The late John Turnbull. 403 



early age of twenty-one passed as a Writer to the Signet. He 

 entered at once on the duties of his profession, which in partner- 

 ship with his father and brother, he discharged for upwards of 

 fifty years, having to the last taken an active interest in the 

 business of the firm. His life was a happy combination of the 

 active man of business and the country gentleman. 



As a man of business Mr Turnbull had few equals. To a 

 sound judgment he added great quickness of apprehension and 

 power of mastering and marshalling details ; and his knowledge 

 of law — especially of feuda,! conveyancing — was both wide and 

 accurate. Although his assiduity was untiring, he was not one 

 who grasped at business. He regarded his professional work, 

 not as a mere means of making money, but as a dutj'^ to be per- 

 formed to the best of his ability. To those who were most 

 closely connected with him in business, two characteristics were 

 especially noticeable : — first the pleasure he took in his work ; 

 he was probably never happier than when grappling with an 

 intricate progress of titles; — and secondly the absoluteness with 

 which he subordinated his own interests to those of his clients. 

 There are many alive who remember with gratitude great 

 professional services rendered by him gratuitously, or for a 

 merely nominal charge. Mr Turnbull was also for many years a 

 Director of the Commercial Bank of Scotland and the Caledonian 

 Insurance Company, and his place on these Boards will not easily 

 be filled. 



" Mr Turnbull took great delight in his beautiful property of 

 Abbey St. Bathans, where he was wont to go at the end of his 

 week's work. He from time to time added largely to the pro- 

 perty, and showed much skill and taste in turning to the best 

 advantage its great natural beauties. As a country gentleman 

 he was a liberal and considerate landlord, and he was inde- 

 fatigable in the discharge of County and Parochial duties. A 

 member of the various Boards of more than one parish, there 

 was seldom a meeting so unimportant that he did not find time 

 to attend it ; while for many years the chief burden of county 

 business in Berwickshire was borne by him. 



" It fell to his lot to be intrusted with the duty of introducing 

 into the county the provisions of the two most important Acts 

 regarding county government of recent times. When the Roads 

 and Bridges Act of 1878 came into operation, he was appointed 

 Chairman of the new Eoad Board ; and again when the Local 



