| Notes |
- He was was Factor to Lord Minto circa 1735
Thomas Turnbull (No. II) was evidently a man of more than ordinary ability and of sound judgment, and to these was united the gift of management. He was factor to Lord Minto, farmed Minto Cleughhead, and managed the estate of Haming and of North Sinton for Lord Alemoor. During that time a large number of hedges were planted, together with plantations to shelter the land from the prevailing south-west wind. Archibald Dickson supplied both the thorns and the young trees. Even with all these numerous calls upon his energies, he found time to give help in the prosperity of Hawick. He, together with Mr. Elliott of Borthwickbrae and Mr. Elliot of Ormiston, was instrumental in starting a carpet manufactory in Hawick in 1769. This was the precursor of the tweed trade of that town.
In the middle of the eighteenth century, when money was scarce and banks almost unknown in the rural districts, moneyed men used to do a bit of banking on their own account. Thomas Turnbull seems to have done so. He lent money to William Kerr of Abbotrule, Thomas Scott of Stonedge, Henry Elliot of Harrot, Douglas of Cavers, Gideon Scott of Falnash, and Lord Minto. He also bought the farm of Catshawhill for £1100, and after keeping it for a few Years sold it to William Small for £2000. I son Gilbert, who was educated as a surgeon and joined the H.E.I.C.S., was inclined to be extravagant. He was in the habit of sending in his bills to his father for payment for several years, and the old man paid them with nothing more than an occasional grumble. But at last one item for which he sent in a bill for payment, viz, two pipes of Madeira, was more than even the good-natured father could stand, and his purse-strings were tied up thereafter.
Thomas Turnbull married for his second wife Esther, daughter of James Douglas in the Trows, of which his family were at one time lairds, and I have heard it said that they also owned Earlside. This must have been at an early date, as I saw a deed among the Cavers papers of date 1720, where James Douglas is designed as a tenant in Trows and lends Archibald Douglas of Cavers one thousand merks Scots. Douglas of Trowes an illegitimate son of the Cavers family. By Esther Douglas, Thomas Turnbull had a daughter Esther, who married Thomas Scott of Peel and tenant of Lethem. This old Border family still flourishes, and is now represented by John Robson-Scott of Newton. Thomas Turnbull about 1760 obtained a lease on Burnfoot and Buccleuch, and Miss Turnbull, one of the family, still resides at Burnfoot, near Hawick (1906).4
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1706 - 1774 (68 years)