52 Ancestors: #52, Betsy 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 post today is Elizabeth “Betsy” Previtt Purvis.

William A. Purvis married Sarah Jane Graves on 10 June 1852. They had one known child, a son, William James Purvis born 23 September 1863. [1]

William A. and Sarah Jane signed various land and trust deed between the date of their marriage and her death on 31 December 1893. William moved from being a shoemaker in 1860 to the life of a small farmer. The year 1885 was very unkind to William and Sarah and they defaulted on a Trust Deed to N. D. Thompson and C. C. Moore. Part of their farm (50 acres) was sold to satisfy the debt.
We know from Sarah “death notice” that she died after suffering from Cancer for the past fifteen months; but, could the loss of this land also be a contributing factor in death? [2] [3]



DEED BOOK 31; PAGE 158-159 [4]
Lunard Streater & Manda Streater to J. D. Rhyne DEED

In Anson County on Reedy Branch  a certain tract or parcel of land known as the William Purvis place and conveyed 10th of Nov. 1891, by N. J. Thompson & wife, C. C. Moore & wife, Aaron Marsh & wife to J. N. Hardison. Reference to which DEED is hereby made that is it adjoins the land of W. J. McLendon on the North, J. D. Rhyne on the East & W. J. Purvis on the South and West said tract contains 50 acres.

William A. Purvis died between September 1899 and May 1900. This pretty much summarizes the life of William and Sarah until the discovery of a Land Deed in Deed Book 33, Page 370, W. A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhyne, Anson Co., NC. [5] [6]

Yes, you did catch that; this Land Deed says that W. A. Purvis’ wife is Elizabeth Purvis. Elizabeth Purvis!!! Who is Elizabeth Purvis? Where did that come from?

Was William A. Purvis married twice? I’m still not certain today how to answer that question but I will preface if with:

A Land Deed in DB 33, page 370 Register of Deeds, Anson County, NC says that the deed is between W. A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhyne. That pretty plain, so I went looking for Elizabeth Purvis. [7]

Elizabeth Purvis appears in the 1900 census as a widow with a daughter Ella. The Census shows she has two children but only one living.[8]


· Purvis, Elizabeth – head, W/F, Oct 1860- 39- Wd – 2 children, 1 living, b. NC
· “ “ , Ella – daughter, W/F, Dec 1886, 13, b. NC

OK, she has two children, one deceased; but Ella is 13 and has the surname Purvis , William couldn’t be her father because Sarah Jane is still alive in 1886 and he couldn’t have married her Elizabeth any earlier than 1894.

Then I remember the 1880 Census for Anson County. In 1880, in William A. Purvis household we find the following individuals.[9]



We see that in William A. Purvis household in 1880 Anson County are:
· Purvice, William, W/M. age 53, farmer, b. in SC
· “ “ , Sarah J., W/F, age 48, Wife, keeping House
· Purvis, Betsy, W/F, age 30, laborer
· Purvis, Mary J., W/F, Daughter, At home

Then we have a deed where Besty/Elizabeth is selling land to J. D. Rhyne. Back in September 1899, the parcel of land that William and Elizabeth were selling was purchased by William and Sarah and consisted of 30 acres. The September Land Deed was for 12 acres. William split up the land to provide for Betsy and daughter Ella.[10]

At this point we know the second daughter is Mary J. Purvis, age 7 in 1880 or born in 1873. Betsy and Mary both have the surname Purvis ; but, it doesn’t seem likely that William is the Father of the two girls though there is a possibility with Ella Frances Purvis, b. 1886. If he’s not the father of the two girls then who are their Father? With Sarah still alive from 1880 to 31 December 1893 it just doesn’t seem likely that William is the father. Betsy and Mary J. are living in/near William and Sarah; what is the connection? Are they related? How?

A request sent to the Social Security department for the SS-5 for Ella France Purvis Tarlton resulted in the following document.[11]

 

This document shows that the parents of Ella P. Tarlton is Billie Purvis and Betsy Prevett. A search for Betsy/Elizabeth Prevett found no trace of anyone by that name.

As stated previously William A. Purvis sometime after 23 September 1899 (Land Deed) and may 1900 (Census enumerated). The 18 acres that he saved of the 30 acres plot was sold by Betsy in September 1900 to J. D. Rhyne (DB 34, Page 491-492). However in that deed she reserved the
the home place (House) and six acres as a life estate to support her.[12]

Containing 18 acres more or less. Save and except that said Betsy Purvis reserves from this land Six Acres being the lot upon which is situated her house. She to retain said Six Acres for & during the time of her natural life and at her death the said lot of six acres to go with this other land as herein described to have and to hold the aforesaid tract or parcel of land and all privileges and appurtenance thereto belonging to the said J.D. Rhyne, his heirs and assigns to their only use and behalf forever and the said Betsy Purvis covenants to and with the said J. D. Rhyne


Then daughter Ella Frances married Thomas T. Tarlton on 14 August 1904. By 1910, Betsy had abandoned the home place to live with her daughter and son-in-law. The remaining 6 acre life estate automatically reverted to J. D. Rhyne per stipulation in the September 1900 deed (DB 34, page 491 & 492).[13]

Elizabeth/Betsy died 18 October 1928 in Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina. She has varied her birth in every census and the obit confused her age even more. [14]

Mrs. Betsy Purvis
Mrs. Betsy Purvis, aged 90, died Oct. 18th in Great Falls village. The interment was at Mizpah the same day.
[The Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Richmond County, NC, Thursday, October 21, 1926, Page 6, Column 2 - Deaths]


Elizabeth/Betsy had two children:
· Mary J. Purvis, b. abt 1873, d. unknown before 1900; married Charles Franklin Lang abt 1888; 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters
· Ella Frances Purvis, b. 25 Sept 1881, d. 27 Nov 1971; md. Thomas T. Tarlton, 8 children, 2 daughters, 6 sons.

Betsy is buried in an unmarked grave in the Mizpah Cemetery.



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[1] Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC, 22 June 1852; Viz RAOGK Contributor
[2] Anson County, North Carolina, Trust Deed Book 18: Pages 546-547, W. A. Purvis to C. C. Moore & Co.; 24 February 1885, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
[3]  Sarah Jane Graves Purvis obituary, Messenger-Intelligencer, Wadesboro, North Carolina, 4 January 1894, page 3, McFarlan News.
[4] Anson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 31: page 158, Lunard Streater & Manda Streater to J. D. Rhyne DEED, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.

[5] Anson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 33: page 370, W. A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhyne; 23 September 1899, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.  

[6] 1900 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #7, page 145, line 20, dwelling 337, family 338, Household of Elizabeth Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll 1181.

[7] Anson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 33: page 370, W. A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhyne; 23 September 1899, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.

[8]  1900 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #7, page 145, line 20, dwelling 337, family 338, Household of Elizabeth Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll 1181.

[9] 1880 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) # 2, Page 350B, Line 36, Dwelling 233, Family 251, Household of William A. Purvis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archives Microfilm T9, Roll 951.

[10] Anson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 34: pages 491-492, Betsy Purvis to J. D. Rhyne; 30 September 1900, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.

[11] Ella P. Tarlton, SS No. 251-86-7071, 1965, Form SS-5, Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

[12] Anson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 34: pages 491-492, Betsy Purvis to J. D. Rhyne; 30 September 1900, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.

[13] 1910 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Gulledge, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #6, Page 81A, Line 21, dwelling 170, family 172, Household of Tom TARLTON; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1096.

[14] Mrs. Betsy Purvis obituary, The Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Rockingham, Richmond County, NC, 21 October 1926, Page 6, Column 2. Deaths.