Spotlight on The Joseph Purvis Family

The contents of this posting is a WORKING FILE compiled by Charles L. Purvis and has been published here today to stimulate Interest and feedback on what is known about the family of Joseph and Elizabeth Cook Purvis.

The parents of Joseph Purvis migrated to Mississippi from Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Joseph is first listed in the 1824 Simpson County, Mississippi Tax rolls where he is recorded with 1 white poll and 2 slaves’ poll. He paid 75 cents in taxes. This tax list tells me that Joseph was at least 21 years of age in 1824. His reported age as shown in the 1830 and 1840 census allows us to compute his birth year to be between 1791 and 1800.
A land deed in Rankin County tells us that his wife was Elizabeth Cook, daughter of John Cook. That same deed tells us that Joseph’s Brother William Purvis married John’s daughter Millie Cook (Hinds County Deed Book 9, pp 531-532).

From the 1830 and 1840 Census we know that Joseph and Elizabeth had a large family of eleven children. We also know that one male in the household has not been identified and because the family composition has not been thoroughly documented that other errors may be contained with this article.

1830 U S Census: Rankin County, Mississippi, Page: 168; NARA Roll: M19-71; Family History Film: 0014839. Household of James Purvis Senior

1830 CENSUS	RANKIN COUNTY, MS
1 Male 15-19	??	Unidentified, could be a younger brother
1 Males 20-29	Joseph Purvis
1 Males 60-69	Poss. James F. Purvis, SR, b. 1760	Or Elizabeth Father, John Cook
1 Female 15-19	Caroline Purvis
1 Female 50-59	Elizabeth Cook Purvis

1840 CENSUS: Rankin County, Mississippi; Roll: 183; Page: 217; Image: 820; Family History Library Film: 0014841; Household of Joseph PURVIS.

1840 Census
2 Males < 5	William Alexander, Joseph
1 Male 10-14	James
1 Male 20-29	???	Unidentified
1 Male 40-49	Joseph Purvis
2 Females 5-9	Elizabeth, Lucy Ann
3 Females 10-14	Rosanna, Phoebia, Mary
2 Females 15-19	Nancy Jane, Caroline
1 Female 40-49	Elizabeth Cook Purvis

Joseph Purvis died in late 1841-May 1842 in either Rankin or Smith County, Mississippi.
After Joseph’s death in 1841/42 Elizabeth Cook Purvis married Richard Oldham/Odom. No children are known from this union.

The following 10 children have been tentatively identified as the Children of Joseph Purvis and Elizabeth Cook Purvis:

i. Caroline Purvis, born abt 1823, Alabama; married Rev. Thomas Jefferson Franklin, 24 Feb 1845, Rankin County, Mississippi; died 1874, Rankin County, Mississippi.
ii. Nancy Jane Purvis, born abt 1824, MS; married John Odom, abt 1843; died aft 1880.
iii. Mary Purvis, born abt 1824, MS; married Thomas W. Franklin, 6 Feb 1843, Rankin County, Mississippi.
iv. Phoebia Purvis, born abt 1825, Rankin County, Mississippi; married Richard W. Moore, 28 Dec 1844, Rankin County, Mississippi.
v. Rosanna Purvis, born abt 1826, Rankin County, Mississippi; married Edward Walters, 5 Feb 1845, Rankin County, Mississippi.
vi. Elizabeth Purvis was born about 1830.
vii. Lucy Ann Purvis was born about 1835 in Rankin County, Mississippi. She appeared in the census in 1870 in Trinity County, Texas. 1870 CENSUS: Trinity County, Texas; Roll: M593_1606; Family History Library Film: 553105; Page 354A, Line 3, Dwelling 62, Family 67; Mrs. Lucie PURVIS, Female, age 33, born in MS; Leonidas PURVIS, Male, age 12, born in TX and Martha PURVIS, Female, age 9, born in TX.
viii. James Purvis, born abt 1837, Simpson County, Mississippi; married Marina Catherine Bush, abt 1858; died 6 Aug 1864, Civil War.
ix. Joseph Purvis, born abt 1839, MS; married Martha Miranda Viney; died 17 Sep 1862, Sharpsburg, Maryland.
x. William Alexander Purvis, born abt 1840, Mississippi; married Eliza Willis; died 28 Aug 1862, Manassas, Virginia.

The three known sons of Joseph and Elizabeth – James, Joseph and William Alexander- all perished in the Civil War.

If you have any information on their unknown son, b. 1821-1825, I would kike to hear from you.

Likewise, if you are a descendant or related to the following Couples:

• Caroline Purvis married the Rev. Thomas Jefferson Franklin
• Nancy Jane Purvis married John Odom
• Mary Purvis married Thomas W. Franklin
• Phoebia Purvis married Richard W. Moore
• Rosanna Purvis married Edward Walters
• Lucy Ann Purvis or her two children, Leonidas or Martha Purvis, no known husband

and/or have information on these families please contact me at CPurvis1@gmail.com 

If you are related to these families I want to hear from you.







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1. Accession Number: MS0260__.138 - Joseph Purvis; United States Bureau of Land Management "U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907," digital images, US Government, BLM - GLO Records (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ : accessed, viewed, downloaded January 2011); U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907.
2. 1830 U S Census, Rankin County, Mississippi, population schedule, Rankin County, Mississippi, Page 168, Joseph Purvis Household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M19_Roll 71.
3. Mississippi, State Archives, Tax Lists; , (Jackson, Mississippi: accessed 27 April 2014), Simpson,Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951; 1824, Box 3764, Image 6 of 276, Line 119, Joseph Purvis.
4. Joseph Purvis, Tax Lists, Simpson, Simpson County, Mississippi.
5. Joseph Pervis, Tax Lists, Simpson, Simpson County, Mississippi.
6. Mississippi State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, *FamilySearch*, (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 27 April 2011), Rankin,County Tax Rolls; 1828, Box 3753, Image 6 of 7, Joseph Purvis.
7. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
8. 1830 U S Census, Rankin County, Mississippi, Population Schedule, Rankin County, Mississippi, Page 168, , Joseph Purvis Household.
9. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
10. Ibid.
11. Bureau of Land Managment, U.S. General Land Office Records,: 1796-1907, (Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007), Joseph Purvis, Accession Number: MS0260__.138.
12. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Rankin County, Mississippi, Volume 9: 427-428, Joseph & Elizabeth Purvis of Rankin Co. to William H. Davis; 29 August 1838, Chancery Court, Jackson, Rankin County, Mississippi.
16. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
17. 1840 US Census, Rankin County, Mississippi, population schedule, Rankin County, Mississippi, page 183, Household of Joseph Purvis; digital images, www.ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2009); citing NARA micro-film Roll: M704_217.
18. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
19. 1841, Hinds County, Mississippi, Mississippi state census index, No Township Listed, Joseph PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.om : viewed 28 June 2014).
20. Mississippi State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, *FamilySearch*, (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 28 April 2014), Smith,County Tax Rolls; 1841, Box 3747, Image 6 of 17, Joseph Purvis.
21. Joseph Purvis, Various Records, 1820-1951, Rankin, Mississippi.
22. James F. Purvis, Estates, 1828-72, Chancery Clerk's Office, Raymond, Mississippi.
23. Hinds County, Mississippi, , Deed Book 9, pages 531-532, William Purvis and his wife Milly Purvis, and Joseph Purvis & Elizabeth his wife,, 26 March 1836; Chancery Court Files, Raymond, Mississippi.
24. Mississippi, Deed Book 9: pages 531-532, HEIRS of JOHN COOK; Chancery Clerk, (Raymond, Hinds County, Mississippi; accessed 2011).
25. 1850, Simpson County, Mississippi, population schedule, Simpson County, Mississippi, Page: 289A; Line 9,, Dwelling 27, Family 27 Richard OLDHAM, Household of Richard OLDHAM; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : viewed 25 July 2011); citing NARA publication Roll: M432_381.
26. 1850, Simpson County, Mississippi, population schedule, Simpson County, Mississippi, ED No ED, Page: 289A; Line 9,, dwelling 27, family 27, Household of Richard OLDHAM/ODOM.
27. 1860 U.S. Census, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, enumeration district (ED) No ED, Page: 31, Line 36, dwelling 226, family 227, Household of Elizabeth ODUM; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : viewed 2010); citing NARA publication Roll: M653_423.
28. Hinds County, Mississippi, , Deed Book 9, pages 531-532.
29. 1850, Simpson County, Mississippi, population schedule, Simpson County, Mississippi, Page: 289A; Line 9,, Dwelling 27, Family 27 Richard OLDHAM, Household of Richard OLDHAM.
30. 1850, Simpson County, Mississippi, population schedule, Simpson County, Mississippi, Page: 289A; Line 24, Dwelling 30, Family 30, Household of John OLDHAM.
31. 1860 U. S. Census, Trinity County, population schedule, Western District, Trinity County, Texas, Page: 310B; Line 22, Dwelling 135, Family 135, Household of John ODOM; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 July 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1306.
32. 1860 U. S. Census, Trinity County, population schedule, Trinity County, Texas, Page 354A, Line 3, Dwelling 62, Family 67, Household of Mrs. Lucie PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 July 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M593_1606.