Tombstone Tuesday~Gilbert Purvis

Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr

Gilbert Purvis¹

SC Mil.

Rev. War.

Census data indicates that Gilbert Purvis was born about 1854 in South Carolina. He married Efficia Howell, the exact date unknown, but before going off to serve in the Revolutionary War.

Records indicate that Gilbert served 34 days with  Capt. Thomas Ellerbee and General Marion.²



After the war, Gilbert acquired a massive amount of land and at one time own  four thousand eight hundred and fifteen (4815) acres.³


For some unknown reason, maybe it was the death of James Purvis in March 1818⁴ but Gilbert and his brother James F. Purvis packed up all or most of their extended families and started a migration to Mississippi. We know they traveled down through Georgia and stopped for some time in Clarke County, Alabama.

Land deeds there in the early 1820 prove their presence in the area. Many of the children have marriage licensees on file in Clarke County. Eventually, they migrated westward finally settling in Simpson, Hinds, Smith and Rankin Counties are of Mississippi. 

The 1828 Tax List for Simpson County⁵ proved that Gilbert Purvis made it to Mississippi and died there sometime between 5 June 1828 and 1829. he is not listed in the Tax list for 1829. His widow, Effica Howell Purvis in the the household of her son, Gilbert Johnson Purvis in 1830 Simpson County, Mississippi. [1 - Females - 70 thru 79: 1  [Effica Howell Purvis]]6



Many claim that Gilbert Purvis died in South Carolina. Folklore, indicates that the Tombstone for Gilbert Purvis in the old Rivers Burying Ground was placed there by the DAR.

The family presence in Mississippi along with a listing for Gilbert and his son Gilbert Johnson Purvis on the 1828 Simpson County Tax Lists clearly makes a positive case for his presence and death in Mississippi; not South Carolina.





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[1] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, digital image, (http://www.findagrave.com : Accessed on 7 July 2011); Headstone for Gilbert Purvis; (unknown-unknown); Records of the Rivers Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.
[2] Dr. Bobby Gilmer Moss, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution.: Volume II, K-Z (Baltimore, Maryland, 21211: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2009), Gilbert Purvis, page 782.
[3] 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.
[4] Horry County South Carolina, Horry District Administration Bonds 1803-1818 (Conway, Horry County, South Carolina: Probate Office, n.d.), Administration Bond - Gilbert Purvis, page 71.
[5] Mississippi State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, *FamilySearch*, (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 14 January 2012), Simpson,County Tax Rolls; 1828, Box 3764, Image of 36 of 276, Gilbert PERVIS.
[6] 1830, Simpson County, Mississippi, population schedule, Simpson County, Mississippi, Page: 183;, Household of Gilbert [J.] PURVIS; digital images, www.ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 11 May 2011); citing NARA micro-film Roll: M19-71.