John Purves (1821 - 1903)

Born 16 May 1821 in Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, England

Husband of Isabella Scott — married 2 Mar 1842 (to 17 Aug 1888) in Coldstream Bridge, Berwickshire, Scotland

Husband of Annie Purves (Whitehead) Purves — married 1889 (to 14 Sep 1896) in South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland

Descendants

Died 17 Oct 1903 at age 82 in Swinton, Berwickshire, Scotland

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Biography

John Purves was born in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, England.

John Purves was born on the 16th May 1821, in Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, England, the son of James Robertson Purves and Jane Brown, and was baptised on the 27th May the same year, in the Golden Square or Scotch Church, Berwick Upon Tweed.^[1]

On the 6th June 1841 John (20), a tailor, was living at Castlegate, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, with his father: James, a shoemaker; and younger brother, the 7-year-old Robert, in what appears to be a boarding house of some kind. His mother and sister Elizabeth Jane were staying at High Street, Belford, Northumberland (a hop and a skip from Berwick-Upon-Tweed).^[2]

He married Isabella Scott on the 2nd March 1842, subsequently having seven known children, three daughters, and four sons:

1. Agnes (1843–1845)
2. James (1845–1896)
3. Robert (1848–1911)
4. Jane (1850–?)
5. William (1854–?)
6. John (1855–?)
7. Agnes Helen (1858–1881)

On the 30th March 1851, John (29), a Master Tailor, was living with his family at No 71, Swinton. Also home at the time were his wife: Isabella (31); and their children: 5-year-old James; 3-year-old Robert; and 11-months-old Jane.^[3]

John was a Master Tailor.

On the 7th April 1861, John (40), a Tailor, was living at 24 Main Street, Swinton. Those home at the time were his wife: Isabella (44); and their children: James (15), a Journeyman Tailor, Robert (13), an Agricultural Labourer; Jane (11), William (8), and John (6), all three at school; and 3-year-old Agnes Helen.^[4]

On the 2nd April 1871, John (49), a Tailor & Clothier, was living in Swinton East End. Home at the time were his wife: Isabella (52); their children: John (15), a Joiner's Apprentice; and Agnes (13); and two Tailor's Apprentices: Coldingham, Berwickshire-born James Henderson (15); and Berwick, England-born William R Currie (13).^[5]

On the 3rd April 1881, John (59), a Master Tailor & Clothier, employing two Men, a woman, and two boys, was still living in Swinton with his family. Also in residence at the time were his wife: Isabella (64); daughter: Agnes (23); a grandson: 6-year-old John Purves; and Liverpool, England-born Thomas D Duglas (23), Journeyman Tailor; Lauder, Berwickshire-born Peter Young (16), Tailor's Apprentice; and Greenlaw, Berwickshire-born Thomas Cook (15), also a Tailor's Apprentice.^[6]

Isabella, his wife of 46 years, having died in August 1888, John married secondly Annie Purves Whitehead in 1889, in Leith, Midlothian.^[7] Sadly, the marriage was not long-lived, as Annie died in 1896, leaving John once again alone. She left an estate valued at £223 13s 11d to John as Executor.

On the 5th April 1891, John (68) was still listed as a Tailor & Clothier, and was living on South Side Swinton with his wife, Annie (48).^[8]

On the 31st March 1901, John (79) a Retired Tailor & Clothier, was living at Swinton's West End. Also in residence was his domestic help: Eccles, Berwickshire-born Isabella Murray (69).^[9]

John Purves passed away on the 17th October 1903, in Swinton, Berwickshire, Scotland, aged 83 years.^[10]

In his Will, confirmation granted at Duns on the 2nd November 1903, to his sons: Robert Purves, Tailor and clothier, of Swinton; William Purves, shepherd, of Lumsden near Coldingham; and John Purves, Joiner, of 18 Elder Street, Preston, the Executors, John left an estate valued at £709 6s 10d.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3D1-KXN : 18 September 2020), John Purves, 1821.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7WF-898 : 25 May 2019), John Purves in household of Jane Arkis, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ Scotland Census, 1851 General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Scotland Census. Reels 1-217. Parish: Swinton; ED: 1; Page: 18; Line: 18; Roll: CSSCT1851_197; Year: 1851. Name: John Purves; Age: 29; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822; Relationship: Head; Spouse: Isabella Purves; Gender: Male; Where Born: Berwick Upon Tweed; Parish Number: 755; Civil Parish: Swinton; Town: Swinton; County: Berwickshire; Address: No 71; Occupation: Tailor (master); ED: 1; Page: 18; Household Schedule Number: 90; Line: 16; Roll: CSSCT1851_197
4. ↑ "Scotland Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBWZ-R8D : 3 February 2020), John Purves, Swinton, Berwickshire, Scotland; from "1861 England, Scotland & Wales census," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012.); citing p. 14, PRO RG 9, The National Archives UK, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 103,812.
5. ↑ Scotland Census, 1871 General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Parish: Swinton; ED: 1; Page: 3; Line: 11; Roll: CSSCT1871_175 Reels 1-191. Name: John Purves; Age: 49; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822; Relationship: Head; Spouse's Name: Isabella Purves; Gender: Male; Where born: England; Registration Number: 755; Registration district: Swinton; Civil parish: Swinton; County: Berwickshire; Address: Swinton East End; Occupation: Tailor & Clothier; ED: 1; Household schedule number: 15; Line: 9; Roll: CSSCT1871_175
6. ↑ Scotland Census, 1881 General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Reels 1-338. Parish: Swinton; ED: 1; Page: 4; Line: 1; Roll: cssct1881_310. Name: John Purves; Age: 59; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822; Relationship: Head; Spouse's Name: Isabella Purves; Gender: Male; Where born: Berwick, England; Registration Number: 755; Registration district: Swinton; Civil parish: Swinton; County: Berwickshire; Occupation: Tailor & Clothier With 2 Men 1 Wom. 2 Boys; ED: 1; Household schedule number: 17; Line: 1; Roll: cssct1881_310
7. ↑ Marriage #2 Registration — Scotland's People Statutory registers – online index search Marriages: Surname: PURVES; Forename: JOHN; Spouse Surname: WHITEHEAD; Spouse Forename: ANNIE PURVES; Year: 1889; Ref: 692/2 277; RD Name: Leith South (payment is required to view the actual registry entry)
8. ↑ Scotland Census, 1881 General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Reels 1-409. Parish: Swinton; ED: 2; Page: 3; Line: 15; Roll: CSSCT1891_378. Name: John Purves; Age: 68; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1823; Relationship: Head; Spouse's Name: Annie Purves; Gender: Male; Where born: England; Registration Number: 755; Registration district: Swinton; Civil parish: Swinton; County: Berwickshire; Address: South Side; Occupation: Tailor & Clothier; ED: 2; Household schedule number: 11; Line: 15; Roll: CSSCT1891_378
9. ↑ Scotland Census, 1901 General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Reels 1-446. Parish: Swinton; ED: 2; Page: 2; Line: 17; Roll: CSSCT1901_415. Name: John Purves; Age: 79; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822; Relationship: Head; Gender: Male; Where born: England; Registration Number: 755; Registration district: Swinton; Civil parish: Swinton; County: Berwickshire; Address: West End; Occupation: Retired Tailor & Clothier; ED: 2; Household schedule number: 9; Line: 17; Roll: CSSCT1901_415
10. ↑ Death Registration — Scotland's People Statutory registers – online index search Deaths: Surname: PURVES; Forename: JOHN; Age at death: 83; Mother's Maiden Name: BROWN; Year: 1903; Ref: 755/ 12; RD Name: Swinton (payment is required to view the actual registry entry)
11. ↑ Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936 Commissary Clerk of Edinburgh under the Sheriff Courts Act, 1876. Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories. Name: John Purves; Death Date: 17 Oct 1903; Death Place: Swinton, Berwickshire; Confirmation Date: 2 Nov 1903; Confirmation Place: Duns, Scotland

• Baptism "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQ82-85T : 11 December 2014), John Purves, 27 May 1821, Baptism; citing p. 153, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, record group RG4, Public Record Office, London.