The PURVEY Family of Sussex

Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Number of pages

in this site:

2,585

Please bear this in mind when you contact me, as I can not always remember what I've said where. It would be really helpful if you could tell me the page title or URL you are contacting me about.

Links to other pages in this site or other websites are in BLUE or RED.

Family History is my hobby. I am not a professional genealogist.

Thank you for taking the time to view my humble effort. Also, a very BIG THANK YOU to all those who have kindly contributed information.

Please check the data for yourself against original sources.

Tip: You may need to hit your F5 key to see any changes to the page since your last visit.

The PURVEY Family of Sussex

Locations

Bolney

Hurstpierpoint

Lindfield

Shermanbury

Slaugham

My Purvey Ancestors

Two sisters were my 6x Great Grandmothers. The elder of the two was Sarah Purvey (1706-1743) who married Richard Hoadley in 1732. They raised their family in Slaugham, Sussex. The other sister was Bridget Purvey (1709-1778) who married Thomas Lillyott in 1733 and they raised their family in Woodmancote, Sussex. The sisters were both born in Bolney, Sussex and were the daughters of Henry Purvey (1665-1711) and Bridget Sherley (1668-1745). A third sister, Elizabeth Purvey (1698-1776) may also have been one of my 6x Great Grandmothers. She married William Knowles (1702-1770) in 1722 and they raised their family in Cuckfield, Sussex. William and Elizabeth were most probably the parents of Richard Knowles, my 5x Great Grandfather, but as yet I have not found his baptism.

I believe I can take the line back to John Purvey who married, raised his children and was buried in Lindfield, Sussex in 1605. He may have been born in the 1550's, but where? He named a daughter Rose and a Rose Purvey married in Petworth, Sussex in 1577 - might they have been siblings? John also named a son Peter and a Peter Purvie was buried in Twineham, Sussex in 1616 - could they also have been siblings? Of John's children who survived to adulthood and married, none remained in Lindfield. My impression is that they were a poor family, with no property, and thus left no wills.

John's son Richard, born in 1596 had children baptised in Hurstpierpoint and Clayton. He was only about 44 years old when he died. Then his son Robert seems to have settled in Slaugham and died there in 1680 when he was only about 51 years old. Robert's son Henry also died young at about 46. Henry was buried in Bolney, which is where his children were baptised.

As can be seen, the generations moved about: Lindfield to Hurstpierpoint/Clayton to Slaugham and then to Bolney. From this and the relatively young age at which the men died, I assume there was little chance of the families building up and passing on any property or wealth.

Spellings of the surname in Sussex include: Pervey, Purbey, Purfey, Purfoy, Purney, Purry, Purvay, Purver, Purvey, Purveye, Purvie, Purvis, Purvoy, Purvy and Purvye. There is also the possibility that the surname may have been miss transcribed as Purdy or Purly and variations of those names. Please see The Internet Surname Database for a possible meaning of the name.

Might our Sussex Purvey ancestors have descended from John Purvey (c1354-c1428)?

My line of descent

John Purvey

(c1550-1605)

Richard Purvey

(1596-1640)

Robert Purvey

(1629-1680)

Henry Purvey

(1665-1711)

Sarah Purvey

(1706-1743)