Biography of Daubigny Turberville 1612-1696
In 1612 Daubigny Turberville was born to George Turbeville of Wayford in Somerset.
After 1612 Daubigny Turberville and Ann Ford were married.
On 15 Oct 1635 Daubigny Turberville (age 23) took his Bachelor of Arts.
In Apr 1646 Exeter, Devon [Map] was besieged by Parliamentary forces. Elizabeth Villiers Countess Morton (age 37) with the infant Princess Henrietta Stewart Duchess Orléans (age 1) escaped incognito to France.
Daubigny Turberville (age 34) fought for the King. He and a friend ran in debt £100 each, "in chalk behind the door; he told me that his landlord came into their chamber, leading his daughter by the hand, and courteously proffered to cancel the debts of either of us who should marry her." Turberville "valiantly resisted this temptation and chose rather to pay his debts in ready money, which he did shortly after; the other accepted the terms, and had his wife's portion presently paid him, viz., his scores wiped out with a wet dishclout." Source. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY SEPTEMBER, 1926.
On 07 Aug 1660 Daubigny Turberville (age 48) took his Masters Degree.
Pepy's Diary. 22 Jun 1668. Thence with him to my Lord Brouncker's (age 48), where a Council of the Royall Society; and there heard Mr. Harry Howard's (age 39) noble offers about ground for our College, and his intentions of building his own house there most nobly. My business was to meet Mr. Boyle (age 41), which I did, and discoursed about my eyes; and he did give me the best advice he could, but refers me to one Turberville (age 56), of Salsbury, lately come to town, which I will go to1. Thence home, where the streets full, at our end of the town, removing their wine against the Act begins, which will be two days hence, to raise the price. I did get my store in of Batelier this night. So home to supper and to bed.
Note 1. Daubigny Turberville (age 56), of Oriel College; created M.D. at Oxford,1660. He was a physician of some eminence, and, dying at Salisbury on the 21st April, 1696, aged eighty-five, he was buried in the cathedral, where his monument remains. Cassan, in his "Lives of the Bishops of Sarum", part iii., p. 103, has reprinted an interesting account of Turberville, from the "Memoir of Bishop Seth Ward", published in 1697, by Dr. Walter Pope. Turberville (age 56) was born at Wayford, co. Somerset, in 1612, and became an expert oculist; and probably Pepys received great benefit from his advice, as his vision does not appear to have failed during the many years that he lived after discontinuing the Diary. The doctor died rich, and subsequently to his decease his sister Mary, inheriting all his prescriptions, and knowing how to use them, practised as an oculist in London with good reputation. B.
Pepy's Diary. 23 Jun 1668. At noon home to dinner, and so to the office again all the afternoon, and then to Westminster to Dr. Turberville (age 56) about my eyes, whom I met with: and he did discourse, I thought, learnedly about them; and takes time before he did prescribe me any thing, to think of it. So I away with my wife and Deb., whom I left at Unthanke's, and so to Hercules Pillars, and there we three supped on cold powdered beef, and thence home and in the garden walked a good while with Deane (age 34), talking well of the Navy miscarriages and faults.
Pepy's Diary. 29 Jun 1668. Thence by and by with Sir J. Minnes (age 69) toward St. James's, and I stop at Dr. Turberville's (age 56), and there did receive a direction for some physic, and also a glass of something to drop into my eyes: who gives me hopes that I may do well.
Pepy's Diary. 03 Jul 1668. Betimes to the office, my head full of this business. Then by coach to the Commissioners of Accounts at Brooke House, the first time I was ever there, and there Sir W. Turner (age 52) in the chair; and present, Lord Halifax (age 34), Thoms[on] (age 61), Gregory, Dunster, and Osborne. I long with them, and see them hot set on this matter; but I did give them proper and safe answers. Halifax (age 34), I perceive, was industrious on my side, in behalf of his uncle Coventry (age 40), it being the business of Sir W. Warren. Vexed only at their denial of a copy of what I set my hand to, and swore. Here till almost two o'clock, and then home to dinner, and set down presently what I had done and said this day, and so abroad by water to Eagle Court in the Strand, and there to an alehouse: met Mr. Pierce, the Surgeon, and Dr. Clerke, Waldron, Turberville (age 56), my physician for the eyes, and Lowre, to dissect several eyes of sheep and oxen, with great pleasure, and to my great information. But strange that this Turberville (age 56) should be so great a man, and yet, to this day, had seen no eyes dissected, or but once, but desired this Dr. Lowre to give him the opportunity to see him dissect some.
Pepy's Diary. 05 Jul 1668. Lord's Day. About four in the morning took four pills of Dr. Turberville's (age 56) prescribing, for my eyes, and they wrought pretty well most of the morning, and I did get my wife to spend the morning reading of Wilkins's (age 54) Reall Character.
After 1670. Daubigny Turberville (age 58) went to Wayford and married, but had no children. He began practice at Wayford and Crookhorn (Crewkerne), but got so busy that he moved to London. The city air not suiting him he finally settled in Salisbury; "thence he made several journeys to London. Once he was sent for by the Dutchess of York (age 32) to cure the Princess of Denmnark (age 4) (Queen Anne), then a child, labouring under a dangerous inflammation in her eyes, and a breaking out in her face the cure for which had been attempted in vain by the Court fysicians." These despised Turberville, looking on him as a country quack. He had a quarrel with them, refused to meet them in consultation and won the day. The Duke (age 36) and Duchess (age 32) asked him to undertake the case, which he did successfully. The Duke ordered him a fee of £600, but he appears to have received only half that amount. "Many years afterwards he was called up again by one of the greatest and ancientest Peers of this Kingdom. to whom, after having attentively inspected his eye, he spoke after this manner: 'My Lord, I might bear you in hand,' a western frase, signifying to delay or keep in expectation, 'and feed you with promises, or at least hopes, that 1 should cure vou in some competent time, and so cause your Lordship to be at great expence to no purpose; I cannot cure you, and I believe no man in England can.' The Earl answered, 'Such and such will undertake it for a hundred pounds.' To which the doctor replied, 'I have so great an honour for your Lordship, and so much wish for your welfare, that I will joyfully give a hundred guineas out of my own purse to the person who shall restore your sight in that eye. I confess I am not able to cure it, but I can reduce it to a better figure.' Source. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY SEPTEMBER, 1926.
On 21 Apr 1696 Daubigny Turberville (age 84) died at Salisbury. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map].
On 14 May 1696 the will of Daubigny Turberville (deceased) was proved: The abstract is as follows:
DAWBENEY TURBERVILE of the Close of the Canons of the Cathedrall Church of Sarum, co. Wilts. Doctor in Phisicke. (P.C.C., Bond 82). June 24, 1695. To be buried in Cathedrall [Map] as near my wife as can bee. To Anne Bragg of New Sarum, widow, £150. To Edmund Turbervile liveing near Appothecaries Hall in London, gent. £100. To Sister-in-law, Mary Minterne of Crewkerne, co. Somersett, widow, £100. To Godson Turbervile Bonvile, £100. To the brothers and sisters of said Turbervile Bonvile, £10 each. To Bonvile, spinster, aunt to said Turbervile Bonvile, £20. To Godson Dawbeney Bentley, £10, and one of my largest silver tankards. To Cosen Anne Davies of City of London spinster, £50. To the eldest daughter of Captain James Bale of Crewkerne, £10. To Cosen Mary Davies £10 to buy her mourning. To Robert Sayer, son of Israel Sayer, of the City of London, widow (sic, but it presumably means that Israel was dead) and his heirs for ever my right of presentation and advowsoll of the Church of Weyford near Crewkerne and if he shall be educated at the University of Oxford then to have £50 towards his expenses. To the servants now liveing with me, viz.-Christopher Hellyer, Elizabeth Hewlett, and Mary Braden, £10 each if with me when I die. My term of years in a house in Sarum Close leased me by the Vicars Chorall of the Cathedrall to my sister Mary Turbervile of the City of London and to ffrances Davis of the said Close of Sarum and now liveing with me, joyntly and to the longest liver of them. But if after my death the said Mary Turbervile shall ever lodge, harbour or in any manner entertaine either by dav or night one namned Catherine Eller (or whatever she may be named) formerly liveing in the said Close of Sarum, then the said Mary to have no advantage in her moiety of the said house. To the poor of the Parish of Weyford aforesaid £100 to be laid out in lands. To the Poor of the Close of Sarum(?) to be dispersed amongst them by the Dean and Canons Resident. To the Poor of each Parish of New Sarum, £5. Residue to said Mary Turbervile and ffrances Davis, and they to be executrixes. My friends Thomas Turbervile of Beer Regis, co. Dorset, esqre., Richard Barnaby the elder of Ambersbury, Wilts., gent. and William(?) Burner of Bermeston, Wilts., gent., to be trustees and supervisors to assist said executrixes and for their trouble to have £10 each. Witnesses: Hampton Jay, Anne Haskett, Mary Davis, John Wells. Source. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY SEPTEMBER, 1926.
