Tombstone Tuesday - James Thomas & Mary Hulda Previtte

James Thomas Previtte was born on 9 Jan 1867. He was born on 6 Oct 1867 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. ^{1 2} He died on 9 Jan 1929 at the age of 61 in Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina. ³ James was buried on 10 Jan 1929 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.^{4 5}

James Thomas Previtte and Mary Huldah Davis were married on 25 Dec 1890. Mary Huldah Davis, daughter of Thomas Franklin Davis and Rosa Caroline Massey, was born on 16 Sep 1866 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. ^{6 7} She died on 3 Oct 1928 at the age of 62 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.⁸ She was buried on 4 Oct 1928 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. ^{9 10}

James Thomas Previtte and Mary Huldah Davis had the following children:

              i.   Rosa Vertie Previtte, born 9 Jan 1892, Anson County, North Carolina; married William Cleveland Deese, 12 Mar 1916, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; died 5 May 1963, Morven, Anson, North Carolina.

              ii.   Elizabeth Florence Previtte, born 21 Apr 1893, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Daniel Franklin Campbell, 11 Aug 1914, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 27 Jun 1975, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

              iii.   Dewey Thompson Previtte, born 20 Aug 1894, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Rachel Ethelene Campbell, 30 Jul 1918, Morven, Anson, North Carolina; died 6 Jul 1947, Morven, Anson, North Carolina.

              iv.   Mary Bell Previtte, born 11 Sep 1895, Anson County, North Carolina; married Elisha L. Campbell; died 16 Apr 1950, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina.

              v.   Samuel Timmons Previtte, born 21 Dec 1897, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Josie Russell, 12 Jul 1928; died 22 Aug 1976, Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina.

              vi.   Amanda E. Previtte, born 19 May 1898, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Colon Douglas Campbell, 4 Aug 1912, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 15 Feb 1922, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

              vii.   John Miles Previtte, born 8 Feb 1902; married Mary Edith Sellers, 29 Sep 1929; died 26 Aug 1974, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

              viii.   James Ross Previtte, born 20 Jun 1904, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Mamie Mathis, 17 Sep 1922; died 19 Aug 1958.

James Thomas Previtte is my Great Grand Uncle. Mary Hulda Davis Previtte is my first cousin 3 times removed.

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        1. 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 291B, Line 36, Household 85/85, Household of J. W. PRIVETT; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 21 July 2011); citing  National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.

        2. 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #5, Page: 326B, Line 43,, Dwelling 291, Family 291, Household of John PRIVOTT; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 21 July 2011); citing National Archive  Microfilm T9, Roll 1225.

        3. State of North Carolina, death no. 65 (9 January 1929), J T Previtt; https://www.ancestry.com, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.

        4. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995, page 839. Tombstone of James Thomas Previtte; 6 October 1867–9 January 1929, Zoar United Methodist Church Cemetery, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

        5. Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for James Thomas Previtte; (6 October 1867–9 January 1929); Memorial # 48050099; Record of the Zoar United Methodist Church Cemetery; Brocks Mill, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 2 June 2012. Find A Grave Memorial# 48050099.

        6. 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 288B, Line 15, Dwelling 16, Family 16, Household of T. F. Davis. 

        7. 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, ED #5, Page: 328A; Line 5, Dwelling 312, Family 312, Household of Thos. F. DAVIS. 

        8. State of North Carolina, death no. 24, (3 October 1928), Mrs Hulday Privett.

        9. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey, Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995. Tombstone of Hulda Previtte.   

        10. Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com, Accessed on 2 June 2012; Headstone for Huldah Davis Previtte; Memorial # 48050522. Find A Grave Memorial# 48050522.

Sundays Obituary: Albert Franklin Phillips, Sr.

Albert Franklin Phillips Sr. was born on 3 Apr 1923 in Morven, Anson, North Carolina, United States.  He was the son of Reuben Thomas Phillips and Teressa Sarah Deese. He died on 9 Apr 2000[1] at the age of 77 and was buried at Eastview Cemetery, Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina.

Albert Franklin Phillips Sr. and Mary Rebecca Brister were married in 1954 in Louisiana. Mary Rebecca Brister was born on 8 May 1930 in Leesville, Louisiana, USA. She died on 12 Oct 2004 at the age of 74 in Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina, United States.

Albert Franklin Phillips and Mary Rebecca Brister had 5 children.

Albert Franklin Phillips is my 1^st cousin once removed.

OBITUARY: Wadesboro, N.C. - Mr. Albert Franklin Phillips, 77, died April 9, 2000, at his residence.

A native of Anson County, he was born April 3, 1923, the son of the late Reuben Thomas Phillips and Cora Blanche Deese. Mr. Phillips was a retired Air Force sergeant and was a member of the Wadesboro VFW. Graveside services were Tuesday, April 11, at Eastview Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. Earl Bradshaw. Mr. Phillips was preceded in death by his brothers, Jack Phillips, Reuben T. Phillips Jr. and Edgar Phillips; and sisters, Ethel Watts and Francis Flack. Survivors include his wife, Mary Rebecca Phillips of the home; sons, Albert F. Phillips Jr. of Polkton and Thomas Matthew Phillips of Wadesboro; daughters, Ms. Mary Lee of Wadesboro, Mrs. Christine Morton of Wadesboro, and Mrs. Debra Porter of Atlanta, Ga.; and sisters, Mrs. Clara McLester of Polkton and Mrs. Todd Cooper of Rockingham. Memorials may be made to Duke and St. Joseph Home Care and Hospice, P0 Box 974, Wadesboro, NC 28170 Moore Funeral Home of Wadesboro was in charge of funeral arrangements. [The Cheraw Chronicle, April 13, 2000, Page 6A].[2]

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[1] Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com, Accessed on April 2012; Headstone for Albert Franklin "Frank" Phillips, Sr; Memorial # 27815941.

[2] Obituary: Mr. Albert Franklin Phillips obituary, The Cheraw Chronicle, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 13 April 2000, Page 6A.

Trust Deed - W.A. Purvis to James L. Edwards

Trust Deed - W.A. Purvis to James L. Edwards

                                                                                    

 

This indenture made this the 21 December 1871 between W. A. Purvis of the first part and Jas. L. Edwards of the second part both of the county and State of North Carolina witnesseth whereas the said W. A. Purvis is justly indebted to the said Jas. L. Edwards the sum of two hundred and forty-seven 80/100 dollars and whereas the said W. A. Purvis is desirous to secure the payment of the said debt now therefore this indenture witnesseth that for and in consideration of the promises together with the further consideration of the sum of one dollar in hand paid to the said W. A. Purvis by the said Jas. L. Edwards the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged he the said W. A. Purvis hath granted, bargained & sold and by these presents do bargain grant & sell unto the said Jas. L. Edwards a certain tract of land lying and being in the county of Anson and the State of North Carolina on the waters of Westfield Creek and bounded as follows:

beginning at a stake in the state line 4th corner of R. Gaddy's tract & runs No. 15 Wst 38.35 Chs to a stake in McGugans line 3rd corner of the Gaddy tract then No. 88 Wst 11.40 Chs to a stake one pine pointer then So. 37.50 Chs to a stake in the state line then with the state line East 21 Chs to the beginning containing sixty (60) acres being the same land conveyed by Isham Wallace to Jas. L. Edwards to have & to hold the said land & promises and all & singular the ... hereditament's, woods ways waters, rents, improvements, profits and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining thereto to him the said Jas. L. Edwards, his heirs, executors, administrators in fee simple forever free & discharged from any & all encumbrance's whatever in special trust & confidence that the said Jas. L. Edwards shall & will hold, keep, use & apply the same in the use intended following and no other that is to say if the aforesaid debts and every part thereof together with the lawful interest that may have accrued & if the same shall not be (fully) paid off and satisfied by the said W. A. Purvis on or before the first day of January 1873 then and in that case it shall be lawful and shall be at the pleasure of Jas. L. Edwards having first advertised the same at the Court House in the town of Wadesboro and three other public places in the county of Anson the space of twenty days to proceed to sell the said land & premises at public auction to the highest bidder for cash money or such credit the said Edwards may think proper and convey the same by proper & sufficient assurances to the purchaser and all the proceeds and money arising from said sale to retain all necessary expenses of this trust and then payoff and discharge to himself the said debts and interest specified in the foregoing part of this trust that he shall pay all as such part as shall remain unpaid at the time of the sale & the over plus if any he shall pay or return to said W. A. Purvis or his representative in testimony, whereof the said W. A. Purvis doth set his hand & seal the day & date above written.

                                                                                             his

                                                                                       W.A. X Purvis {Seal}

                                                                                            mark

Signed, Sealed & Delivered in the presence of

S. J. Edwards 

Anson County. In the Probate Court Dee 30th 1871. Then the due execution of the foregoing Deed of Trust was proved by the oath of S. J. Edwards, the subscribing witness thereto let the deed with this certificate be registered.

J. M. Covington

Probate Judge 

Anson County. Jany 3rd 1872. This day the following Deed of Trust was duly registered in Trust Book No. 2, Page 360.

John Stacy

Register of Deeds

 Trust Deeds are in essence a promissory note or mortgage. In this case my great great grandfather William A. Purvis is borrowing $247.80 from James L. Edwards repayable on the 1st January 1873.

Instruments of this type were used in this area by farmers to purchase necessary supplies, seed & fertilizer, in order to plant their crops for the year and when the crops are sold the loan is repaid.

Then the cycle starts  all over again. 

This is the earliest trust deed that I have; a few years later the lender tacked on a 7% to 8% interest rate that was repayable along with the original loan. This seems to be excessive for this time period, 1860 and 1870's. I personally think it was an early form of usury.

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[1] Anson County, North Carolina, Trust Deed Book 2, Pages 363-365, W. A. Purvis to James L. Edwards; 21 December 1871, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina. LDS Family History Library Film #1689098, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Genealogical Nuggets within Land Deeds

I remember the early days of my genealogical journey.  After reading "Roots' by Alex Haley in 1976 I was ready to get started on documenting my family. Now it's May 2012, 36 years later, and I'm still stuck on one of the major Brick wall in my research – William A. Purvis.

I remember it was quite easy to get back to William A. Purvis. There was my great grandfather William James Purvis Death certificate [1]and it stated that his parents were William Purvis, Sr. and Sarah Graves. 

Next, it was off to the census where I found William and Sarah enumerated in the 1860-1880[2] [3] [4]census for Anson County, North Carolina.  The only child listed for this couple was found in the 1870 census where my Great Grandfather William James Purvis is listed as a 6 year old child. In the 1880 Census, William James is married to my Great Grandmother Mary Hulda Previtte Purvis and living next door to his parents.

Further research in the 1900 Census along with research in the local cemetery resulted in no record of William A. Purvis and Sarah Jane Graves Purvis after 1880. The 1890 Census were destroyed by fire, this 20 year gap put a big stumbling block in the research process.  No grave or tombstone has been found for either William or Sarah.

  

At this time, approximately 3 years into my research, I turned to land deeds in an effort to find additional information on my 3^rd great grandparents. 

The land deeds provided a gold mine of documents and some pertinent genealogical information.

There are 9 land deeds on file in Anson County, NC for the buying and selling of land to which William A. or William J. Purvis were a party in the transaction. 

In additional to these 9 land deeds found in North & South Carolina; there were 27 Trust Deeds [5]found that William A. Purvis,  Sarah Jane Purvis, William James Purvis and Mary Hulda Purvis were the Trustor for the deed. 

The really big surprise out of all of these deeds was Betsy Purvis selling the land that William A. Purvis and Sarah Jane Purvis once owned.  There is no evidence in the Deeds Books that Betsy Purvis ever purchase land in Anson County, NC. The fact that she is selling land that was previously owned by William A. Purvis points to a "right of survivorship"  such as spousal inheritances. 

Much later, a local genealogist found what is believed to be a death notice for Sarah Purvis.

                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][6]

No one in our family was aware of a second marriage for great grandfather William A. Purvis but circumstantial evidence surely points to a second wife.

 There is a Land Deed recorded to Deed Book 33, page370[7] between William A. Purvis and wife Betsy to J. D. Rhyne, deed dated 23 September 1899. This is the last document found, as of today, for William A. Purvis. He is not listed in the 1900 Census which was enumerated on 28 June 1900[8].  

It is presumed that William a. Purvis died between 23 September 1899 (DB33:370) and 28 June 1900 (1900 Census).  Elizabeth Purvis is enumerated in the 1900 Census. 

In 2004, I was contacted to assist in getting a DAR Application approved for a descendant of Frederick Rivers.  I was able to use the following Land Deeds to prove this lineage. The deeds are summarized here to save space.

DB20:263-265[9]

William Rivers & Others to B. F. White.

The DAR wanted proof of the children of her ancestor. We used a Land Deed (DB 20, pages 263-265, Chesterfield, SC) which listed the children names. The deed listed the following children: William, David, Sarah, Eliza and Calvin Rivers selling land formerly owned by F. F. Rivers (deceased). The parents of these children were Frederick F. Rivers & Siddie Boatwright Rivers.  

Another instance I used a Land Deed to correct a name. Harry Alexander Davis published a book in 1927 entitled "The Davis Family in Wales & America"[10]. 

On page 55 he lists the children of my 4^th Great Grandfather Thomas Davis. The 7^th child of Thomas and Nancy Davis was a daughter named Elizabeth Rebecca Davis. Mr. Davis in his book has her listed as Margaret Elizabeth Davis.

  

A land deed was used to prove her name was documented as Elizabeth Rebecca Davis.

Deed Book 1: 47-48[11]

Lewis Boatwright to Samuel Boatwright dated 15 April 1854 states that he Lewis Boatwright "do grant bargain sell and release unto my Son Samuel". Transfer of 250 acres for the sum of $250.00. States that Elizabeth R. Boatwright the wife of the within named Lewis Boatwright did appears this 10 day January 1866. Elizabeth Rebecca [Davis] Boatwright relinquishes her rights of dower. Harry Alexander Davis in his book "The Davis of Wales and America", page 55 has her name recorded as Margaret Elizabeth Davis. Yet, in this land deed she states that her name is Elizabeth Rebecca Boatwright. [Chesterfield County, SC, Register of Deeds, Book #1, Page 47-48].

Another important land deed in this area is those dealing with land division upon death of the Owner. A good reference is a land deed at this Website:

http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/anson/court/dlajhcou.txt

In this deed the dower land of Abrilla Hailey,Decd; widow of John Hailey is
being divided among  the heirs. A total of 9 lots of land are being divided
 among the heirs including the married names of a daughter - Lot 4 - Laid off to Rebecca Clark.

If you are stalled in your research and at this point haven't considered looking at land deeds I would encourage you to consider this resource.

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[1] State of North Carolina, death certificate no. 17 (8 June 1941), William James Purvis; https://www.ancestry.com, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina.

[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, Population Schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, ED No ED, page 300, line 34, Dwelling 1238, Family 1188, Household of William A. Purvis.

[3] 1870 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, Population Schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, ED No ED, page 403A, line 38, Dwelling 178; Family 178, Household of William A. Purvis.

[4] 1880 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Anson County, North Carolina, ED # 2, Page 350B, Line 36, Dwelling 233, Family 251, Household of William A. Purvis.

[5] security for your loan

[6] Sarah Jane Graves Purvis obituary, Messenger-Intelligencer, Wadesboro, North Carolina, 4 January 1894, page 3, McFarlan News.

[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, ED #7, page 145, line 20, dwelling 337, family 338, Household of Elizabeth Purvis.

[9] Land Deed - ; ; Deed Book #20; Page(s) 263-265; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; 2000

[10] Harry Alexander Davis, The Davis Family (Davies and David) in Wales and America: genealogy of Morgan David of Pennsylvania (Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1927), Page 55.

[11] Land Deed - Lewis Boatwright to Samuel Boatwright; 15 April 1854; Deed Book # 1; page(s)47-48.