Robert Turnbull

Born in Scotland on September 10, 1809, Robert Turnbull was educated at the University of Glasgow and began his ministry in Britain before moving to the United States in 1833. He later became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Hartford, Connecticut, where he served for many years until his death on November 20, 1877.

Turnbull was more than a pastor: he was also an editor, translator, hymn writer, and prolific author. Sources from this conversation describe him as a Scottish-American Baptist pastor who edited the Christian Review for a time and wrote a long list of books, including Olympia Morata, The Genius of Scotland, The Genius of Italy, Theophany, The Student Preacher, The World We Live In, Christ in History, and Life Pictures; or, Sketches from a Pastor’s Note Book.

His writing suggests a mind interested in both faith and culture. Alongside theological works and practical books for preachers, he also wrote hymns, including the well-known text beginning “There is a place of sacred rest,” remembered in hymn collections long after his lifetime.