More Purvis

I received a Yahoo LM email ‘the Purvises revisited’ about the new photo in the “overview” section entitled “Jacktown 1” which shows some Purvis houses. Would you please give me some assistance in understanding the photo caption? Are the “two four square buildings” the two white buildings on the right side of the road very close together, with what looks like a dark colored silo? If these are the Bennett and Roberts places, are the “next buildings” the farm further to the right down the road mostly hidden in the trees?

Also, in ‘Jacktown 1’ would you please advise where the town of ‘Purvis’ is – is it at the end of the road at the bottom left hand corner of the photo? Is the Willowemoc River in the trees at the bottom of the photo? I am trying to compare the ‘Jacktown 1’ photo to the 1875 map… I hope to visit Livingston Manor some day to see these places for myself. Coincidentally, I live in Durham, NH, the home of General John Sullivan for whom your Sullivan County is named.

The trees at the bottom of the picture are just before the White Roe road and after the Willowemoc and DeBruce road. The center of Purvis is at the lower left of the picture. The picture below shows purvis and the Jacktown road in the upper right

I am attaching a four generation photo, for your website, which includes my last Purvis-surnamed ancestors. All the people in the photo were born in Livingston Manor except the baby. This photo was taken in the summer of 1928. They are, from the front, left to right:

Aaron Royston Purvis: July 4, 1839 - November 27, 1937

Agnes Isabelle [aka Belle] (Purvis) Peterson: July 7, 1876 - February 26, 1956 (his daughter)

Virginia Isabella (Peterson) Mackie: July 18, 1905 - April 23, 1930 (his granddaughter)

Albert Willcox Mackie: August 13, 1927 - February 28, 2001 (his great grandson & my father)

Mary Jane (Dougherty) Purvis: December 8, 1839 - October 29, 1928 (his wife)

Aaron Royston Purvis was the son of Manly Alexander Purvis (1807-1895) and Phoebe Van Benschoten (1810-1889); grandson of William and great grandson of George the Immigrant. He was the brother of John E. Purvis for whom the GAR Post was named and the brother of William, whose 1917 obituary was posted a few months ago for the LM Yahoo group. His sisters were Mary Jane Purvis [Abner] Bennett and Charlotte Purvis [Milton] Bennett.

According to Gertrude Barber’s book, Aaron’s parents, Manly and Phebe (Van Benschoten) Purvis are buried in the Methodist churchyard. His daughter Anna Purvis is also buried there with her grandmother Catherine Dougherty who died a few days before she did in 1887. Anna was 11 at the time of her death. Perhaps Aaron’s three other children who died in childhood are buried there as well. Aaron is 89 in this photo and Mary Jane is 88 – Aaron lived another 9 years and died when he was 98 years old!

Sincerely,

Janet Mackie