ebenezer exist, of any
of those famous in after years that came
by the 'Coromandel.' The reason is very
simple — the earliest form of daguerrotype
photo was not invented until the year 1839,
and then in very imperfect form; and most-
ly all of the pioneers died before that year
with a few exceptions, and in those excep-
tions no efforts had been made by the
families to secure pictures of their ances-
tors; but the times were hard, and the
pioneers did not appear to have been will-
ing to leave the old places. In some cases
the pioneers' children did not even visit
the neighboring town of Windsor on any
occasion but once. So that it is our mis-
fortune that we cannot look upon their
faces and see what manner of folk they
loked in replica and in life.
To return to John Turnbull (I.). The
pioneer himself appears to have been a
rigid Presbyterian, although it has been
stated that all of the men folk who were
original founders and thus fathers of Ebe-
nezer Church were Nonconformists, or dis-
senting Protestants to the forms of divers
church forms of service. My own opinion
is that Turnbull was a staunch believer in
the Presbyterian form of service. How-
ever that may be, Mrs. Ann Warr Turn-
bull was an adherent of the Church of Eng-
land form of worship, and when that good
woman died her sentiments and wishes
were respected. At her request, Mrs. Ann
Turnbull at her death was buried in the
beautiful burial ground of St. John's
Church of England on the hill at Wilber-
force. Perhaps in all Australia there is
no more beautiful a cemetery than it, over
looking the delightful valley of the Hawkesbury.
The inscription- there says:-
Sacred
To the Memory of
Mrs. ANN TURNBULL,
Wife of Mr. John Turnbull,
Who departed this life December 19th, 1819,
Aged 54 years.
With A.T. on footstone on grave.
Alongside is the grave of her English
born daughter, Mary, who was married
firstly to James Hartley and secondly to
James Wright. On a smaller headstone is
inscribed:-
Sacred to the Memory of
(Mrs.) MARY WRIGHT,
Who departed this life February 11th, 1825.
Aged 28 years.
Actually this lady, was 30 years of age,
according to my 'Coromandel' list, and I
take that list of names and ages to be au-
thentic.
There were four children left as orphans
after Mrs. Wright's death, two boys and
two girls.
Ralph Turnbull (I.), the English-born,
son of the pioneer, married firstly Miss
Grace Cavanough, daughter of Owen
Cavanough (I.), a seaman, one time of the
'Sirius,' but long since a farmer-settler
at Ebenezer, and later of the first branch
of the Hawkesbury (Colo, as it was called
afterwards). By Grace Cavanough Ralph
Turnbull (I.) had five children— Ralph
Turnbull (II), who married firstly Miss
Sarah Reynolds, and secondly Miss Sarah
Cross. The second Ralph (or 'Rafe,' as
Hawkesbury people sound it) was the father
of Ralph (III.) and William Turnbull (twin
sons), both of Wilberforce, and of Mrs.
Lucinda Lockart, of Windsor, and others,
the mother being, of course, the first wife
(nee Sarah Reynolds). It is interesting to
know that Mrs. Lockart still has in her
keeping the white waistcoat which her
father wore at the marriage ceremony with
Miss Sarah Reynolds, which took place at
Colo in the year 1840. The vest appears
quite as good to-day as it then was. The
texture must have been good, of good ma-
terial. Ralph Turnbull (II.) married the
second time when he was 73 years of age,
to Miss Sarah Cross. The second wife predeceased
him, dying on the 8th of November, 1898, aged 58 years.
Mrs. Sarah Reynolds-Turnbull died
October 15th, 1886, aged 63 years.
Ralph Turnbull (II.) died at the age of
86 years and 8 months, on the
14th February, 1901, at Wilberforce. They
are buried in a family grave along with
other members of his family at St. John's
cemetery, Wilberforce.
Other children of Ralph Turnbull (I) and
his wife Grace Cavanough were respective
ly:— Mary, who became firstly Mrs. James
Dunston, secondly Mrs. Gurney; Elizabeth,
who became Mrs. John Dunston; Ann who
became Mrs. Richard Cox; (this lady was
the mother of Alderman Samuel Cox, of Pitt
Town); John, who married firstly Miss
Elizabeth Arnold, and also a second time
(writer cannot just now locate the name).
Ralph Turnbull (I.) by his second wife
Mrs. Mary Ann Riley Turnbull, had the fol-
lowing children:— Eliza, Jane, Sarah, Maria
and Andrew. The second wife of Ralph
Turnbull (I.) long out-lived him. She mar-
ried also a second time, to Mr. James Fer-
ris, to whom she bore a large family. That
family removed to Grafton, N.S. Wales
where Mrs. Mary Turnbull Ferris died.
Ralph Turnbull (I.) is buried alongside his
first wife (nee Grace Cavanough) at St.
Thomas' burying ground, Sackville, where
the inscriptions read:-
Sacred to the Memory of
Mrs. GRACE TURNBULL,
Who departed this life Feby. 1st, 1828
Aged 33 years.
The other reads:-
Sacred to the Memory of
Mr. RALPH TURNBULL,
Who departed this life November 18th, 1840,
Aged 49 years.
Mr. Ralph Turnbull (I.) originally had
a grant of land which had been promised to
his father, dated 14th June, 1811, of 60
acres, adjoining the original 100 acres
Turnbull grant, the actual grant of which
was not made until just a month before
Ralph's death, the date being 21st October,
1840. However, Ralph Turnbull (I.) had a
nice grant of good land at Colo, of 100
acres, which he lived on continuously and
reared two families there. Although
the date of promise is given as 1st Decem-
ber, 1821, the grant itself was only made
on the 8th February, 1836.
Mr. Ralph Turnbull (I.) named the Colo
property 'Andale,' situate on the Colo
River, and adjoining Owen Cavanough's
(I.) grant, as the records say. It is evident
that Ralph (I.) named the place 'Anndale,'
after his mother's Christian name, but due
to lack of knowledge of spelling, the clerk
in the Surveyor-General's Department, Syd-
ney, of the time, misspelt it. I am of opin-
ion that that farm at Colo is a very histori-
cal place for many reasons, of which more
anon. I believe it to be the exact place
whereon lived Mrs. Mary Hartley (nee
Mary Turnbull, of the 'Coromandel').
Some time again I will refer to a Siletta
orange tree that is still existing on 'An-
dale,' and bearing fruit each year, though
it is over 90 years old. It was planted by
Mrs. Gurney, Ralph's eldest daughter,
Mary, when she was a mere girl.
I come now to Miss Jessica Turnbull the
second English-born daughter of the pion-
eer, whose age was one year and seven
months when Mr. and Mrs. Turnbull came
aboard the 'Coromandel' 'at Deptford on
the Thames in the year 1802. This very
good woman when she arrived at the age of
19 years married Mr. Denis Benjamin Kirwan
who had a grant of 40 acres of land
at Sackville. Tizzana vineyard and the
stone house used as a residence by Dr.
Fiaschi is in the main the actual building
erected by Mr. Kirwan. Of course there
have been many additions made to the
house by the doctor, who has also vastly
increased the original property in area by
purchase from other holders. Mr. D. B.
Kirwan had a flour mill on his grant which
was worked by a water-wheel. Grain was
brought for gristing to it by settlers from
up and down the river for many miles dis-
tant. The memory of the old mill wheel
is still mentioned by old Hawkesburyites,
but it long since is a thing of the past.
(The writer would be pleased to know of
anyone having a picture, of it.)
RALPH TURNBULL (II.),
son of the first Ralph Turnbull and Grace
Cavanough Turnbull. Born year 1815.
Died at Wilberforce 14th February, 1901,
aged 86 years and 8 months.
The writer wishes to express his thanks
to Miss M. D. Turnbull, of "Karoola," Wilberforce,
for the use of her paternal, grandfather's picture.
The writer is also largely indebted to Mrs. Lucinda Lockart,
of Windsor, for her help in many ways.

Mrs. Jessica Kirwan bore ten daughters
and two sons to Mr. Kirwan. The eldest
girl, who married a Mr. Everingham (Eliza-
beth Everingham) lived on her property
facing the river Hawkesbury at the rear of
Tizzana cellars and residence, and a large
tomb is still to be seen there wherein Mrs.
Elizabeth Everingham was buried. The
other daughters were: Diana (Mrs. Mil-
lington), Matilda Z. (Mrs. McFetridge), Ann
(Mrs. Hopkins), Phoebe (Mrs. Sanday),
Adelaide (Mrs. Thomas Cross), Victoria
(Mrs. Weldon), and three daughters named
respectively Henrietta, Harriet and Ange-
lina, who died as young women (unmar
ried). The two sons were Hiram John
Kirwin, who married a Miss Charlotte Ar-
nold; this latter couple had in all 11 chil-
dren; and Colclough Kirwan, who perished
in the bush near Blackall, Queensland; the
latter was unmarried.
Amongst the many who knew Mrs. Jessica Kirwan
in life is Mr. Hiram A. Turnbull, of Rose Bay, Sydney,
who as a lad used to carry the mail post-bag between
Windsor and Sackville. He refers to her
as a dear old lady, who used to keep some-
thing nice for him when on the trips he
arrived at her house. One of her grand-
daughter's says of Mrs. Jessica Kirwarn that
for over the period of 60 years in which
she lived in the same house, she never slept
a night from under its roof . For over 30
years Mrs. Kirwan was a widow, generally
one or more of her daughters being with
her until her death. At St. Thomas' burial
ground at Sackville, in a family grave
where the three unmarried daughters are
laid, also is a headstone which is
Sacred to the Memory of
DENIS BENJAMIN KIRWAN,
Died Octr. 15th, 1851,
Aged 57 years.
Also, to the Memory of
JESSICA KIRWAN,
(nee Jessica Turnbull)
Died April 1st, 1882,
Aged 82 years. (84. — G. G. R.)
'Waken, O Lord, our drowsy sense,
To walk this dangerous road,
And if our souls are hurried hence,
May they be found with God.
With footstones: D.B.K., 1851, and J.K.,
1882.
James Turnbull, the second English-born
son of John and Ann Turnbull, never married,
but lived in the Hawkesbury district
most of his life. He died about 1882 in
the Windsor Hospital, and is buried in the
churchyard of St. Matthew's at that town.
He must have attained the age of 85 years,
for his age was given as four years old in
the year 1802 by his parents. In a further
article I shall have more to say of James
Turnbull.
The Australia-born children of John and Mary Turnbull were John (II.) who
was the eldest of the three sons, being born
in the year 1804 at Ebenezer. John Turn-
bull (II.), like his English-born brother,
James, never married. The inscription in
the churchyard at Ebenezer in the Turn-
bull enclosure reads:-
In Memory of
JOHN TURNBULL, Junr. (II.)
Died July 2nd, 1881,
Aged 77 years.
That in memory of the pioneer, progeni-
tor and founder of the family reads: -
In Memory of
JOHN TURNBULL (I.),
Died June 7th, 1834,
Aged 86 years.
A rather misleading tablet to the pion-
eer's wife has of late years been placed on
the same gravestone. I think it should
have fully stated that her remains were
interred at St. John's, Wilberforce. From the
wording as it is now (1923) future historians
will think that Mrs. Ann Turnbull
is buried in the same enclosure, whereas it
is not so, for reasons which I have express-
ed elsewhere.
The second Australian-born son of John
and Ann Turnbull was George Turnbull,
who was born in the year 1806. He married
Miss Louisa Chaseling at Sackville Reach
chapel on October 9th, 1826, the officiating
minister being the Rev. Matthew Devenish
Meares. To this couple in course of time
were born 12 children, 6 sons and 6 daugh-
ters, one of the sons being George Turn-
bull (II.), father of Hiram A. Turnbull,
clothing manufacturer of Sydney (residing
at Rose Bay). This gentleman's father was
married to a Miss Maria Greentree. Mr.
Thomas Turnbull, of Eastwood (still on
deck) is another son of George and Louisa
Chaseling Turnbull. This gentleman is
married to Miss Elizabeth Manning, and
the couple recently celebrated their golden
wedding anniversary. Another son of
George and Louisa Chaseling Turnbull is
Mr. John Warr Turnbull, of 'Kelso,' Sack-
ville, who was married to a Miss Ann Manning.
This Mrs. Turnbull died nearly 12
months ago, and is buried at Ebenezer,
likewise also is Mr. George Turnbull (II.)
and his wife, Mrs. Maria Turnbull.
In passing it might be stated that some
of the descendants of Pioneer Turnbull
stuck to Presbyterianism, and others, nota-
bly the families of Ralph Turnbull I., II.,
and III., all embraced Church of England-
ism. In any case it is worth remarking as
a 'family psychology' of Faith originating
in the pioneers and pioneeresses particular
beliefs. It is greatly to the credit of all
those notable people that they were so
broad-minded in their Protestantism
(which of itself is almost enough).
The third Australian-born son of John
and Ann Turnbull was named William Bligh
Turnbull. He was born at Ebenezer on the
8th of June, 1809. At the age of 28 years
Mr. W. Bligh Turnbull was married at
Ebenezer Church to Miss Elizabeth Wilson,
aged 17 years. That was in the year 1838,
the officiating minister being the Rev. John
Cleland. About the month of December,
1868, Mr. William Bligh Turnbull, with
his wife and family left the Hawkesbury
and went to reside at Kempsey, on the
Macleay River, where he had purchased
a farming property. This couple had in
all a family of 11 children, 8 boys and 3
girls. W. B. Turnbull was very successful
on his farm. He died on the 11th of June,
1892, at the age of 83 years, and is buried
in Euroka cemetery, near Kempsey.

Source:
GEO. G. REEVE.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette
Friday 6 April 1923
Transcription, janilye 2014

The Pioneers of Ebenezer Church were:
Thomas Arndell and Elizabeth (Burley)
Paul Bushell and Jane (Sharp) (deceased) and Isabella (Brown)
Captain John Grono and Elizabeth (Bristow)
Owen Cavanough and Margaret (Dowling)
William Jacklin and Mary (Cardell) (deceased) and Elizabeth (Connell)
John Suddis and Isabella Suddis
Lewis Jones
James Davison and Jane ( Johnston)
George Hall and Mary (Smith)
John Howe and Frances (Ward)
Andrew Johnston and Mary (Beard)
John Johnstone and Elizabeth (Lewins)
James Mein and Susannah (Skene)
William Stubbs and Sarah (Wingate)
John Turnbull and Ann (Warr)
NOTE:
In 2006 decendant, and Australia's current Prime Minister Malcolm Bligh Turnbull donated a considerable sum towards the restoration of the Ebenezer Church