How Turbut Township Got It's Name (And Turbotville Too)

Turbut Township, as shown on the 1858 Map, was considerably smaller than the original 2075 acres surveyed for Turbut Francis 90 years prior.

 Both Turbotville  (Originally Turbutville) and Turbut Township in Milton were named for Col Turbut Francis, a man from Philadelphia who although was stationed at Fort Augusta, never settled in the area.  Francis received more than 2,000 acres for his service in the French and Indian War, specifically in Pontiac's Rebellion.  His original tract stretched from Northumberland to the Muncy Hills.  Francis deeded a section of his land, known as "Soldiers Retreat" south of current day Turbotville, with plans to eventually make his home there.  

Married to the only daughter of wealthy Philadelphia merchant Samuel Mifflin, Francis' father in law asked him to change his name to Mifflin, to continue the family line.  Francis refused, but gave all of his children the middle name of Mifflin. His son, Samuel Mifflin Francis later dropped his Francis surname in order to inherit his grandfathers  estate.   A portrait of Francis' daughter Rebecca Mifflin Francis, posed with her grandmother and  painted by Charles Peale, hangs in the Metropolitan Museum Of Art.

On November 13th 1789, Col. Turbut Francis' will was appraised, and his real estate was found insufficient to satisfy the debt.  The land upon which Milton stands was ordered to be sold.  Part of the land was sold in a sheriffs sale, purchased by Andrew Straub, and another investor.  Straub, a miller from Lancaster County, would built the first mill, giving the land the name of Mill Town, now Milton.

How Turbut Francis Came To Own Much Of The West Branch Valley

In 1763, after Britain's victory in the French & Indian war, the British government acquired all of France's colonies in North America. This created fear among American Indians of the Ohio Country, due to the large and increasing number of British colonists in North America. While the French were in North America, the American Indians could count on them for military assistance against the British as well as a steady supply of guns and ammunition thanks to the fur trade. With the French gone from North America, the Ohio Country American Indians situation had become precarious, at best.

An Odawa leader by the name of Pontiac is credited with an uprising, an effort to drive British settlers out of the region. This conflict is known as Pontiac's War.  It began in May of 1763, with eight forts destroyed and hundreds of colonists killed or captured. 

Henry Bouquet was in command of Fort Pitt at the beginning of Pontiac's War in 1763, but in Philadelphia at the time. He organized and led the expedition to relieve the beleaguered post, culminating in his victory over the Native American forces at Bushy Run and the relief of Fort Pitt. 

One of the officers serving under Boquet was Col. Turbut Francis.  Turbut Francis  was born in  in Philadelphia, the son of Tench Francis and Elizabeth Turbut. Tench Francis had been a  prominent lawyer and jurist in colonial Maryland and Philadelphia.  He succeeded Andrew Hamilton as the Attorney-General of  Pennsylvania, serving from 1741-1755.  

 In 1764, Francis and other officers, on their way back east, the officers of the First and Second Battalion "tarried at Bedford" and formed an association, organized "so that they may be awarded the land for which they were entitled for service rendered."

On April 30 1765, the association met again at Carlisle, where they elected officers and renewed their application for land.  They asked for twenty-four thousand acres along the West Branch of the Susquehanna.

At the time, the land had not yet been purchased from the Indians. It was not until  November of 1768, Governor Penn attended a council with the Six Nations tries.  A treaty was made, settling the boundary dispute.  The Indians sold, to the proprietors of Pennsylvania, most of the central and western end of the state, excepting a small strip along Lake Erie.

With the land along the west branch now owned by Pennsylvania, the board of property declared that "Colonel Francis and the officers of the First and Second Battalions  of the Pennsylvania Regiment be allowed to take up 24,000 acres, to be divided among them in distinct surveys on the waters of the West Branch of the Susquehanna, to be seated with a family for each three hundred acres within two years from the time of the survey, paying five pounds sterling silver per acre."

Near the end of February 1769, many of the officers met at Fort Augusta, where Col Francis was stationed.  The officers made the following decisions:
 

• One of the tracts should be surveyed on the West Branch , adjoining Andrew Montour's place on Chilisquaque Creek
• One Tract should be surveyed in Buffalo Valley
• Captain Plunkett, Brady, Piper and Lieutenant Askey should accompany Samuel Maclay to Buffalo Valley
• Captain Hunter & Irvine should accompany William Scull to the eastern side of the river, as the surveys were made.
• Once the surveys were made, it was determined that the third tract, of 8000 acres, should be surveyed on Bald Eagle Creek.  Captains Hunter, Brady and Piper were appointed to accompany Charles Lukens as he made the survey.

The men then all met at Harris Ferry on May 16 1768.  Maclay, Scull, and Lukens laid out the respective surveys.  They agreed that Col. Turbut Francis should receive his share, 2075 acres, surveyed to him in one tract.

Francis selected land, "upon which Milton is now the center".  He "acquired by purchase the land from Chillisquaque Creek to and including the present town of Northumberland, and then owned in a continuous strip from the North Branch to a point near Watsontown, a distance of 18 miles along the West Branch.  This made him one of the most extensive land owners of that time."

On September 7 1770, Turbot Francis married Sarah Mifflin.  The two had three children: Rebecca Mifflin Francis, Tench Mifflin Francis, and Samuel Mifflin Francis. 

Sarah Mifflin was the only daughter of Samuel Mifflin, a wealthy merchant and staunch patriot who donated large sums to help fund George Washington's Army.  Desperate to keep the Mifflin name alive, Samuel asked Turbut to change his name to Turbot Mifflin.  Turbot refused, but did give each of his children the middle name of Mifflin. When Samuel died, his will left his estate to his grandson Samuel on the condition that Samuel drop the Francis surname and use his first and middle name, Samuel Mifflin, which Samuel did.

In 1772 Francis was commissioned by the Governor to be one of the first justices in the new county of Northumberland Pennsylvania.  

The Miltonian published the Turbot Township Annals on their front page in 1871.  The annals were reprinted in the Sunbury Gazette on Janu 21 1871. Those annals record that Turbot Township was laid out in 1772, the same year Francis was commissioned as a justice.  The township, at that time, included all of the land on the east side of the river from Fort Augusta to the Muncy Hills.

A few Mingo Indians still resided around the ground where Milton now stands, and along the limestone ridge and limestone run.  Shawnee Indians resided between Muddy Run and Warrior Run, and Delaware Indians lived above present day Watsontown. Muncy Indians were still in the area of the Muncy Hills, "in considerable numbers". Other Indian tribes "lingered at and around" Chilisquaque Creek and Montour Ridge. All of the Indians were "more or less friendly to our white settlers of Turbot Township".

Turbot Township originally included a large portion of land now forming a part of Montour County.
In 1786 the township was divided into three townships: Turbut, Chillisquaque, and Point.
Some years later, Turbut township was divided further into Turbut, Lewis, and Delaware Townships.
On March 10 1774, "Col Turbut Francis received a patent from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn for 2775 aces of land in Turbut township, at, around, and including the mouth of the Limestone Run where the town of Milton now stands."

He received a deed from John Penn for 1140 acres of land on Chillisquaque Creek, on December 13th of the same year.  These lands were described on the deed as "Soldiers Retreat".  It's thought that Turbut planned to build his retreat here, a home for once he concluded his life as a soldier, once the wars with the Indians and British had ended.

A year later, in 1773, Francis returned to Philadelphia.  In 1775, Francis was elected by the Continental Congress as a commissioner for Indian affairs.

Turbot Francis never settled on his own land.  The first white settlers in the are now known as Milton, owned by Turbut Francis, were Marcus Huling and his son Marcus Huling Jr.  Marcus Sr built a log cabin tavern at the mouth of Limestone Run in 1774, and his son built a blacksmiths shop at the location of what today is the Milton Realty building, around the same time.

The Hulings later sold out to George McCandish.  In 1779 Fort Freeland was attacked and burnt to the ground, causing most of the settlers to flee the area.  Fort Swartz, a small log fort, was then  constructed along the river bank about a mile above Milton,  in 1780. It was garrisoned with 20 soldiers to protect the returning settlers.  Fort Rice, sometimes referred to as Fort Montgomery, was also constructed to the north east.  Fort Rice still stands today. (See more about it here)

On November 13th 1789, Col. Turbut Francis' will was appraised, and his real estate was found insufficient to satisfy the debt.  The land upon which Milton stands was ordered to be sold.

On  March 10 of 1790, 200 acres in Turbot Township were sold in a Sheriffs sale.  The lands were bounded on the east by Jas. Jenkins, on the West by the River, and on the south by Neol Davis.

The property, in the possession of Henry Lobo, was sold as the property of Turbut Francis, deceased.  The land was purchased by Andrew Straub and Christian Yentser. A year later, march 11 1791, Yentzler sold his interest to Straub, a millwright from Lancaster county.

In 1792, Straub laid out the town of Milton, which then only included the land between Ferry Lane and Broadway.

 On July 2, 1792, Joseph Marr purchased from the widow of Turbut Francis a tract of land, one mile square, a part of the tract known as the "Colonel's Reward," lying on the east bank of the west branch of the Susquehanna river, embracing the northern part of what is now Milton, including the three farms north of that place. For this land he paid "four pounds per acre lawful money of Pennsylvania and a negro girl at the price of thirty pounds."  He settled on the property in 1793 and immediately built a 

stone house beautifully situated on the banks of the river. 

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Find more local stories and history here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

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READ MORE
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Rebecca Mifflin Francis, daughter of Turbut Francis,  had her portrait painted, along with her grandmother Rebecca (Edgill) Mifflin, by the artist Charles Willson Peale, who is know for his paintings of George Washington, as well as for establishing one of the first museums in the United States.  The painting of Rebecca with her grandmother hangs in the metropolitan museum of art.

• On February 3rd 1769, Col. Turbot Francis and officers of the First and Second Battalion Pennsylvania Regiments took the title to 24,000 acres of land on the West Branch of the Susquehanna.  The grand included what is now the town of Milton.
• May 26 1769 - Governor Penn advised Col. Turbut Francis at Fort Augusta of encroachment by 500 Connecticut settlers upon the residents of the Wyoming Valley
• August 16 1769 Colonel Turbut Francis conducted important Indian treaty at Fort Augusta
• On March 10 1774, Col. Turbot Francis received a patent for 1775 acres of land from Thomas and Richard Penn

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MARR FAMILY, genealogy of the Pennsylvania branch.  Joseph Marr was one of 

the pioneers of Turbut township, Northumberland Co., Pa. He was born in 

Northampton county, Pa., June 15, 1750, the son of Lawrence Marr, supposed to 

have come to America from Scotland in the early part of the year 1700, who 

settled in Upper Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., Pa., died (aged ninety 

years) and was buried there.  On July 2, 1792, Joseph Marr purchased from the 

widow of Turbut Francis a tract of land, one mile square, a part of the tract 

known as the "Colonel's Reward," lying on the east bank of the west branch of the Susquehanna river, embracing the northern part of what is now 

Milton, including the three farms north of that place. For this land he paid 

"four pounds per acre lawful money of Pennsylvania and a negro girl at the price 

of thirty pounds."  He settled on the property in 1793 and immediately built a 

stone house beautifully situated on the banks of the river. It is still 

standing. In later years it was purchased from the family of Alem Marr, his son, 

by Moses Chamberlin. Joseph Marr died Sept. 18, 1796, aged forty-six years, and 

was buried in what was then the Marr burying ground, where the Lincoln street 

schoolhouse stands. Later his remains were removed to the upper cemetery, where 

they now rest. Mr. Marr was an earnest and consistent member of the Episcopal 

Church, in his day called the Church of England.  On Aug. 18, 1794, he and his 

wife Susanna gave a tract of land, in Church lane, adjoining Upper Milton, to 

the trustees of the Episcopal congregation for burial and church purposes.  He 

was one of the founders of the church of that denomination and the prime mover 

in the erection of the first church of that faith in Northumberland county.  The 

church as an organized body dates back to 1793. 

-Floyd's Northumberland County Genealogy Pages 296 thru 320

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JOSEPH MARR was one of the pioneers of Turbut township, Northumberland county, the site of his home being now embraced in the borough of Milton. He was born, June 15, 1750, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, where he married Susannah Frampton of the same county, born April 27, 1754. In 1792 he purchased three hundred seventy-nine acres of land from the widow of Turbutt Francis, a part of a tract known as "Colonel's Reward," lying on the east bank of the West Branch, immediately north of Milton. It must have been well improved property, as he paid at the rate of four pounds per acre for it. In 1793 he settled upon his purchase, where he died, September 3, 1796; his widow survived him until December 27, 1826. They were the parents of six children: Mary, who married Robert Martin; Hannah, who became the wife of William Hull; David, who died, February 14, 1819; William, who died, December 18, 1823; Joseph, who died, October 5, 1804, and Alem, who became quite a prominent lawyer and politician and served two terms in Congress. - Bells History Of Northumberland County

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In 1764 British Army expeditions led to peace negotiations, and although the Native Americans were unable to drive away the British, the British government did modify the policies that had lead to the conflict. 

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Bouquet's Expedition - from Ohio History Central

 http://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Bouquet%27s_Expedition

Colonel Henry Bouquet led an expedition into the Ohio country to put down a American Indian uprising that later came to be called Pontiac's Rebellion.

In 1763, Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawa, successfully united many of the American Indian peoples in the Ohio Country. His goal was to drive British settlers, traders, and soldiers from the Ohio Country. Pontiac's Rebellion, as it became known, was a direct result of the French and Indian War. In 1763, after Britain's victory in the war, the British government acquired all of France's colonies in North America. This created fear among American Indians of the Ohio Country, due to the large and increasing number of British colonists in North America. While the French were in North America, the American Indians could count on them for military assistance against the British as well as a steady supply of guns and ammunition thanks to the fur trade. With the French gone from North America, the Ohio Country American Indian situation had become precarious at best.

The first year of Pontiac's Rebellion went badly for the British. The American Indians drove most British settlers from the Ohio Country. Britain's two most important fortresses west of the Appalachian Mountains, Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt, nearly fell. The confederated American Indians successfully captured Fort Sandusky and murdered the entire garrison.

In the autumn of 1764, the British military went on the offensive. Colonel Henry Bouquet, the commander of Fort Pitt, led a force of nearly 1,500 militiamen and regular soldiers from the fort into the heart of the Ohio Country in October. Bouquet's force moved westward slowly. He had no intention of surprising the American Indians. He hoped to avoid battle altogether by convincing the American Indians that they had no chance against the sizable number of British soldiers. Bouquet had every intention of destroying American Indian villages -- especially those of the Lenape (Delaware) and the Seneca-Cayuga, in eastern Ohio -- unless they surrendered and agreed to all of the colonel's demands.

On October 13, Bouquet's army reached the Tuscarawas River. Shortly thereafter the Shawnee, the Ohio Seneca-Cayuga, and the Lenape (Delaware) informed Bouquet that they were ready for peace. They promised to return all English captives in their possession if the British spared their villages. Bouquet initially rejected the offer but then agreed to consider it. On October 20, he informed the confederation that English citizens demanded vengeance for the American Indians' actions. He claimed that he would do all in his power to restrain them as long as the American Indians returned all captives, including English and French men, women, and children, as well as any African Americans, within twelve days. They must also provide the freed prisoners with ample food, clothing, and horses to make the trek back to Fort Pitt. The American Indians agreed to all conditions, but fearing that they would renege on the agreement, Bouquet moved his army from the Tuscarawas River to the Muskingum River at modern-day Coshocton. This placed him in the heart of Indian Territory and would allow him to quickly strike the natives' villages if they refused to cooperate.

Over the next several weeks, the American Indians brought in their captives. Eventually more than two hundred were returned to Bouquet. Several of the freed prisoners welcomed the opportunity to return to their past lives. But many had become so accustomed to American Indian practices that they did everything in their power to escape Bouquet's grasp, including running away on the march back to Fort Pitt. Some even tried to return to the Ohio Country and American Indian culture after returning to their white families. Bouquet also required the Shawnee, Delaware, and Seneca to turn over two hostages apiece. The British would detain these men until a formal peace treaty was signed in the spring of 1765 and until the American Indians returned all of their captives. In return, Bouquet promised not to destroy American Indians villages or seize any of their land. Bouquet's army left for Fort Pitt on November 18. His campaign became known as Bouquet's Expedition.

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The Miltonian published the Turbot Township Annals on their front page in 1871.  The annals were reprinted in the Sunbury Gazette on Janu 21 1871.

Those annals record that Turbot Township was laid out in 1772.  The township, at that time, included all of the land on the east side of the river from Fort Augusta to the Muncy Hills.
A few Mingo Indians still resided around the ground where Milton now stands, and along the limestone ridge and limestone run.  Shawnee Indians resided between Muddy Run and Warrior Run, and Delaware Indians lived above present day Wastontown. Muncy Indians were still in the area of the Muncy Hills, "in considerable numbers". Other Indian tribes "lingered at and around" Chilisquaque Creek and Montour Ridge. All of the Indians were "more or less friendly to our white settlers of Turbot Township".

Turbot Township originally included a large portion of land now forming a part of Montour County.
In 1786 the township was divided into three townships: Turbut, Chillisquaque, and Point.
Some years later, Turbut township was divided further into Turbut, Lewis, and Delaware Townships.
On March 10 1774, "Col Turbutt Francis received a patent from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn for 2775 acfed of land in Turbut township, at, around, and including the mouth of the Limestone Run where the town of Milton now stands."

He received a deed from John Penn for 1140 acres of land on Chillisquaque Creek, on December 13th of the same year.  These lands were described on the deed as "Soldiers Retreat".  It's thought that Turbut planned to build his retreat here, a home for once he concluded his life as a soldier, once the wars with the Indians and British had ended.