George and his activities were well documented, probably because ofhis w ealth, influence, position, and participation in every communityof whi ch he was a part.
The family Bible and other family histories do no include FrancisMario n as one of George's sons as some claim.
Residences & events in George's life:
KY
The History of Shelby and Moultrie Co, IL says:
"EAST NELSON TOWNSHIP.* (MOULTRIE COUNTY.)
*We are indebted to George Purvis for the facts related in thistownshi p history.
The first settlers were Joel and Peter Freeman, brothers, with theirfa milies, and James and George Purvis, who arrived early in thespring of 1 830.....
James and George Purvis came April 1st, 1830, and built a cabin ofroug h unhewn logs on section 7, where George Purvis still continuesto live . They broke the first prairie and put in a crop, and in thefollowing m onth their father, John Purvis, his wife, and daughterMalinda came fro m Sangamon county. They all lived in this cabin oneyear, after which t he elder Purvis moved to the " Mill Seat " at thebend of the river, wh ere he lived with his sons John and James G.,who had also arrived and b uilt a cabi n. The bend in the river isnearly the shape of a horse-sho e, and is three and one-half milesaround, and at the neck it is only s eventy steps between the streams.At this point it is said there is abo ut nine feet fall. The eightyacres, including the ben d, was entered b y James Purvis in 1829. He,in company with this brother, John G., buil t a water mill on thisneck in 1833, and it has ever since been know as t he "Mill seat." Itwas a grist and saw mill, and was operated for sever al years by thePurvises and others, and finally washed away.
Maj. James Poor settled a half mile west of George Purvis in the fallo f 1832. He had a family of five children, many of whose descendantsare s till living in the county. At one time Maj. Poor was owner ofthe Mill S eat. He died in 1850. Alfred Wood settl ed in 1833.Frederick Price, Th omas Purvis, a Mr. Sims, Absolun Brown, Mr. Fox,Boswell, Thomas Isaac a nd William Purvis, John Spencer, John Bracken,Milton Cox, Isaac Munson , John Goldsby, Samuel Martin, Joseph Lilly,Samuel Hughes, William Sny der, Alfr ed G. De Bruder, the Elders andLanders were all early settle rs. Grandfather Purvis, who died inJanuary, 1833, was probably the fir st death in the township. Thefirst marriage was that of George Purvis, t o Cassie Waller, in1833....The first post-office was established at Ne lson."
He did arrive in IL in 1830 according to "Kentuckians in Illinois."
He served on the second petit jury of the area with brother, John.
7/6/1836 Sangamon Co, IL. George bought bought 2 tracts of federalla nds, each containing 40 acres, paying $1.25/acre. One tract waslocate d at S13 T13N, the other at S17 T13N. His place of residenceat that t ime was recorded as Shelby Co.
8/10/1838 Shelby Co, IL. George began amassing his vast landholdings b y patenting one parcel on this date as did brothers, John,Thomas, and W illiam.
1/1/1839 He was subpoened and testified in a court suit betweenSolomo n Chaplain vs Lydnor Bonem on a trespassing charge.
1840 Shelby Co, Il. In the census, he was 20-30 and had lost hiswife . Living with him were 1 male under 5 (William), 2 females under5 (th e twins), and 1 female 5-10 (Hulda). Living next door wassister, Maha la, who lived next to sister, Malinda Standifer.Brother,
Isaac, also lived nearby.
1841-3 Shelby Co, IL. George bought items from several estate salesd uring this period.
10/18/1842 He bought another 40 acres of federal land in Sangamon Coa t the same S17 T13N, again paying $1.25/acre. His residence wasrecord ed as still Shelby Co at that time.
3/11/1844 Moultrie Co, IL. He had moved when he purchased 40 acresin C lay Co, IL, from a federal land sale. The land was located atS18 T03N a nd he paid the standard $1.25/acre.
6/10/1848 Moultrie Co, IL. George patented another piece of land.
1/7/1850 No residence was recorded for him nor was the price, when heb ought 159.68 acres at S6 T13N in Moultrie Co at another federal landsa le.
8/21/1850 In the census he was living with his second wife and 6child ren. Living with the family were orphaned relatives he wasraising: n ieces, Vienna and Mary Bracken, daughter of ElizabethPurvis Bracken, a nd nephew, James Purvis, son of Thomas. George wasa farmer with prope rty = $1320
12/30/1850 Moultrie Co, IL. George was involved in a land deedtransf er.
1/21/1852 His name appeared on a summons for failure to pay a note,an d again on 2/1852, no mention whether he was the debtor orcreditor.
6/1/1854 Again he paid $1.25/acre for 40 acres of federal landlocated a t S9 T13N in Moultrie Co, the same county of his residence.
3/1/1855 He patented a third piece of land and later the same year,wa s listed on the taxpayer list for the county.
5/8/1858 His name was on a promissary note recorded at thecourthouse.
12/20/1858 He was mentioned in a file in probate court records.
12/19/1859 He was administrator of the county court and listed in thec ounty treasurers report.
During this time period when the roads were muddy most travelers tooks hort cuts on firmer ground. One history says Abraham Lincoln oftencut t hrough George's property to water his horse from George's well.
1/19/1860 He received a summons for jury duty in a sanity inquest andr eturned the verdict of insanity on a H. Dixon.
1860 Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. In the census, he was a farmer withp roperty = $9255/2000 and had a large family of 12 children rangingin a ges from 26 to 6 mo plus 2 farm hands, one of which was hisnephew, Mar ion Purvis. His future dauther-in-law, Emma Wooten lived3 doors down w ith her parents. The Addison McPheeters family livednext door to the W ootens.
George was a Democrat and some stories say a southern sympathizerdurin g the Civil War while the rest of the family were Republicans.
Since he held several county offices, his name was recorded inconnecti on with those dealings:
9/3/1860 In the county treasurer's report and again 12/1864.
3/18/1861 Reappointed administrator of the county court.
7/9/1864 In connection with notes and judgments collected.
1865 Involved in the sale of land for taxes.
1/15/1866 He filed estray papers for an unspecified animal and again1 2/1866 for 2 heifers. Also that year he petitioned for a bridge atJon athan Creek, and paid school taxes on his property at T13 R6 on8/2 and 9 /2/1866.
4/1867 George was co-surety on a justice bond.
1867 He sold some land.
1868 He was listed in a juror treasury report and again in the countyt reasurer's report.
3/31/1869 Still building his empire, he purchased 2 tracts ofrailroad l and, both located at S18 T13N, one containing 160 acres,the other 40, p aying $9.00/acre. His place of residence was notrecorded.
7/30/1869 His property was among the list of taxable lands.
1870 E Nelson Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. In the census George was one oft he wealthiest men in the county with property = $21,000/6000. Stillli ving at home were 12 children ranging in ages from 36 to 4.
9/2/1871 He paid a school tax for his property at T13 R2.
12/22/1871 His name was on the bond for East Nelson Coll, and yetagai n in the co treasurer's report.
5/31/1872 He bought more railroad land in Moultrie Co, another 40acre s for $9.00/acre. It was located at S20 T13N.
9/30/1873 He got a bargain from the railroad this time, buying 40acre s at $8.00/acre, located at S8 T13N.
In the records of McMullin Funeral Home are the following entrieswitho ut mention of the deceased:
Ord by George Purvis 16 June 1879 - 1 large #1 coffin & box$18.00
Paid $5.00 cash 16 Sept 1879
Paid $5.00 cash 18 Nov 1879
Paid $8.00 cash (no date)
Ord by George Purvis 4 Feb 1880 - 1 large #1 case & box $20.00
Paid $10.00 cash 4 Feb 1880
Paid $10.00 cash (no date)
1875 E Nelson. George was listed in the atlas among the township's10 21 residents as a land owner along with brother, William, andWilliam's 2 s ons.
1880 E Nelson Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. At census time George still hada l arge family and was listed as a farmer. Son, John, and his 2 yearold d aughter were also living there as well as a farm hand, GeorgeFields, 2 0. Brother, William, was 3 doors down the road.
1881 He was still living at the same place where he had settled in183 0 according to the history of the county.
At the time of his death he was the largest land owner in the county.I n the 1896 plat map the following acreage was in the possession ofchil ren:
Mary 275 acres
Dulcena 172
Fannie 211
Samuel 221
WG & Mahulda 250
C E 229
John D 190
Mattie 264
Dulcena & Fannie 92 acres
Total 1904 acres
The obituary said:
"George Purvis - (Son of John Purvis and Sarah Ginn.) 1812-1889
ANOTHER PIONEER GONE
George Purvis dies at his home July 19 in the 78th year of his life.
Died at his home southwest of Sullivan Friday, July 19, George Purvisa ged 77 years and 5 days. He was partially paralyzed last spring, butre covered sufficiently to be able to walk. Another stroke Thursdayevenin g was the immediate cause of his death. He was among the firstsettlers i n the county having moved here in 1830. He had received alarge body of l and, holding at the time of his death more than anyother man in the co unty.
He died where he first settled when he moved into the county havingliv ed at one place fifty-nine years. George Purvis was born in BathCounty , Kentucky, July 14, 1812, and moved to Sangamon County,Illinois, in 1 828. Two years afterward he settled where he had sincelived where he w as a part of Shelby County. He married in March 1833to Miss Cassandra W aller. Four children were the result of thismarriage. Three of them ar e still living: W. G. and Miss HuldahPurvis and Mrs. Elizabeth Oliver, w ife of Edward Oliver. The otherone, Mrs. Sarah Kercheval, died several y ears ago. His first wifehaving died Mr. Purvis was married August 25, 1 840, to Miss MahalaPoor who survived him.
Thirteen children were born to them, 2 of whom died when quite young.
Those living are J. H. Purvis who resides near Dublin, Texas, SamuelH. , John D., Charles E., Mary, Celia Hawkins, Dulcina, Martha, SusanDrew , Dora McCartney and Fannie Purvis. He had a large number ofgrandchild ren and several great-grandchildren. All the children whoare living we re present at his death with the exception of Henry wholives in Texas. T he funeral took place Sunday.
Elder J. W. Mathews of the Christian Church conducted the services."
Son John petitioned the court to serve as administrator of the estates ince George died without a will. The petition states that theestate c onsisted chiefly of 1/3 interest in the estate of Samuel Ash,deceased, a nd personal property worth about $700. It further listssurvivors as w ife Mahala and William, Mahulda, Elizabeth (nowOliver), James H, Mar y, Celia Hawkins, Dulcenia, Martha J, Samuel H,John D, Susan Drew, Dor a J McCartney, Fannie R, Chas E Purvis, andIsabelle Standifer and Geor ge Kercheval. Permission was granted on9/10/1889.
Another estate paper listed grandchildren Isabel Standifer and GeorgeK ercheval in the place of deceased daughter, Sarah.
It further stated that "prior to his death, the said George Purvis andM ahala (his wife) made and executed to each of the above named heirs(ex cept the said Mary A, Dulcena, martha, and Fannie R Purvis) deedsto ce rtain real estate, (not including the land above described),that each o f said deeds contained the recital that the land conveyedtherein was t aken and accepted by such grantee in full of his or hershare in the es tate of said George Purvis.
That each of said deeds so made by said George Purvis have beenac cepted by each of the respective grantees, except William G andMahulda P urvis. That said Goerge purvis died intestate, leaving Lots7 & 8....u ndisposed of, therby making the grantos at No 10 of annexedabstract, t he only heirs to above described lots."
Signed John D Purvis
Co Judge
The funeral took place on Saturday with Elder J W Mathers of theChrist ian church officiating. All his descendants with the exceptionof the T exas bunch were present.
