Representative Joel Turrill

Joel Turrill (February 22, 1794 – December 28, 1859) was an American judge, politician, and diplomat from New York who served as a Representative in the United States Congress from 1833 to 1837. A member of the Jacksonian, or Jackson, Party, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the interests of his New York constituents during a significant period in American political history.

Turrill was born on February 22, 1794, in Shoreham, Vermont, where he attended the local common schools. Demonstrating early academic promise, he enrolled at Middlebury College in Vermont and graduated in 1816. After completing his collegiate studies, he moved to New York to pursue a legal career. He studied law in Newburgh, New York, and, upon being admitted to the bar in 1819, relocated to Oswego, New York, where he established his law practice and began to build a reputation in both legal and civic affairs.

In Oswego, Turrill quickly became active in local public service. He served as a justice of the peace, an office that placed him at the center of community legal matters and minor judicial proceedings. His growing stature in the legal community led to his appointment as a county judge, a position he held from 1828 to 1833. During this period, he also entered state-level politics, serving as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1831. These roles provided him with substantial experience in both judicial and legislative functions and helped lay the groundwork for his subsequent national service.

Turrill’s congressional career began with his election as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-third Congress, followed by reelection to the Twenty-fourth Congress. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1833, to March 3, 1837. As a member of the House during the Jacksonian era, he participated in the democratic process at a time marked by debates over federal power, economic policy, and territorial expansion. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and he took part in shaping national policy while representing the interests of his New York district. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1836, concluding his congressional service at the end of his second term.

After leaving Congress, Turrill resumed his legal and public service career in New York. He served as district attorney for Oswego County from 1838 to 1840, overseeing criminal prosecutions and representing the county in legal matters. In 1843, he continued his judicial service as surrogate of Oswego County, a position that involved oversight of probate matters, wills, and estates. These roles reflected his continued prominence in the legal community and his ongoing engagement in public affairs at the local and county levels.

Turrill’s career later extended into international diplomacy. In 1845, he was appointed United States consul to the Kingdom of Hawaii, then commonly referred to as the “Sandwich Islands.” He served in this diplomatic post from 1845 to 1850, representing U.S. commercial and political interests in the Pacific at a time when American influence in the region was growing. His family accompanied him on this voyage, and his older daughter, Elizabeth Douglas (Turrill) Van Denburgh, later wrote an account of their 1845–1846 journey to the islands, providing a personal perspective on his consular service and the family’s experience abroad.

On December 21, 1830, in Champion, New York, Turrill married Mary Sullivan Hubbard. The couple had four children: William, Elizabeth Douglas, Mary Hubbard, and Frederick. His family life intersected with his public career, particularly during his years in Hawaii, where his children experienced life in an emerging center of American diplomatic and commercial activity. The written recollections of his daughter Elizabeth offer insight into both his role as U.S. consul-general to the Kingdom of Hawaii and the broader context of mid-nineteenth-century American engagement in the Pacific.

Joel Turrill died in Oswego, New York, on December 28, 1859. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery in Oswego. His life encompassed service as a local and county judge, state legislator, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, county prosecutor, surrogate judge, and United States consul, reflecting a career devoted to law, public service, and diplomacy during a formative era in American history.