REFN: 19944
Was the chairman of the Whig Club and Committee of Safety of Baltimore town, during which time he signed the order for the arrest of the British Govenor of then Province of Maryland, Govenor Eden.
REFN: 19945
Was a prominent practiioner (attorney)
Worked for the State Department from 1794 until the time of his death.
Purvines, Stuart Hoye. The Purviance Family: A Genealogy with Allied Families. Privately Printed, 1986.
John Henry Purviance, son of Samuel and Catherine Purviance, never married. He was well educated (presumbaly in the schools of Europe since no record has been found as to his attending schools in America) and was employed as early as 1794 as secretary and interpreter for the State Department, accompanying James Monroe to France.
That he was associated with the State Department from that time until his death is fairly obvious. Just exactly what this association was, however, is not always clear. While many of his papers, and a number of diaries are maintained in the Purviance Papers by the manuscript department, Duke University, there are not sufficient documents to cover the entire period. That he was a close intimate of many in the foreign service is made clear and he traveled extensively to and from the continent on various missions. There are several memoranda in his handwriting of interviews with Monroe and representative of the French government concerning treaties with the United States as it related to France and to Spain; and negotiations for keeping the Mississippi open to American shipping. A number of Monroe's rough drafts of speeches or letters remain in the collection. Some mystery surround some of the documents. In 1796, at Monroe's request, he compiled a series of memoranda explaining the difficulty in obtaining cash for a draft for $120,000 sent to Monroe by the U.S. Treasury. While not specifically stated, it would appear that the money was to be paid to Napolean's brother.
There is correspondence addressed to him from Fowler Skipworth, the American Consul-General at Paris. During 1801 and 1802 he was back in the United States but was exerting every effort to again be sent abroad, apparently for his health. He solicited the support of a number of influential friends in this regard and the State Department records disclose a petition signed by many such in his behalf. He succeeded in this and served as Secretary of Legation in London from 1804 to 1810. There is on file a considerable amount of correspondence between he and Monroe during this period. There are also four letters addressed to him by the American painter, John
REFN: 19937
78. Letitia Catherine PURVIANCE
REFN: 19954
REFN: 19953
REFN: 19955
REFN: 19956
REFN: 19939
REFN: 19944
REFN: 19947
The gift included 1 black horse, 1 sorrel horse, 10 head of cattle, 2 feather beds with furniture, 5 sheep, 1 wagon with harness, and 2 plows.
Gift included 1 brown mare, 2 cows, 2 feather beds with furniture, 2 pewter dishes, 10 pewter plates, 1 pewter basin, and other furniture.
REFN: 421
Moved his family to North Carolina in the late 1760's.
REFN: 19957
REFN: 19958
Little is known of Martha. In a letter her brother John wrote to his brother Joseph c1830, he refers to her living in Missouri about 160 miles distant. It is known that she came to Illinois with her brother, but remained only a few years, moving on to Missouri. No marriage record has been found.
REFN: 413
Nothing is known of this girl except that she married in Pennsylvania to a Mr SNODGRASS and that she had a son, Benjamin, There was also a reference to the 'famous' Mr Snodgrass, but the references were never clear as to whether they applied to the father or to the son.
REFN: 423
Very little is available on this son at this time. We know that he was born in Pennsylvania and came to North Carolina with the rest of the family. A few court records place him there between ,1767 and 1775. Family history relates that he had moved his family to the frontier and he and most of the family were killed by the Indians.
There was a William Purvine whose descendants relate the following story regarding their William's father: "One morning while Mr Purvine and the older children were doing the chores, the wife heard an unusual noise, and, upon looking outside, saw that her husband and children were surrounded and being attacked by indians. She snatched up her baby boy who was in the house with her and fled to a nearby settlement and safety. Her husband and five older children were all killed and her home burned."
This William is here placed as the remaining son of Charles. For the benefit of other researchers, it should be stated that William is placed here as that sole survivor, solely because the above story has been carried through the descendants although they never related their progenitor as being Charles. The story of Charles was carried through other lines of the family and William was the only boy not properly placed as a descendant of one of the other lines. This William was raised in the homes of his uncles and the only records and associations we have been able to locate have been with those people. He came to Illinois, settling near his cousin, John.
REFN: 422
He was born after his father's death and it is believed that his mother died giving birth to him. Being an orphan he was raised by a Quaker family. Upon gaining his majority, he became a Quaker himself.
It should be pointed out that the parentage of this James, as shown here, will vary from records and traditions which can be located, including the marriage record. That marriage record specifically states that James is the son of James Purviance. Such documentation is hard to refute, but we do so, based upon (1) Samuel (Book V, Section 2) on his visits into N.C., brought information to David and the others in N.C. of the other relatives and those in N.C. were well aware of James1 sons during the years in which they were being born; (2) no James, who could be the father of this particular James, has ever been located; and (3), the following statement copied from the Bible of John Puryi-r ance (1790-1857) , the son of David Purviance and grandson of John Purviance (Book IV, Section 4) reads:
"Our great-grandfather by our father was John I'urvlance, His wife's name was Margaret McKnight. My grandfather was John, was married to Jane Wasson. His oldest brother's name was David, a Presbyterian Minister. He never married. He was about to be married and on a Saturday night visited his intended and was to preach the next clay and was found dead in bed. Our grand-uncles names were James and Moses was a half-brother. Our grandfather had several cousins, William, Samuel and James. He also had a full cousin by the name of David Purvians and James brothers. James was born after his father's death. James was raised by a Quaker and became a Quaker. He had 10 sons."
The above definition leaves no doubt as to which James the writer was discussing.
Moved from Bradford Meeting, PA, to Hopewell Meeting, VA in 1771. Moved to West Moreland Meeting, PA in 1786
REFN: 19951
REFN: 19979
REFN: 19980
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REFN: 19929
47. Sarah Purviance CARRUTHERS
REFN: 19931