PURVIS FAMILY

Purvis

Parents of Malinda Purvis
John Purvis and Sarah Ginn
by
Jane Van Gundy

John was born the same year his father died, an only child. He might have been raised by his Uncle William Purvis, since he migrated with William's family.

Other family histories do not include the following children as part of John's family: Sarah, Tabitha, and Mahala. (Could Mahala & Malinda be one and the same person?)

Residences & other events in his life:

Abt 1795 Culpeper Co, KY. He joined a party preparing to go west which consisted of the family of his uncle, William Purvis, the Burks, and possibly the Ginns, all from Culpeper Co. The journey took them through the mountains of MD and PA, then down the Ohio River on a flatboat.

Maysville, Mason Co, KY. Leaving the river, the journey would continue by land after his marriage and a short stay here.

1808 Hardin Co, KY, in the Licking River Valley near Elizabethtown, where son, William, was born. Sarah's brother, James, was in the next county east while her parents were 2 counties away.

1810 Fleming Co, KY. He and Uncle William were the only "Purvisses" in KY according to the census. They were neighbors, just 5 doors apart.

1811 His father being deceased, he was instead mentioned in the will of his Uncle James Purvis.

11/10/1814 Owingsville, Bath Co, KY. With the US threatened by British invasion on all borders, John enlisted in the 28th Inf of KY, commanded by Thomas Owings, and was sent to the Canadian border.

Following the War of 1812, he remained in the army for his 5 yr enlistment, serving as Pvt in 3rd Inf, Capt Daniel Baker's Co, because the 28th Inf had been disbanded. For his service he received 160 acres of land "to be located agreeably to the said act on any unlocated parts of the six millions
of acres appropriated by law for the original grantees of such military warrants; and this warrant is not assignable or transferable in any manner whatever."

1819 Bath Co, KY. Returning from the service he returned to farming.

1820 Bath Co, KY. He bought 70 acres of land.

1820 Sva (?) Co, KY. John was the only Purvis in the county at census time while William, Charles, and George, were all in Nelson Co.

1820s He became infected by "Illinois Fever" which was raging in KY and moved on.

8/7/1826 Sangamon Co, IL. John voted at the Springfield Courthouse, the only Purvis listed.

10/3/1826 Sangamon Co, IL. John and a Leroy Hill were named in early probate records in connection with the estate of a Jesse Southwick, both with notes due on 4/1/1829.

John sold some land to Thomas Morgan, details unknown.

1828/1829 Sugar Creek Twp, Sangamon Co, IL. He bought the county's first water mill which had been built in 1827 in Section 2 on Sugar Creek from A Lathrop. It was then used as a saw mill but he added a grist mill and ran a distillery as well. The distillery, "like others at that day, was extensively patronized." He sold out to Leroy Hill.

He sold more land, this time to Bennet C Johnson, other details unknown.

2/22/1830 Springfield, Sangamon Co, IL. Listed among the voters at the courthouse were John (Pervis) and sons, Isaac, William, and Thomas.

5/1830. Shelby Co, IL. County history said that on this date John, his wife and 2 children, George and Malinda, joined sons, James and John, who had already settled in the county. However, other records as noted below, indicate they moved later.

8/2/1830 Springfield, Sangamon Co, IL. Again voting at the courthouse was John G Purvis, William, and son-in-law, John Bracken.

1830 John was not listed in the census in either Sangamon or Shelby Co, indicating he was living with relatives as previously stated. Son, Isaac, was still in Sangamon Co.

It is unlikely that John ever owned land in either Shelby or Moultrie counties as no records have been found for him, only the children. He probably just came along with the family.

Sarah's family was among the early settlers of Noble Co, OH. John and James Ginn emigrated to Ohio early but moved west long before 1887. They were weavers by trade.

John's lineage is still under construction. Some say they were John Purvis, b 1755 Culpeper Co, VA, probably d bef 5/1777 in PA, m Eliza Ann Pritchard, 1775 in SC. She d 1792 Edgefield, SC.

I haven't verified any of this but am working on it. Anyway, if so, his lineage goes back to John Purvis, b abt 1650, d 1709-10 Middlesex Co, VA & Mary Shippey, b 4/12/1655 in St Martin Parish, Leicester, Eng, d 12/16/1720 in Christ Church, Middlesex Co, VA.




PURVIS FAMILY

From Moultrie County
Record and History Book