Land Deed Confirms Family Composition

When the bonfire had quit burning and the soldiers had marched or ridden off, the good citizens of Chesterfield County retrieved one (1) burned deed book from the burning embers that was once their county courthouse.  That Burned Book is still maintained on file in the present day courthouse. The below deed between Sarah Sellers and James Oliver to John Purvis can be found on page 48 of that book.

 

Sarah Sellers and James Oliver to John Purvis
Burned Book page 48
 
Know all men by these presents that we Sarah Sellers and James Oliver of the district of Chesterfield in the State aforesaid for and in consideration of the sum of to be paid by John Purvis of the same district in the state aforesaid have granted, bargained, sold and release, and by these presents Do Grant, bargain, Sell and release, unto the said John Purvis, all our interest in a tract of land belonging to the Estate of Vicey Purvis, late of the district of Chesterfield, situate lying and being in the District and state aforesaid, which said tract of land was conveyed to the said Vicey Purvis by Edward Burch by deed bearing date 2^nd day of January A. D. 1829 and Recorded in the Register office of said District in Book II, page 393. The tract of land that we have this day conveyed to the said John Purvis contains One Hundred and twenty two acres more or less and is in the North Western portion of the above tract of Three Hundred acres bounded by lands of Sarah Sellers and others—Together with all and singular the Rights, Members, Hereditaments and appurtenances to the said premises belonging or in anywise incident or appertaining To Have and To Hold all and singular the premises before mentioned, unto the said John Purvis his Heirs and afsigns forever, And we do hereby bind ourselves our Heirs, Executors and Administrators, to warrant and forever defend all and singular the said premises, unto the said John Purvis his Heirs and afsigns. Against …our Heirs and every other person or persons lawfully claiming or to [Burnt section illegible] or any part thereof--
[Burnt section illegible] Hands and Seals this 26^th day of February in the year of our
[Burnt section illegible] eight hundred and sixty one---
[Burnt section illegible] delivered.                                  Sarah X Sellers {seal}
[Burnt section illegible]                                                   James X Oliver {seal}
[Burnt section illegible]
[Burnt section illegible]
 
The State of South Carolina}
Chesterfield District} Personally appeared before me H. Craig and made oath that he saw the within named Sarah Sellers & James Oliver sign seal and as their act and deed deliver the within written Deed and that he with Thos. Craig witnefsed the execution thereof.
 
Sworn before me this 4^th day of Augst 1862 H. Craig
D. Douglafs
           Mag.                                                          (Recorded Aug. 4^th 1862)

I have previously written about the use of land deeds in family research and what a valuable goldmine Land Deeds can be in your research. 
 
This particular deed, pulled from the ashes and burning embers is one of those “gold nuggets”  because it confirms and verifies the family composition of one Vicey Purvis. 
 
Vicey Purvis appears in three census in Chesterfield County South Carolina. In all cases, she is listed without a husband in the household. 
 
1830 CENSUS: Chesterfield County, South Carolina; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 172; Family History Film: 0022506,  Page: 258; Line 15, Vicy Purvis, female, age 40-49, 3 males, age 10-14 and 1 female, age 16-19.
1840 CENSUS: Chesterfield County, South Carolina; NARA Series: M704; Roll Number: 510; Family History Film: 0022508, Image 1338, Page: 362; Line 15, Vicy Purvis, female, age 50-59, 1 males, age 20-29 [Stephen] and 1 male, less than 5 years of age.
1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; Roll:  M432_851; Image: 290, Page: 143A(stamped); Line 19, Dwelling 685, Family 685; Vicy PERVIS, female, age 64, born in SC; Daniel TURNAGE, male, age 12, born in SC and John TURNAGE, male, age 11, born in SC.

In 1850, Vicy states that she was 64 years old; thus born in 1786, which matches the age reported in the other two census. 

In 1830 she had 3 males born between 1816-1820 and 1 female born between 1811-1814.

Two of these males were:
John “Jack” Purvis, born 1814
Stephen Purvis, born 1818
1 male (unknown)
The female born between 1811-1814 was most likely her last born, a daughter named Mary, though the census shows that she was born in 1821. There is also a possibility that the 16-19 year old female was Sarah Purvis just before she married Elijah Sellers.
 
In February 1861, when the above Land Deed was executed we see that this deed was used to transfer land which is now in possession of Sarah Sellers and James Oliver; lands that is the Estate Lands of Vicey Purvis. Those named within this deed are:

Vicey Purvis, (Mother)

• John Purvis, (Son)
• Sarah [Purvis] Sellers (Daughter)
• James Oliver (Son-in-law, Husband of Mary Purvis)
• Stephen Purvis, a son, born 1818 was not named within the deed because he was deceased. Stephen Purvis chose to enlist as a volunteer in the Mexican War. During the Battle of Vera Cruz, he was killed in June 1847.

I’m at a lost as to why Mary [Purvis] Oliver was not named. Also, in many years of research I have not yet identified a Male Purvis as the husband of Vicey [Maiden Name unknown] Purvis. 

If you have any information on Vicy/Vicey Purvis, her children or her spouse I would love to hear from you. In almost 40 years of Purvis research I have not heard from anyone researching this specific line.
_______________________
Land Deed - Sarah Sellers and James Oliver to John Purvis; 26 February 1861; Deed Book #Burnt Book; Page(s) 48; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; 27 August 2014.