Yesterday, we ended the review with the Anson County, NC 1880
Census
where
we find Betsy Purvis and her daughter Mary J. Purvis, age 13, enumerated in the
household of William A. and Sarah Purvis.
Two of the three families’ shown in this 1880 census snippet
are my 2nd Great Grandparents – William A. Purvis and Sarah Jane Graves Purvis
and William James Purvis and his wife Mary Hulda Previtte Purvis; the relationship
of and to the 3rd family, Betsy
Purvis and Mary J. Purvis are unknown.
In the 1870, there
is also an unmarried Female Purvis with children living next door to William and
Sarah Purvis.
1870 CENSUS: Morven Twp, Anson County,
North Carolina. Series: M593 Roll: 1122,
Microfilm # 552,621, Pg. 403A, Line 1, Dwelling 179, Family 179. S.[arah]
PERVIS, age 49, Elizabeth PERVIS, age 17, William PERVIS, age 15; John PERVIS,
age 12 and Caswell PERVIS, age 10, all born in North Carolina.
Could the Elizabeth
Purvis, age 17 in this Household also be the Betsy Purvis in W. A. Purvis household
in 1880?
In February 1880 and March
1881, William A. and his son William J. Purvis borrowed money in order to buy
the necessary supplies to plant a crop.
Note: I’m not quite sure how a 17 year lad can sign a
mortgage borrowing money to plant a crop.
Trust Deed -
W. A. Purvis & W. J. Purvis to Marshall & Richardson, Anson Co., NC,
Book 11, Page 529.
Trust Deed -
W. A. Pervis to Marshall & Richardson, Anson Co., NC, Book 13, Pages 107.
On 3 March
1881, the same day that William A. Purvis borrows $200 from Marshall &
Richardson; he also sells of 30 acres (DB 21:401) of his land for a sum of $125.80
which I suspect was to pay off past debts. This land was the 30 acres he
purchased from W. P. Brantley 21 Dec 1873.
Now the Trust
Deeds (mortgages) are getting more frequently with:
16 Jan 1882 -
Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis & others to J. D. Harden, Anson Co., NC, Book 15,
Pages 23-24. [Others are William J., Sarah J., and Mary H. Purvis]
18 April 1882
- Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis to J. D. Harden, Anson Co., NC, Book 15, Page 157
September
1882 – It was about this time that William A. and Sarah Jane learned that Sarah
Jane had Cancer.
7 March 1883
- Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis to Thompson & Moore, Anson Co., NC, Book 16,
Page 158.
28 September
1883 - Trust Deed - Jefferson D. Rhine to Wm. A. Purvis, Anson Co., NC, Book
16, Page 428.
Also on 28
September 1883 we have a sell-off of the 60 acres parcel purchased from James L
. Edward in 1871 to Jefferson D. Rhyne.
Bad times are
turning to more bad times with a continuing cycle of borrowing money to
purchase seed to plant the Crop, toil and labor on the farm all year to find that
the crops were not enough to pay everything off and continuing the same cycle
year after year after year.
15 January
1884 - Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis to Thompson & Moore, Anson Co., NC, Book
16, Pages 561-562. ($225.00)
2 July 1884 -
Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis & wife to Thompson & Moore, Anson Co., NC,
Book 18, Pages 63-65.
3 Dec 1884 - Trust
Deed - W. A. Purvis & wife to Thompson & Moore, Anson Co., NC, Book 18,
Pages 202-203.
25 February
1885 - Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis to C. C. Moore & Co., Anson Co., NC, Book
18, Pages 546-547.
22 April 1886
- Trust Deed - W. A. Purvis to J. T. Moore, Anson Co., NC, Book 20, Page 611.
And then tragedy
struck on 31 December 1893, Sarah Jane [Graves] Purvis passes away after
suffering from cancer for the past fifteen months. (Sept 1882-Dec 1893)
DEATH:
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. [Source: Steve Bailey]
The M. E. Church referred to here is
most likely Zoar United Methodist Church and though no tombstones have been found
for William and Sarah Jane; they are
most likely buried at Zoar. Their only child, my Great Grandfather William
James Purvis and his wife are buried in the cemetery.
Five years
after burying his wife Sarah Jane we have William A. Purvis selling more of his
property to Jefferson D. Rhyne. The land deed for this parcel is titled - W. A.
Purvis and wife Elizabeth Purvis to J. D. Rhyne, Anson County, NC, Book 33,
Page 370.
This indicates
to me that William A. remarried after Sarah Jane died in 1893 and his new wife is
Elizabeth “Betsy” Purvis.
“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. Adjoining the lands of Jms. Davis, Jms.
McGugan, Dr. W.J. McLendon and J.D. Rhyne. Bounded to follows. Beginning at
McGugan's corner in McLendon line and running east six chains to Rhyne's
corner. Then with Rhyne's line south to a corner in his line 392 yds. Thence west to Davis line 7
1/2 chains. Thence direct to the beginning corner containing twelve
acres more or less”. [
Book 33, Page 370]
If we go back
about 15 years we see that this tract of land is part of a 30 acre tract that
William A. Purvis and his wife Sarah Jane purchased. Now on 23 September 1899
it is being broken up into a 12 and 18 acres parcel. William A. and his new
wife Elizabeth is selling off 12 acres to J. D. Rhyne. At this point J. D.
Rhyne now owns every acres of land that William A. and Sarah Jane Purvis purchased
except for 18 acres.
28 June 1900,
the Census taker is checking off the houses in Anson County and is at the door
of Household 337, Family 338. At home is Elizabeth Purvis, age 40, Widower,
born Oct 1869 in NC and her daughter Ella Purvis, age 13, born Dec 1886 in
North Carolina. Elizabeth tells the Census taker that she 2 children but only
one is living.
1900 CENSUS: Morven Twp, Anson Co., NC;
Series: T623, Roll: 1181, Page: 145, Line 20, Household 337/338; Elizabeth
PURVIS, age 40, Wd., born Oct 1869 in NC; Ella PURVIS, daughter, age 13, born
Dec 1886 in NC.
Elizabeth Purvis
did have two children:
- Mary
Jane Purvis, b. abt 1873, married Charlie Franklin Lang, abt 1888, had 4
children. Ella died during or shortly after giving birth to her 4th
child – Frances Elizabeth Purvis, b. March 1895 in Marshville, Union County,
North Carolina.
- Ella
Frances Purvis, b. 25 September 1886, Anson County, NC; married Thomas T.
Tarlton, 14 Aug 1904, Anson County, NC. They had 8 children. Ella Frances
Purvis Tarlton died 27 November 1971 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NC.
a.
Ella
Frances Tarlton Social Security Form shows her parent as Billie Purvis and
Betsy Prevett.
The obvious
point here is that Elizabeth is a Widow indicating that between 23 September
1899, when William A. Purvis signed with his mark on a Land Deed (DB 33:370)
and today 28 June 1900 that he, William A. Purvis has passed away and Elizabeth
and Ella are carrying on with their lives.
The 1900 Census shows Elizabeth [Line 20] living next door
to Jeff D. Rhyne and we see other names mentioned in the land deeds, i.e.
McGugan.
The final land deed shows that William A. Purvis ensured
that Elizabeth “Betsy” Purvis, his wife, had a place to live for her natural
life. But, daughter Ella married Thomas T. Tarlton and so Elizabeth had a
choice. Stay all along at her age out on the farm or moved in with her daughter
and new son-in-law.
On 30 September 1900, Betsy sold the final acreage (18
acres) to Jefferson D. Rhyne retaining six (6) acres and a house as a life
estate.
BETSY
PURVIS
TO
J. D.
RHYNE - DEED
State of
North Carolina}
Anson
County} This deed made this 30th day of September 1900 by Betsy Purvis of Anson
County and State
of North
Carolina of the first part to J. D. Rhyne of Anson County and State of North
Carolina of the second part.
Witnesseth:
That said Betsy Purvis
in consideration of Fifty Dollars to her paid by J. D. Rhyne the receipt of
which is hereby
acknowledge, has bargained and sold and by these present does bargain, sell,
and convey to said J. D. Rhyne and his
heirs, and assigns a certain tract or parcel of land in Morven Township, Anson
County, State of North Carolina, adjoining
the lands of J. D. Rhyne, and others. Bounded as follows: Beginning at a white
oak in the state line running with
state line and east to a comer of J. D. Rhyne land thence North course to a
comer of land bought by said J. D. Rhyne
from Billy Purvis then a North course to a comer on the Gardner land thence
direct to the beginning comer 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, his heirs and assigns
that she
seized of said premises in fee and has a right to convey the same in fee
simple. That the same are free from all incumberances
and that she will warrant and defend the said title to the same against the
claims of all persons whatsoever.
In testimony whereof the said Betsy Purvis has hereunto set her hand and seal the day and year
above written.
Attest:
W.E. Pennington Betsy
X Purvis (Seal)
Jefferson D. Rhyne has finally acquired ALL of the land previously
owned by my 2nd Great Grandparents William A. Purvis and Sarah Jane
Graves Purvis.
By 1910, Elizabeth “Betsy” Purvis had abandon the “farm”
and life estate and moved in with her daughter Ella and son-in-law Tom Tarlton.
On 18 Oct 1926, Betsy Purvis died in Rockingham, NC while
living with Ella and Tom Tarlton. She was buried at Mizpah Cemetery. No
tombstone marks her grave and little was said about her in the final hours.
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]
