George Turnbull was born on 11 July 1698 in
Alloa, Clackmannanshire. He was the son of George Turnbull, a minister, and his wife Elizabeth, and the third of their nine children. Turnbull began his studies at the
University of Edinburgh in 1711 and started studying for a degree in
divinity in 1717, graduating MA in 1721. During his years of study in Edinburgh, he became involved with the
Rankenian Club, a circle of intellectuals, which included those who would become his closest associates:
George Young, the surgeon and
William Wishart, a preacher. At this time, Turnbull was interested in creating a rational form of Christianity, which led to his correspondence with
John Toland, and the writing of an essay in defence of religious toleration which was never published. Turnbull was made regent at
Marischal College, Aberdeen, on 14 April 1721. His two graduation theses were
De scientiae naturalis cum philosophia morali conjunctione from 1723 and
De pulcherrima mundi cum materialis tum rationalis constitutione from 1726. These two works indicate that he was the first Scottish thinker to publish writings that argued for the use of the so-called
Newtonian method in constructing a
moral philosophy. Turnbull also drew heavily on the ideas of
Lord Shaftesbury. Although this might be taken to indicate a preoccupation with the scholarship of his time, Turnbull showed great fondness for the classical moralists of antiquity. , who played an integral part in the
Scottish Enlightenment. Although Turnbull was a popular teacher and exerted lasting influence on pupils such as
Thomas Reid, he nevertheless decided to leave Marischal. He sought a position elsewhere and had disputes with the principal of the college,
Thomas Blackwell. Turnbull left the college without prior leave and went to serve as tutor to the Udney family. In 1727 he formally resigned. After his resignation, he took on tutoring jobs and travelled on the Continent of Europe. He then received a degree from the University of Edinburgh. At this point, Turnbull decided that he might seek employment in the
Anglican church, and matriculated at
Exeter College, Oxford, in 1733 and received a BCL degree. Financial difficulties forced Turnbull to resume tutoring, and with some misgivings he spent 2 years in Italy, tutoring the son of Lord Rockingham. In 1737 he used his connections with
Thomas Birch to secure his ordination by the
bishop of Winchester. This precipitated his entry into court circles and in 1741 he was made chaplain to the
Prince of Wales. A year later, Turnbull was granted the position of rector of
Drumachose by the bishop of
Derry and became the tutor of
Horace Walpole in 1744. ==Works==