This blog entry continues with the Purvis and Campbell families of Wilcox County, Alabama. While researching my Campbells, I was also able to sort out other non-related Campbells. I plan to publish what I have on these other Campbells in a future post.
The last entry ended with two Purvis sisters: Henrietta (Purvis) Eaton (1833-1925) and Mary Ann (Purvis) Strahan (1836-1919?). Their parents were George Purvis, Jr., and Caroline (Campbell) Purvis. The parentage of the sisters was established through Henrietta’s death certificate and the Leonard Strahan letter of 1947 (grandson of Mary Ann). The family favored the spelling Pervis but many documents used the spelling Purvis.
What we’ll discuss in this post is how the Purvis and Campbell families arrived in Wilcox County, Alabama by 1835 and left by 1846.
A good starting point is George Purvis’s probate record as transcribed and summarized by Laurel Francis. Records are from the Family History Library Films:
Alabama, Probate Court (Wilcox Co), PROBATE Probate Indexes 1821-1859, films 1673597 and 1673598.
Probate Drawer Index, item 4, #61, Purvis, George
Orphan Court Probate, Film 1673597, Index to Probate Minutes Book 3 pages 24, Jun 20, 1836 “Estate of G Pervis died- Caroline Purvis administratrix (gave $1000 security) also ordered by court Duncan H. Campbell, Malcom McRaney & Moses McClure appraisers of the estate.”
Oct 17, 1836 Film# 1673597 Book 3 p 59 Returned with an appraisal
Feb 16 1846 Film# 1673598 Book 5 p 336 heirs to appear April 1846
Apr 20, 1846 Film# 1673598 Book 5 p 415 “Land to be sold, NE quarter of SE quarter of section 10 township 12 of range 7; also the E half of the NE quarter of section 15 in township 12 of range 7 in the district of land sold at Cahaba, Dallas, Alabama
Jun 3 1846 Film# 1673598 Book 5 p. 437 “processed 1 June 1846, land sold to John M. Burke
You’ll notice the names of Duncan H. Campbell and Malcom McRaney. Later we’ll show that Duncan was Caroline’s father. The McRaney family intermarried with the Campbells.
Next, let’s start working through the land records. As an overview, here is a plat map of a portion of Wilcox County, Alabama showing where the Purvis, Campbell, and McRaney lots were. There is one piece of land in section 15 labeled LEWIS George 1837 that should be PERVIS instead.
George bought land two times from the federal government, in January and December 1835. The first entry we’ll look is the one improperly indexed as George Lewis instead of Pervis. From the US Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, Alabama, Volume 16, page 107:
George Pervis Jr., for E1/2NE1/4, Sect. No. 15 of Township No. 12 of Range No. 7 cont’g 79 acres and 79 1/2 hundreds of an acre at $1.25 per acre,
1835 Jan’y 22, Certf No. 21520, purchase money $99.74, -, Cash 21520, Pat dated, $99.74
The certificate lists him as “George Pervis Junior of Wlicox County Alabama.” This was purchased as part of the sale of public lands act of April 24, 1820. George purchased the land from the Cahaba land office in Alabama. It was signed in Washington on 10 April 1837.
From the US Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, Alabama, Volume 16, page 97:
George Pervis Jr., for NE1/4 SE1/4, Sect. No. 10 of Township No. 12 of Range No. 7 cont’g 39 acres and 98 1/2 hundreds of an acre at $1.25 per acre,
1835 Dec 18, Certf No. 26046, purchase money $49.98, 1835 Dec’r 18, Cash Patented, $49.98
Again, the certificate yields some additional information. It was from the same land office and the same act. He was listed as “George Pervis Jr. (lined out) Junior of Wilcox County Alabama.” It was signed in Washington on 20 April (lined out) May 1837.
These two land holdings match up with George’s estate of 1836. The certificates arrived after his estate was settled. Ten years later, Caroline (Campbell) Purvis, administratix of George Purvis’s estate, consigned Joseph Van De Voort as attorney in law on October 2, 1846 in order to sell the land. This was recorded in the Wilcox County, Alabama, Deed book, Volume I, page 261. Witnesses were Alexander Campbell and Daniel McRanie. Purvis, Caroline
In summary: George Purvis, Jr., bought land in Wilcox County, Alabama, in 1835. He died before June 1836. His wife, Caroline, sells the land in 1846.
The Purvis family did not come to Wilcox County alone. Duncan N. Campbell – father to Caroline – also bought land there. He purchased his first piece of land on the same day that George Purvis did, and received the next sequential certificate number. From the US Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, Alabama, Volume 16, page 99:
Duncan N. Campbell, for W1/2 SW, Sect. No. 11 of Township No. 12 of Range No. 7 cont’g 79 acres and 83 hundreds of an acre at $1.25 per acre,
1835 Jan’y 22, Certf No. 21521, purchase money $99.79, -, Cash 21521, Pat dated, $99.79
His second land purchase is recorded on the same page:
Duncan N. Campbell, for NE1/4 SW1/4, Sect. No. 11 of Township No. 12 of Range No. 7 cont’g 39 acres and 91 1/2 hundreds of an acre at $1.25 per acre,
1835 Nov 5, Certf No. 25007, purchase money $49.89, 1835 Nov 5, Cash 21521, Pat dated, $49.89
Once again, the certificates indicate that Duncan was of Wilcox County. They were signed on 10 April 1837 and 20 April (lined out) May 1837.
Duncan was listed as an appraiser for his son-in-law George Purvis’s estate in 1836. That is the last record we have showing him alive. It appears he died before 1840.
Censuses were recorded by a sheriff or other official who toured the county, house to house, and recorded the census entries. These were then copied and sent to the federal government. Sometimes those copies were made alphabetically, others simple copies. The 1840 census, enumerated on June 1st, for Wilcox County, Alabama, has two women as heads of household listed sequentially.
1840 Alabama, Wilcox, page 313, images 15-16, lines 12-13
Mrs. C. Purvis, 1f<5, 2f5-10, 1f30-40, 4 total
Mrs. Mary Campbell, 2m20-29, 1f30-39, 1f50-59, 1 male slave 24-35, 5 total, 2 Agriculture
The m stands for male, f stands for female. The numbers indicate the age brackets. So 2m20-29 is shorthand for 2 males aged between 20 and 29 years old. The women being listed sequentially indicates that they lived near each other. C. Purvis with three young girls corresponds to Caroline (Campbell) Purvis. The younger girl in her household would be Mary Ann (b. 1836), and her sister Henrietta (b. 1833) would be one of the two older girls. It is unknown if the other older girl was a Campbell daughter or not. Mary Campbell, as we will later see, is the widow of Duncan Campbell and likely mother of Caroline. It is possible that Duncan was away at the time of the census, but the more likely case is that he was deceased before 1840.
In 1845, Mary Campbell and the Campbell children sell the lands of Duncan Campbell in Wilcox County, transcribed as follows:
Alabama, Wilcox County, Deed Records, Volume I, page 207
Mary Campbell, et al, to John M. Burke//
Wilcox County State of Alabama December 31st 1845
Know all men by these presents, that we Mary Campbell
widow of the late Duncan N. Campbell deceased and William
Campbell, Caroline Purvis formerly Caroline Campbell, Alexander
Campbell, Harriet McRainie formerly Harriet Campbell
Daniel Campbell and Daniel McRainie husband of the
said Harriet Campbell heirs at Law of the said Duncan
N. Campbell of the first part for and in Consideration of
the sum of Three Hundred Dollars to us in hand paid
the receipt of which is hereof acknowledged have this day bargained
sold Conveyed & delivered unto John M. Burke of the second
part all parties living & being in the County and State above written
The following ascribed lot or parcel of Land being and lying
in the said County of Wilcox & State above written lying in the
Land District Subject for sale at Cahawba To wit, The west half
of the South west quarter of Section Eleven in Township twelve
of Range Seven, Containing seventy nine acres & Eight three hundredths
of an acre also the North East quarter of the South west quarter
of Section Eleven in township twelve of Range Seven Containing
thirty nine acres and ninety one and a half hundredths of
an acre Making in all One hundred & Nineteen acres and
Seventy four and a half hundredths of an acre more or less
to have and to hold the same to himself the said John M. Burke
his heirs Executors Administrators and assigns together with
all the improvements appertaining to the premises forever
And we do warrant and defend to him the said Burke
his heirs and assigns forever the title to the said land herein
Conveyed In Testimony whereof we the parties of the first
part have signed it with our own hands and seal this
the day and year before written
In presence
Martin Green J.P.
John C. Wear/
Mary Campbell (her X mark) seal
William Campbell seal
Caroline Purvis seal
Alexander Campbell seal
Harriet McRanie seal
Daniel Campbell seal
Daniel McRanie
This document lays out the family for us by identifying Duncan’s wife and children. The family is as follows:
Duncan H. Campbell, wife Mary, children:
William Campbell
Caroline Campbell m. George Purvis, Jr.
Alexander Campbell
Harriet Campbell m. Daniel McRaney
Daniel Campbell m. Nancy McRaney
My next post will continue to flesh out the records associated with Wilcox County, Alabama. I welcome comments and corrections.