James Purvis Sr. and His Children

James Purvis Sr. was born about 1760 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, a son of John Purvis and Sarah Johnson.

In July 1818, James Purvis[1], son of Gilbert Purvis died leaving his widow and I believe two small children, both boys. Sometime after this event, most of the Purvis families in Chesterfield County started their Westward migration.

We know they stopped in Clarke County, Alabama before finally settling around what is today Jackson, Mississippi. I have found two Land Deeds in Clarke County, Alabama[2], One dated 25 December 1821 signed by Gilbert Purvis, Sr. and another dated 12 January 1829 signed by Gilbert Johnson Purvis.

It was here that a son and daughter of James Purvis , Sr. were married; John Purvis to Mary Parks on 14 December 1819[3] and Henry Howell to Rebecca Purvis on 9 November 1824[4].

There is a reference to a John Purvis having died here in the early 1820. This John Purvis is most likely a brother to James Purvis, Sr. Gilbert Purvis and Joseph Purvis. This information was provided by a family researcher in Georgia.

James and his family left South Carolina about 1819 and traveled to Clarke County AL with a band of settlers that included Gilbert Purvis. Both men appear on Clarke County records, along with John Purvis, who had come to Alabama from Chesterfield County SC a few years previously. John Purvis died in Clarke County. After his death, Gilbert and James moved on to Mississippi. (It is not clear to me what happened to the family of John Purvis—or who that family might be. Estate papers exist but are not revealing, except for establishing that John and James are brothers.)[D. Purvis]

We find James F Purvis brother Gilbert Purvis listed in the 1827 Simpson County Tax List[5]. So we know they are in Mississippi by 1827. James Purvis, Sr. appears in the 1830 Census for Rankin County[6], Mississippi, United States.

The wife of James Purvis Sr. is unknown at this time.

James Purvis, Sr. and his wife had the following children:

1. Joseph Purvis, born abt 1791 or 1800, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Elizabeth Cook, abt 1823; died bef May 1842. Elizabeth Cook Purvis then married Richard Odom.

2. Nancy Purvis, born 1791 or 1800, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Wright Barnes; died bef 1850.

3. John Purvis, born 20 Jan 1795, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Mary Parks, 14 Dec 1819, Clarke County, Alabama, USA; died 23 Sep 1872, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States.

4. William James Purvis, born abt 1796, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Millie Cook, abt 1812 or 1813; died bef 1870, Smith County, Mississippi, United States.

5. Rebecca Purvis, born abt 1803, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Henry Howell, 9 Nov 1824, Clarke County, Alabama, USA.

6. Elizabeth Purvis, born 1806, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married James L. Brock, abt 1819, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; died 1 Apr 1873, Lexie, Walthall Co.,MS.

7. Alexander Purvis was born about 1808 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States. He appeared in the census in 1845 in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States.

8. James Purvis Jr., born 21 Feb 1809, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Elizabeth Magee, 12 Nov 1829, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States; died 14 May 1900, Verda, Grant Parish,LA..

9. George Washington Purvis, born abt 1809, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married Mary Ann Patrick, 19 Oct 1838, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States; married Sarah A. Williams, 31 Aug 1867, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States; died 1897, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States.

10. Rosannah Purvis, born abt 1811, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; married James Jackson Patrick, 23 Sep 1837, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States; died 1862, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States.

James Purvis, Sr. died in November 1836[7]. His estate is on file in Hinds County, Mississippi

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[1] Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County Administrator's Bond 1803-1818, Administrative Bond for John Johnston, Gilbert Purvis, admrs. of James Purvis; Bond $10,000; Moses Harrelson, Felix Powell, sec. Richard Singleton, Levi Moore, wit. , 17 July 1818, Probate Office, Conway.

[2] Land Deed - William Stringer to Gilbert PURVIS; 25 December 1821; Deed Book #A; Page(s) 182-183; Register of Deeds; Clarke County, Alabama; 10 January 2012 (and) Land Deed - Gilbert J. PURVIS to Grass Scruggs; 12 January 1829; Deed Book #G; Page(s) 366-367; Register of Deeds; Clarke County, Alabama; 10 January 2012.

[3] Clarke County, Alabama, marriage (14 December 1819), John Purvis to Mary Parks; Montgomery, Alabama, USA, State of Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Record Services Division.

[4] Clarke County, Alabama, marriage (9 November 1824), Henry HOWELL to Rebecca PURVIS; Montgomery, Alabama, USA, State of Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Record Services Division.

[5] Mississippi State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, *FamilySearch*, (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 14 January 2012), Simpson,County Tax Rolls; 1827, Box 3764, Image of 27 of 276, Gilbert PERVIS.

[6] 1830, Rankin County, Mississippi, population schedule, Rankin County, Mississippi, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 168, Household of James Purvis Sr.; digital images, www.ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed May 2010); citing NARA micro-film Roll: M19-71.

[7] James Purvis, Sr. Estates, 1821-72, Chancery Clerk's Office, Raymond, Mississippi. (Hinds County, MS, Estates, 1821-72, Case 2, No. 264).

Estate Records of Chesterfield County, SC

If you have family roots in or originating from Chesterfield County SC you are well aware of the lack of historical records for that county.

The first courthouse was built in Chesterfield County in 1786 consisting of a log cabin approximately 60X40 feet. [1]This fist courthouse evolved into a larger two story building which was burnt and destroyed by Gen. Sherman on 2 March 1865. It was this destructive act, during the Civil War, which resulted in the loss of almost ALL early historical records of the County. Very few extant documents exist for the county prior to 2 March 1865.

Land records, probate records, newspaper and other legal and historical documents were destroyed on that Thursday in 1865.

So what is available for this burned county?

Recently, Family Search [2] has filmed and posted the extant Estate Records for the county on their Website.

You can access these records by clicking on the above hyperlink. When the Family search website comes up select “RECORDS” along the top of the page

Scroll down to “Browse by Location” and select USA, Canada and Mexico

On the next page that appears - enter “South Carolina” in the search box at top left corner

You will get the following listing of available records.

• South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1943
• South Carolina Deaths, 1944-1955
• South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977
• South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964
• South Carolina, Civil War Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865

Also listed are the number of records and when they were last updated.

As shown here, you can see that the LDS Church family History Library has very few records for Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

The website contained two listings for the County Estate Records

1. South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977

2. South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964

The first listing is the INDEX for the estate records. They are in alphabetical orders but there is no indications or index for the Image number where surname “A” begins or end. So if your surname starts with “M” which is the middle of the alphabet you should look at the total Image on the film and maybe jumped to Image “90” of 187. Then you could work your way backward or forward as needed.

This is what you your alphabetical listing [3]will look like:

When you find your surname on the Estate Index make note of the folder number for the Estate. Let’s assume that Sarah A. Allen listed above is your relative. Her Estate folder is Folder #1197.

Next we will want to go to this listing 2 above - South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964

At the beginning of the Files and Loose pager film you will come to a page that has all the cases listed. You will want the listing that encompasses the Estate Folder you are looking for – Filer #1197.

In this case the actual grouping is:

Cases 1138-1206

Just as the INDEX is an alphabetical listing the estate folders are listed numerical so you will have to guess as to what image number your folder may start on. There are 1297 images on the above reel. Case 1197 is approximately 60 cases from the start of the reel and only 9 cases from the end of the reel. So it’s safe to assume that the Estate Folder is toward the end of the reel. I started on Image 1000 and found the actual estate for Sarah A. Allen begins on Image 1152 of 1297.

There are two other resources available related to early probate records in Chesterfield, South Carolina. The following books were research, abstracted and printed by James Pigg[4] while a member of the Chesterfield Genealogical Society[5].

1. Miscellaneous Abstracts from Pre-Civil War Cheraw Newspapers James Pigg

2. Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 17501865 & Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas, 1823 - 1869, James Pigg, 2000

These two books can be purchased from the Old Darlington District Chapter of The South Carolina Genealogical Society[6].

If your ancestor left an estate in Chesterfield, South Carolina, I do hope the information here will be helpful in your search. If you have questions about research in Chesterfield County feel free to contact me through e-mail or this blog.

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[1] http://chesterfield-sc.com/Historic%20CField/courthouses/courthouses.htm

[2] https://familysearch.org/

[3] https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19420-44985-46?cc=1919417&wc=9385463, Image 10 of 187

[4] http://www.pigggenealogy.com/

[5] http://chesterfield.scgen.org/

[6] http://www.olddarlington.scgen.org/publications.html