(1735 - 1806), physician, of Brasted Place, Kent, s. of Dr John Turton of Birmingham; Queen's Oxf. 1762; Radcliffe travelling fell. 1761 (see John Monro); Leiden U. 1761; MB Univ. Coll. Oxf. 1762; FRS 1763; MD 1767; m. Mary Kitchingman; 1797 phys. in ord. to the King.
1763 - 4 [Geneva summer 1763] Turin (Sep. 1763), Genoa, Milan ( - 5 Nov.), Parma (Nov.), Florence (by 20 Nov.), Siena, Rome, Naples (late Dec. 1763 - Feb. 1764), Rome (Mar. - Apr.), Bologna, Padua (Jun.), Venice (Jun. - Jul.), Vicenza, Verona [Munich by 15 Sep. 1764; England Jan. 1767]
Encouraged by his friendship with Charles Bonnet of Geneva, Turton sought out scientists in all the principal centres on his Continental tour in 1763 - 7.1 He met James Martin at Horace Mann's in Florence on 20 November 1763, in Rome on 23 December (although he is also said to have spent Christmas Day at Siena1), and again in Naples on 4 January 1764.2 David Garrick was also at Naples and one of his letters indicates that Turton, on Garrick's recommendation, had met Francesco Algarotti the previous autumn (perhaps in Florence).3 In April 1764 Turton met the Rev. Richard Kaye at Rome, and in June he was in the Duke of York's party at Padua ('juges des Sottises qui j'ai faites'), and again in Venice,4 where he exchanged notes on 'soap plaister' with Baretti. Turton later attended Garrick on the journey to Munich in July (see Garrick).
1. See G. de Beer and R.M. Turton, Notes and Records of the Royal Soc.of London, Aug. 1956, 78 - 9. 2. Martin jnl.MSS. 3. Garrick Letters, 1:405. 4. Connell 1957, 51.