Sunday, January 29, 2012

Gilbert Purvis, South Carolina to Mississippi

Gilbert Purvis was born before 1754 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He married Effica Howell. Effica Howell was born between 1755 and 1764 and died Aug 1834, in Hinds County, Mississippi. Gilbert Purvis died after June 1828 and before 1830 in Hinds County, Mississippi.

Gilbert Purvis, Sr. was a Revolutionary War Veteran[1]. The Daughters of the American Revolution has only one approved application on file for this line. There is no doubt that James Purvis, Son of Gilbert & Efficia is the only source for an approved application yet he is not mentioned in the application on file. Before leaving South Carolina Gilbert and his brother James owned 4,315 acres of land[2].

Gilbert Purvis, Sr. and his son Gilbert J. Purvis are listed on the 1828 tax Roll for Simpson County, Mississippi.

Gilbert Purvis and Effica Howell had the following children:

1. Sally Purvis was born about 1784 in Chesterfield District, South Carolina.

2. James Purvis, born 1784 - 1790; married Sarah, abt 1810, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; died abt Mar 1818, Horry Co., SC.

3. Gilbert Johnson Purvis was born about 1792 in SC. Gilbert Johnson Purvis was never married. He died intestate in November 1835. His will is on file in Hinds County, Mississippi. (WB1:48)


Gilbert Johnson Purvis is listed on the Simpson County, Mississippi, Tax Roll in years 1827; 1828 and 1829. Gilbert J. Purvis sold land to Grass Scruggs on 12 Jan 1829 in Clarke County, Alabama. He is listed on the 1830 Census for Simpson County, Mississippi. Gilbert Johnson signed his will in Apr 1835. He died in Nov 1835 in Hinds County, Mississippi.

If we look at the 1790-1810[3][4]Census we see the composition of Gilbert Purvis' family was; his Wife Effica Howell Purvis, 3 sons and 3 daughters. One young male passed away between 1790 and 1810 leaving sons, James & Gilbert Johnson in the household. Gilbert also had 3 young daughters. Only one daughter (Sally) is known to live to adulthood.

1790 Chesterfield, SC

Gilbert Purvis

1 male 16+

3 males < 16

2 Females

1800 Chesterfield, SC

Gilbert Purvis

2 male, 0-10;

1 male, 46+;

3 female, 0-10;

1 female, 16-20

1 female, 21-45;

1810 Chesterfield, SC[5]

Gilbert Purvis

1 male, 16-26;

1 male, 46+;

3 female, 16-26

1 female, 46+;

2 Slave



1810 Chesterfield,SC:

James Purvis, Jr.

1 male, 16-26;

1 female, 16-26;

There is an Administrative Bond[6] on file in the Probate Office of Horry County, South Carolina. This bond was issued in July 1818 to John Johnston, Gilbert Purvis, Moses Harrelson and Felix Powell are holden and firmly bound unto Henry Durant Esquire Ordinary for aforesaid District in the full and just sum of Ten Thousand to be paid to the said Henry Durant or to his successors of this District or their certain attorney or officers, To which payment will and truly be made, and we bind ourselves and every of us own and every of our heirs, executors, administrators, for the whole and in the whole jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed with our seals and dated the Seventeenth Day of July one thousand eight hundred and eighteen and in the 43rd year of America Independence.

The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound John Johnston and Gilbert Purvis administrators of the goods, chattels and credits of James Purvis deceased do make a true and perfect inventory of all and singular, the goods, chattels, credits of the said deceased…

I believe this Administrative Bond along with comments from James P. J. Purvis request to administer the estate of his Grand Mother, Efficia Howell Purvis and Gilbert Johnson Purvis' Last Will proves that James Purvis was Gilbert Purvis oldest son.

James P. J. Purvis Letter requesting letters of administrations on his Grand Mother - Effica Howell Purvis Estate.

Efficia Howell Purvis Estate, Page 3[7]

To the Honorable A. G. Moore, Judge of the Probate Court of Hinds County, the petition of James P. J. Purvis of said County, respectively represents:

That Effica Purvis late of Hinds County, departed this life intestate in July or August last [1834] leaving a considerable estate, consisting of negroes, stock, …, but, no land. That no person has administered on the said estate_ and that it is to the interest of all parties concerned…. That the estate should be administered without, further delay.

That your petitioner is the grandson of the said deceased being the oldest son of her oldest son [James]. That no other person has applied for letters of administrations on said estate and your petitioner is also one of the distributees under the laws of this state, his father having died before the said Effica Purvis. In consideration whereof your petitioner_ prays that letters of administrations on said estate be granted him.

Excerpt from Gilbert Johnson Will[8]

I hereby direct my Executors to file a bill in chancery or commence such other suit as may be necessary & proper to procure from the aforesaid James P. J. Purvis, administrator as aforesaid, the full distribution & share of the estate of my deceased parents to which I am entitled insisting upon the advance made by my deceased father the said Gilbert Purvis to James Purvis the father of the said James P. J. Purvis in the lifetime of them both, and after my Executors shall have become possessed of the property to which I am entitled it is my will and desire that they divide the same after the payment of all my just debts equally share and share alike between all the children of James Purvis Senr. of Rankin except to Wright Barnes and Nancy his wife & James Brock & Betsey his wife formerly Nancy & Betsey Purvis to them I give and bequeath nothing---Provided…

Not much is known about James Purvis, the oldest son of Gilbert & Effica Purvis. We know from the 1810 Census that he was newly married and at that time had no children. The July 1818 Administrative Bond suggests that James died in South Carolina. We also know that James P. J. Purvis states that he is the grandson of Efficia H. Purvis and the son of their (Gilbert & Efficia) oldest son James. James P. J. Purvis also died young. He married Elizabeth Rose Campbell and they had two children – Mary Anna Purvis and James B. M. Purvis. Documents within the various estate papers in Mississippi suggest that William H. H. Purvis is a brother to James P. J. Purvis. William H. H. Purvis moved to Polk County, Texas with his family about 1850[9].The elderly Female, named Sarah Purvis, (widow), age 60 [1790], born in SC is most likely the Mother of William H. H. Purvis, James P. J. Purvis and wife of the deceased James Purvis, son of Gilbert & Effica Purvis.

Additional research is need to properly document the relationship among these families.



[1] Murtie June Clark, Loyalist in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War (Baltimore, MD,: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981), Page 241.

[2] Land Plat for 3215 Acres - Gilbert Purvis & James Purvis, 15 August 1793; S213190, Volume: 0032, Page: 00255; Dept. of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.

[3] 1790 U. S. Census, St Thomas, Cheraws District, South Carolina, population schedule, St Thomas, Cheraws District, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 373, Household of Gilbert Purvis; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed May 2011); citing Family History Library Film: 0568151.

[4] 1800 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 105, Household of Gilbert Purvis; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication M32_Roll 47..

[5] 1810 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 553, Household of Gilbert Purvis; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M252_60.

[6] Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County Administrator's Bond 1803-1818, Administrative Bond for John Johnston, Gilbert Purvis, admrs. of James Purvis; Bond $10,000; Moses Harrelson, Felix Powell, sec. Richard Singleton, Levi Moore, wit. , 17 July 1818, Probate Office, Conway.

[7] Letter to Appraise Estate of Effica H. Purvis 24 Dec 1834, , Probate Office, Raymond, Mississippi.

[8] Hinds County, Mississippi, Will Book 1: page 48, Gilbert Johnson Purvis; Family History Library, Film #878728, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[9] 1850 U. S. Census, Polk County, Texas, population schedule, Polk County, Texas, Page 188B, Line 3, Dwelling 178, Family 178, Household of W. H. H. PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed May 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432_914.

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