With a land grant from President Thomas Jefferson, White Turpin emigrated from Maryland to the Mississippi Territory in 1808 with his good friend, David Holmes. Jefferson appointed Holmes governor of the Mississippi Territory in 1809. Holmes in turn appointed Turpin sheriff. Turpin continued as the sheriff of Adams County after statehood in 1817. Turpin was a planter who during his life was also a state legislator, a trustee of Jefferson College and president of the Agricultural Bank of Mississippi. He married Rebecca Pettit Magruder Aug. 3, 1813; they had three sons. He married Lavinia Magruder on Feb. 24, 1824, six years after the death of his first wife; they had one daughter. Daniel T. Patterson was a U.S. naval officer commanding the New Orleans Squadron during the War of 1812.
From the description of White Turpin letter, 1813 Dec. 31. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 731677632
