Alnwick parish registers 1813-37 - PURVIS

[dmollison]

I am looking for the birth/baptism of Thomas Joseph Purvis about 1820, and hope it can be found in the C of E parish registers of Alnwick or nearby.

TJP was the father of the marine artist Thomas George Purvis (1861-1933) and grandfather of the poster artist Tom Purvis (1888-1959),  who designed some well-known railway posters for LNER.

According to the 1851-71 censuses, Thomas Joseph Purvis was born in Alnwick, and if the ages he gives (30, 41, 50) are precise that would pinpoint his birth to between 2-8 April 1820 - but of course they may not be precise!  I've looked in the IGI, which seems to cover nonconformist registers but not C of E for this period, so hope he can be found in the register for Alnwick St.Michael.  In case not, he might be in one of the nearby parishes, e.g. Edlingham - I mention Edlingham because his father may have been there in 1834.

His parents should be Thomas Purvis, described as Sheriff's Officer in TJP's marriage cert. (1856), and Margaret, in Amble aged 68 in 1851, farmer's widow, born Glanton; that would put her birth at 1782/3, and maddeningly the parish register for Glanton starts in 1784 ..   Because of the mention of "farmer", I wonder if the father is the Thomas Purvis whose farm stock at Abberwick Mill was being sold in 1834.

Any help gratefully received ..

Denis

[JenB]

Have you looked at the Durham Bishops Transcripts via family search http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=waypoint;s=waypointsOnly;c=1309819;w=0 where you will find transcripts of the Alnwick registers. Select Northumberland, then Alnwick.
Some Edlingham records are available on the same site.

You will need to go through page by page, they are not searchable by keyword.

Jennifer

[dmollison]

Jennifer -

Thanks very much, didn't know those were available.

Have looked at the most likely pages, but no luck so far.
Can you think of any other sources for farmers or sheriffs officers near Alnwick at that period?

Denis

[trish1120]

The IGI has an Extracted Record;
Which may be worth considering.

Thomas PURVIS
Christened, 09 September 1821 , Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland
Parents,THOMAS and MARGARET
There are no other siblings on the Batch

Possible Marriage;
Thomas PURVIS
Margaret PYE, 09 February 1812, Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland

1861 census your Margaret gives her POB as Norham

Trish

[dmollison]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I don't think these relate to Thomas Joseph Purvis.  He consistently gives his birthplace as Alnwick in the 1851-1871 censuses, and this family (Thomas Purvis / Margaret Pye) are at Tynemouth for 1812 (marriage), 1814 (bapt. of son Sanderson P.) and 1821 (bapt. of Thomas P.).

And the Margaret Purvis in Norham in 1861 is also there in 1851, with husband William, and a son John, 31, whose baptism at Norham, 12 Mar 1820, is in the IGI.
Whereas my Margaret is in Amble (aged 68, b Glanton) with son TJP (Thomas Purvis, 30 (+), blockmaker).

TJP is a joiner in North Seaton in 1841, but I cannot find either parent.  But then Purvis is often badly misspelt in ancestry's census transcriptions - I found TJP under Parow in 1851 and Jarvis in 1871!

I still think his birth is most likely to have been in Alnwick or adjoining - I tentatively suggested Edlingham because a Thomas Purvis gave up farming there in 1834, and it is next door to Glanton; but that's a bit of a long shot.

Best wishes

Denis

[Radcliff]

Thomas and Margaret have a son Sanderson baptised Tynemouth January 1814,occupation of father mariner,

[dmollison]

PS  I fear the farmer froom Edlingham is unrelated - I think I've found him (as Parvis) in the 1841 census, at Bolton, one of the nearest settlements to the farm given up in 1834.  And his wife Martha is born "not in county", so cannot be Margaret, born Glanton.

c1841 - Bolton
Thomas Purvis  70  Ind      b Scotland
Martha   "     80          not in county
Deaths Jun 1842    
PURVIS    Thomas        Alnwick    25   147    
Deaths Dec 1842   (99%)
Purvis    Martha        Alnwick    25   141


Denis

[trish1120]

Hi Denis,
Yes, I see that the ones I found now were unconnected. Thank you for clarifying. Good luck with the christenings.

Hopefully someone will come up with what you want for Thomas Joseph Purvis

[dmollison]

Found him! 

Thomas Joseph Purvis - c 27 Jan 1822 Alnwick (St Michael's), son of Thomas, flax dresser,
  & Margaret, of Pottergate

Many thanks to JenB for pointing me to this resource (Bishop's transcripts at familysearch)!

His parents are still a bit of a problem, though: what I've got from Alnwick etc BTs so far is
given below

Best wishes - and thanks again

Denis

------------------------------

Other refs to Thomas Purvis, flax dresser, give 4 possible other
children (and I haven't looked beyond 1825 yet); but raise problems
over his marriage(s).

Phillis Purvis - b 27 Jul 1811, c 15 Mar 1812 Alnwick
- 2nd dau. of Thomas Purvis, Flax Dresser, native of the parish of Warkworth,
  by his wife Ann Egdell (1) native of the parish of Wittingham.
Margaret Purvis - c 25 Sep 1814 Alnwick, dau. of Thomas P, flax dresser,
  & Margaret, of Narrowgate
- d 1821 - bd 6 Apr 1821, aged 7 (2) (of Pottergate)
Cecily Purvis (3) - c 28 Dec 1817, dau. of Thomas P, flax dresser,
  & Margaret, of Pottergate
Thomas Joseph Purvis - c 27 Jan 1822 (2), son of Thomas P, flax dresser,
  & Margaret, of Pottergate
Mary Purvis - bd 30 Nov 1824, aged 16, of Pottergate (4)

NOTES
(1) We know (from c1851) that Margaret came from Glanton in Whittingham
parish, so could Ann be the same as Margaret?
[Have looked unsuccessfully for burial of Ann and/or marriage of
Margaret to Thomas P. in Alnwick / Warkworth / Wittingham 1811-14]
Haven't yet found any other refs. to Phillis - there's a different
Phillis Purvis, c 1811 Berwick, who is in c1861, and d 1867 Newcastle.

(2) Margaret's age at death implies that she was christened at age
5-18 mos. (compare TJP, b 1820/21 acc. censuses, but c Jan 1822.

(3) = Cecilia Purvis, m George Wilson Hedley 1845, 2 children.

(4) Parents not given, but Mary could be Thomas P's oldest daughter,
whose existence is implied by the entry for Phyllis ("2nd dau."); her age
at death would  put Mary's birth in 1807/08 which fits well.