52 Ancestors: #20, William James “Jim” Purvis

 

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
From her blog “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”

The focus of my blog posting today is my Great Grandfather William James Purvis.
 

William James "Jim" Purvis¹ is my Great Grandfather. He was born on 25 Sep 1863 in Morven, Anson, North Carolina; the only child of William A. Purvis and Sarah Jane Graves Purvis.² 
William James is enumerated as a 7 years old child with his parents in the 1870 Population census.³
In 1879, William James "Jim" Purvis, age 16, married Mary Hulda "Sis" Previtte, age 18.⁴ 

Mary Hulda "Sis" Previtte, daughter of John Washington Previtte and Elizabeth "Bette" Davis, was born on 5 Jan 1861 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States.
From 1880 through 1940, William James is recorded as Head of Household or as a Father with one of his children. ^{5 6 7 8 9 10}

In the late 1880’s Grandpa Jim fell on “hard times” and was unable to pay the property tax on his 30 acre farm; a mere 59 cents in taxes were due. The Land was sold for Taxes on 6 January 1889. From this point on, until he was unable to work, Grandpa share cropped with various farmers within this neighborhood. ¹¹

William James Purvis and Mary Hulda Previtte had the following children:
 
i. John William Purvis, born 31 Dec 1880, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, 25 Aug 1901, McFarlan, Anson, North Carolina, United States; died 10 Aug 1956, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, United States.
ii. Martha Eliza "Sis" Purvis, born 10 Aug 1882, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; married Ervin Samuel Brock Jr., abt 1903; died 15 Dec 1966, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iii. James Francis "Jim" Purvis, born 7 Nov 1885, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; married Lucy Pearl Deese, bef 14 Mar 1908; died 21 Feb 1936, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
iv. Oscar Philmore "O P" Purvis, born 10 Jul 1888, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; married Roxie Carolyn Brock, 2 Feb 1913, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 20 Apr 1931, Morven, Anson, North Carolina.
v. Sarah Frances "Sallie" Purvis, born 16 Jun 1891, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; married John Rufus Lang, 10 Jun 1910, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 22 May 1951, Florence, Florence, South Carolina.
vi. Lela Aileen Purvis, born 18 Oct 1894, Morven, Anson, North Carolina;   married John Lucian Deese, 1910; died 20 May 1983, Florence, Florence, South Carolina.
vii. Violet E. Purvis¹² was born on 25 May 1899 in Morven, Anson, North Carolina.¹³ She died on 2 Oct 1899 at the age of 0 in Morven, Anson, North Carolina.¹⁴ She was buried on 3 Oct 1899 at Morven Cemetery in Anson County, North Carolina.

William James Purvis died 8 June 1941 and was buried the next day beside his devoted wife Mary Hulda at Zoar Church cemetery, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. ^{15 16 17}
 
I never knew my Great Grandparents; both William James and Mary Hulda Purvis passed away before I was born. I do have two living Aunts that knew their grandparents. 




 
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1. William James Purvis, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, 8 June 1941, The Messenger and Intelligencer. Son of the late William Purvis and Mrs. Sarah Graves Purvis..
2. William J. Purvis Family Family Bible Holy Bible, (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), W. J. Pervis; Birth - 25 September 1863, Obtained from T. Gathings, [address for private use].
3. 1870 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 403A, line 38, Dwelling 178; Family 178, Household of William A. Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archive Microfilm M593, Roll 1122.
4. 1880 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #2, page 350B, line 40, Dwelling 234, Family 253, Household of William J. Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archive Microfilm T9-0951.
5. Ibid.
6. 1900 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 8, page 149B, line 79, dwelling 15, family 15, Household of William J. Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll 1181.
7. 1910 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven Twsp., Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #012, page 184, line 64-67, dwelling 65, family 65, Household of William Purvis; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2010); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1096.
8.1920 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 13, Page 197B, Line 72, dwelling 209, family 209, Household of William J. PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed June 2010); citing National Archives Microfilm Series: T625, Roll: 1283.
9. 1930 U. S. Census, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #18, Page 27B; Line 99, Dwelling 118, Family 119, Household of John W. PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 11 October 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T626_Roll: 1672.
10. 1940 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 4-18, Page: 9A/216A (stamped), Line 5, Household #132;, Household of J. W. PURVIS; digital images, 1940 CENSUS (http://1940census.archives.gov : viewed 14 December 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2871.
11. Sale of Land for Taxes - William J. Purvis, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, United States, 10 January 1888, Page 3, Right two columns of page. Sale of Land for Taxes, 30 acres, .59 cents Taxes due.
SHARECROPPER: a tenant farmer especially in the southern United States who is provided with credit for seed, tools, living quarters, and food, who works the land, and who receives an agreed share of the value of the crop minus charges
12. Family data, William James Purvis Family Bible, , (N.p.: n.p., n.d.); original owned in 2000 by T. Gathings, [address for private use].
13. William J. Purvis Family Family Bible, BIRTH: 25 May 1899, Violet E. PURVIS.
14. William J. Purvis Family Family Bible, DEATH: 2 October 1899, Violet E. PURVIS.
15. State of North Carolina, death certificate no. 17 (8 June 1941), William James Purvis; https://www.ancestry.com, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.
16. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Self-Published, 1995, page 845. Tombstone of William J. Purvis; 25 September 1863–8 June 1941, Zoar Methodist Church Cemetery, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
17. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 12 October 2011); Memorial page for William James Purvis; (25 September 1863–8 June 1941); Find a Grave memorial # 78248220, Citing Zoar United Methodist Church Cemetery; Brocks Mill, Chesterfield County. South Carolina, USA.