Here is more accurate research about her:
Gracia Maria Robin of Smyrna (1736 - 1789) Wife of Turnbull
Here's another interesting bit of information. I never realized Turnbull's wife was French. I always thought she was Greek and that her religion was Greek Orthodox. The information contained at the bottom of the article is about Turnbull from a book published in the 1920's I think. It's filled with inaccuracies, so be careful.
SORRY - THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE POSTED APPARENTLY HAS PROBLEMS. SO I DID A COPY AND PASTE.
by Mavi Boncuk:
Gracia Maria Robin was the daughter of a wealthy French merchant, Jean Baptiste Robin, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, in what is now Turkey. Her name has erroneously been recorded in places as Dura Bin, a mis-transcription of 'du Robin'. She married Dr. Andrew Turnbull,[1]former British Consul at Smyrna, who organized the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World by founding New Smyrnea, Florida, named in honor of Gracia's birthplace. New Smyrna, Florida Colony, founded in 1768, encompassed some 101,400 acres (410 km2).[2]
It was reported that besides the Greeks living in Greece, and in Asia Minor, there were many Greeks settled in Menorca, and that the English felt the Turkish rulers of Greece would not object if the English enticed Greeks to leave their homeland for a new country and in hopes of a better life.
Gracia Maria Robin was born in Smyrna, Turkey in 1736. She is the daughter of Jean Baptiste Robin and Katerina Jary.
Her birth name has been recorded in places as 'Dura Bin', which has since been clarified as being an incorrect transcription from audio, of 'du Robin'. The family were French Levantines.
Gracia married Dr Andrew Turnbull (1718 - 1792), a Scottish physician on 22 Aug 1753 in Smyrna, (Izmir) Turkey and they had 12 children, 9 of them born in Turkey.
They migrated to the colony of British East Florida in 1768 where her husband established the colony of New Smyrna with 1300 Greek settlers. Three of their children were born here and the colony was occupied until 1777. Gracia is regarded in the United States as having been Greek. She did have some Greek ancestry and almost certainly spoke English, French, Greek and Italian. Tge Levantine Community in Turkey was very cosmopolitan. No details have been found for her Greek ancestors and her parents were regarded as French.
Gracia and her husband and family moved to St Augustine on the north east coast of Florida and then to Charleston, South Carolina where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Gracia died in 1798 and is buried in St Philip's churchyard in Charleston.
[1] Panagopoulos, E. P. "The Background of the Greek Settlers in the New Smyrna Colony." The Florida Historical Quarterly 35, no. 2 (1956): 95-115.
[2] The British only owned Florida for a brief moment (1763-1783), but during that time they did take a stab at turning the territory into a productive colony. In 1764, the British Parliament set aside £500 (British pounds sterling) as a bounty for cultivating silk, cotton, and indigo in East Florida, and authorized generous land grants for citizens who stepped forward to develop these industries.
Gracia Maria Robin of Smyrna (1736 - 1789) Wife of Turnbull
Here's another interesting bit of information. I never realized Turnbull's wife was French. I always thought she was Greek and that her religion was Greek Orthodox. The information contained at the bottom of the article is about Turnbull from a book published in the 1920's I think. It's filled with inaccuracies, so be careful.
SORRY - THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE POSTED APPARENTLY HAS PROBLEMS. SO I DID A COPY AND PASTE.
by Mavi Boncuk:
Gracia Maria Robin was the daughter of a wealthy French merchant, Jean Baptiste Robin, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, in what is now Turkey. Her name has erroneously been recorded in places as Dura Bin, a mis-transcription of 'du Robin'. She married Dr. Andrew Turnbull,[1]former British Consul at Smyrna, who organized the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World by founding New Smyrnea, Florida, named in honor of Gracia's birthplace. New Smyrna, Florida Colony, founded in 1768, encompassed some 101,400 acres (410 km2).[2]
It was reported that besides the Greeks living in Greece, and in Asia Minor, there were many Greeks settled in Menorca, and that the English felt the Turkish rulers of Greece would not object if the English enticed Greeks to leave their homeland for a new country and in hopes of a better life.
Gracia Maria Robin was born in Smyrna, Turkey in 1736. She is the daughter of Jean Baptiste Robin and Katerina Jary.
Her birth name has been recorded in places as 'Dura Bin', which has since been clarified as being an incorrect transcription from audio, of 'du Robin'. The family were French Levantines.
Gracia married Dr Andrew Turnbull (1718 - 1792), a Scottish physician on 22 Aug 1753 in Smyrna, (Izmir) Turkey and they had 12 children, 9 of them born in Turkey.
They migrated to the colony of British East Florida in 1768 where her husband established the colony of New Smyrna with 1300 Greek settlers. Three of their children were born here and the colony was occupied until 1777. Gracia is regarded in the United States as having been Greek. She did have some Greek ancestry and almost certainly spoke English, French, Greek and Italian. Tge Levantine Community in Turkey was very cosmopolitan. No details have been found for her Greek ancestors and her parents were regarded as French.
Gracia and her husband and family moved to St Augustine on the north east coast of Florida and then to Charleston, South Carolina where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Gracia died in 1798 and is buried in St Philip's churchyard in Charleston.
[1] Panagopoulos, E. P. "The Background of the Greek Settlers in the New Smyrna Colony." The Florida Historical Quarterly 35, no. 2 (1956): 95-115.
[2] The British only owned Florida for a brief moment (1763-1783), but during that time they did take a stab at turning the territory into a productive colony. In 1764, the British Parliament set aside £500 (British pounds sterling) as a bounty for cultivating silk, cotton, and indigo in East Florida, and authorized generous land grants for citizens who stepped forward to develop these industries.
Here is more accurate research about her:
Gracia Maria Robin of Smyrna (1736 - 1789) Wife of Turnbull
Here's another interesting bit of information. I never realized Turnbull's wife was French. I always thought she was Greek and that her religion was Greek Orthodox. The information contained at the bottom of the article is about Turnbull from a book published in the 1920's I think. It's filled with inaccuracies, so be careful.
SORRY - THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE POSTED APPARENTLY HAS PROBLEMS. SO I DID A COPY AND PASTE.
by Mavi Boncuk:
Gracia Maria Robin was the daughter of a wealthy French merchant, Jean Baptiste Robin, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, in what is now Turkey. Her name has erroneously been recorded in places as Dura Bin, a mis-transcription of 'du Robin'. She married Dr. Andrew Turnbull,[1]former British Consul at Smyrna, who organized the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World by founding New Smyrnea, Florida, named in honor of Gracia's birthplace. New Smyrna, Florida Colony, founded in 1768, encompassed some 101,400 acres (410 km2).[2]
It was reported that besides the Greeks living in Greece, and in Asia Minor, there were many Greeks settled in Menorca, and that the English felt the Turkish rulers of Greece would not object if the English enticed Greeks to leave their homeland for a new country and in hopes of a better life.
Gracia Maria Robin was born in Smyrna, Turkey in 1736. She is the daughter of Jean Baptiste Robin and Katerina Jary.
Her birth name has been recorded in places as 'Dura Bin', which has since been clarified as being an incorrect transcription from audio, of 'du Robin'. The family were French Levantines.
Gracia married Dr Andrew Turnbull (1718 - 1792), a Scottish physician on 22 Aug 1753 in Smyrna, (Izmir) Turkey and they had 12 children, 9 of them born in Turkey.
They migrated to the colony of British East Florida in 1768 where her husband established the colony of New Smyrna with 1300 Greek settlers. Three of their children were born here and the colony was occupied until 1777. Gracia is regarded in the United States as having been Greek. She did have some Greek ancestry and almost certainly spoke English, French, Greek and Italian. Tge Levantine Community in Turkey was very cosmopolitan. No details have been found for her Greek ancestors and her parents were regarded as French.
Gracia and her husband and family moved to St Augustine on the north east coast of Florida and then to Charleston, South Carolina where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Gracia died in 1798 and is buried in St Philip's churchyard in Charleston.
[1] Panagopoulos, E. P. "The Background of the Greek Settlers in the New Smyrna Colony." The Florida Historical Quarterly 35, no. 2 (1956): 95-115.
[2] The British only owned Florida for a brief moment (1763-1783), but during that time they did take a stab at turning the territory into a productive colony. In 1764, the British Parliament set aside £500 (British pounds sterling) as a bounty for cultivating silk, cotton, and indigo in East Florida, and authorized generous land grants for citizens who stepped forward to develop these industries.
Gracia Maria Robin of Smyrna (1736 - 1789) Wife of Turnbull
Here's another interesting bit of information. I never realized Turnbull's wife was French. I always thought she was Greek and that her religion was Greek Orthodox. The information contained at the bottom of the article is about Turnbull from a book published in the 1920's I think. It's filled with inaccuracies, so be careful.
SORRY - THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE POSTED APPARENTLY HAS PROBLEMS. SO I DID A COPY AND PASTE.
by Mavi Boncuk:
Gracia Maria Robin was the daughter of a wealthy French merchant, Jean Baptiste Robin, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, in what is now Turkey. Her name has erroneously been recorded in places as Dura Bin, a mis-transcription of 'du Robin'. She married Dr. Andrew Turnbull,[1]former British Consul at Smyrna, who organized the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World by founding New Smyrnea, Florida, named in honor of Gracia's birthplace. New Smyrna, Florida Colony, founded in 1768, encompassed some 101,400 acres (410 km2).[2]
It was reported that besides the Greeks living in Greece, and in Asia Minor, there were many Greeks settled in Menorca, and that the English felt the Turkish rulers of Greece would not object if the English enticed Greeks to leave their homeland for a new country and in hopes of a better life.
Gracia Maria Robin was born in Smyrna, Turkey in 1736. She is the daughter of Jean Baptiste Robin and Katerina Jary.
Her birth name has been recorded in places as 'Dura Bin', which has since been clarified as being an incorrect transcription from audio, of 'du Robin'. The family were French Levantines.
Gracia married Dr Andrew Turnbull (1718 - 1792), a Scottish physician on 22 Aug 1753 in Smyrna, (Izmir) Turkey and they had 12 children, 9 of them born in Turkey.
They migrated to the colony of British East Florida in 1768 where her husband established the colony of New Smyrna with 1300 Greek settlers. Three of their children were born here and the colony was occupied until 1777. Gracia is regarded in the United States as having been Greek. She did have some Greek ancestry and almost certainly spoke English, French, Greek and Italian. Tge Levantine Community in Turkey was very cosmopolitan. No details have been found for her Greek ancestors and her parents were regarded as French.
Gracia and her husband and family moved to St Augustine on the north east coast of Florida and then to Charleston, South Carolina where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Gracia died in 1798 and is buried in St Philip's churchyard in Charleston.
[1] Panagopoulos, E. P. "The Background of the Greek Settlers in the New Smyrna Colony." The Florida Historical Quarterly 35, no. 2 (1956): 95-115.
[2] The British only owned Florida for a brief moment (1763-1783), but during that time they did take a stab at turning the territory into a productive colony. In 1764, the British Parliament set aside £500 (British pounds sterling) as a bounty for cultivating silk, cotton, and indigo in East Florida, and authorized generous land grants for citizens who stepped forward to develop these industries.
Inscription
Dedicated to the eternal memory of Maria Gracia Dura Bin Turnbull
The daughter of a Greek merchant from Smyna, Asia Minor. The first Greek woman to settle in North American, who, with her husband, Dr. Andrew Turnbull, established the colony of New Smyna, Florida on June 26, 1768. She, her husband and children moved to Charleston, South Carolina May 13, 1782
ERECTED BY PLATO CHAPTER NO. 4
ORDER OF AHEPA during the observance of Greek Ethnic Month of the Bicentennial May 11, 1974
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