Turpin Smith, one of the about 20 year old men that provided the force for subduing the crew of the English Navy ship Gaspee in 1772.

We do not have much on Turpin Smith.  Bowen mentions him as one of his "youthful companions".  

He probably is the Turpin Smith found in the Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Index as born about 1750, died 17Aug1835, and buried at PV003.  This would make him about 22 years old at the time of the Gaspee attack.

The name of Turpin Smith is unique. There were a number of Turpin families in Providence of the time, so it is likely that Turpin was his mother's maiden name. William Turpin was a wealthy merchant in the Attleboro-Providence area, which would make the Turpin name worthy of continuation through the female line. William and Catharine Turpin had ten children, included an Elizabeth Turpin b: abt 1715 in Providence, RI, who married a man named Smith.  Elizabeth and this Smith had a male child, whose name was not recorded, born in August 1955.  This may be the same Turpin Smith shown in the Historical Cemeteries Transcription Index noted above.

A longboat from Bristol carried a man named James Smith.