William A. Purvis and wife Sarah Jane Graves

William A. Purvis and his wife Sarah Jane Graves first appears as a couple in the 1860 census for Anson County, North Carolina.

His wife, Sarah Jane Graves, age 16, Single, is enumerated in the household of Mary Graves, age 55, David W. Graves, age 32 and Thomas Graves, her brother, age 14. [1850 Census, Chesterfield, SC, Page 106A, Line 8, Dwelling 110, Family 110].

No record of William A. Purvis has been found prior to this census.

There is no doubt that Sarah Jane and Thomas are sibling; what is in doubt is who are the parent of these two Children. Is Mary Graves their Mother or is she the Mother of David W. Graves. Is David W. Graves the father of the two children or is he a Uncle?

William and Sarah were married 19 June 1852. Their first and only child, William James Purvis, born  25 September 1863 in Anson County.

By 1880, William had moved from being a shoemaker to farming and owned approximately 120 acres of Land in Anson County, west of McFarlan along the North and south Carolina border.

William James, though young, had married Mary Hulda Previtte and together Father and Son toil the land the own barely scratching out a living.

By the late 1880’s, early 1890’s, most of the land had been sold and then tragedy struck. Sarah Jane became sick about September 1892 and passed away fifteen months later on December 31, 1893.

Messenger-Intelligencer issue of January 4, 1894,  page 3, McFarlan News - The funeral of the wife of Mr. Wm. PERVIS was preached by this writer in the M. E. Church of this place last Sunday [31 Dec. 1893]. She was a good old woman. She had suffered intensely for fifteen months from cancer. She was a member of the M. E. church about 20 years.

No tombstone has been found for Sarah Jane Graves Purvis.

Between the 1st of January 1894 and September 1899, William A. Purvis remarried to a lady named Elizabeth “Betsy” Previtte. The major document supporting this union is an Anson County Land Deed between W. A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhine. [DB33:370]

NORTH CAROLINA} This deed made this 23rd day of September, Anson County, 1899 by W.A. Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis of Anson County and State of North Carolina of the first part and J.D. Rhyne of said county and state of the second part witnesseth that said W.A. Purvis and wife in consideration of fifty four dollars to them paid by J.D. Rhyne. The receipt of which is hereby acknowledged has bargained and sold and by these presents do bargain, sell and convey to said J.D. Rhyne and his heirs a certain tract or parcel of land in Morven Township, Anson County,State of North Carolina.

William A. Purvis died between the date on the above land deed (23 September1899) and 28 June 1900 when the 1900 Census for Anson county was enumerated.

No obituary or tombstone has been found for William A. Purvis.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Previtte Purvis died October 18, 1926 in Rockingham, Richmond County, NC. No tombstone has been found.

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]








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[1] 1860 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 300, line 34, Dwelling 1238, Family 1188, Household of William A. Purvis; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1976); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 887.
[2] 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.
[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 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.
[5] State of North Carolina, death certificate no. 351, (18 October 1926), Mrs. Betsy Purvis; https://www.ancestry.com, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.

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