collection - John Turnbull records

John S. Turnbull was a merchant, municipal official and land owner in Belleville and Hastings County, Ontario. Turnbull was a dealer in dry goods, groceries, hardware, crockery, and country produce. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1793 and died in Belleville in January 1869.

He was also in influential member of Belleville society as both a civic leader and elected official. He was appointed Treasurer of the County of Hastings in 1838, and was elected to the municipal council as a representative for Ketcheson Ward n 1853.

Turnbull helped organize the first Sunday School in Belleville in 1822 with assistance from Dr. Anthony Marshall, and Doctor George Cooper. In addition to this, he also was instrumental in bringing the Presbyterian Church to Belleville. In 1821, Turnbull helped arrange a land grant of one acre on the east side of church street on lots 30 and 31. This land would be the home of the St. Andrew's Church and cemetery in 1831.

Turnbull was also in possession of lucrative property holdings. The John Turnbull Building downtown Belleville is the most recognized. It sits at 207 A to 211 Front Street on Lot 24 on the east side of the street. His properties in the city of Belleville include: Lot 38, east side of Pinnacle St.; Lot 5; Lots 9 and 10; Lots 18 and 19; Lot 24; Lot 28. In Rawdon, he owned: Lot 1, Concession 11; Lot 1, Concession 13; Lot 4, Concession 14; Lot 5, Concession 13; Lots 12 and 13, Concession 13; Lot 18, Concession 13; as well as Lots 16 and 24. He was also the owner of Lot 18, Concession 6 and Lot 6, Concession 11 in Madoc; Lot 9 in Richmond; Lot 35, Concession 5 in Tyendinega; and Lot 19, Concession 1 in Hungerford.

John Turnbull built what is known as the Turnbull-Campbell Villa in the 1850s. It was built for his daughter Charlotte Turnbull and used to stand at 23A Charlotte Street.