John Thomas Purvis was born 14 Jan 1843 to parents Nancy Ann Ritter & James M Purvis of North Carolina. Some claim they were from Tennessee, though have seen no documents as of yet to prove so. Also some say James M & Nancy A Purvis moved from Tennessee to Mississippi about 1839.

Either way through his childhood the family lived in Mississippi until his teen years when the family had moved to Arkansas about 1857.

His parents had four other children born in Mississippi including, but not limited to...

Mary E Purvis 1845 –
H T Purvis 1847 –
Sebell Caroline Purvis 1852 –
Martha J Purvis 1855 –

Their sixth son was born in Arkansas

Henry L Purvis 1858 –

According to a family historian he enlisted for service in the Civil War 12 May 1862 and served in the Confederate Army until 21 Oct 1863. The military records have him as paroled at Pine Bluff Arkansas, with his residence as Miller Township in Bradley County.

He had served in the 26th Arkansas Infantry Co. D. It is said that his regiment was known as Captain Haliday's Company Arkansas Infantry, but also designated as others over time such as 26th Infantry, Arkansas Infantry: Morgan's Battalion, and the 3rd Regiment Trans Mississippi Infantry.

As an adult his trade was listed as a farmer, standing six feet tall, blue eyes, sandy hair and a fair complexion, as described by his Oath of Allegiance dated 21 Oct 1863.

At the age of 19 John Thomas married Mary Adeline Gage on the 22 Apr 1869 in Bradley County Arkansas. He was 26 and she was 18

They continued to live in Arkansas until 1885 where they raised a family of 6 children.

Mary Emoline
George Madison
Lafayette Monroe
Arthur Dudley
Lida Bell
John P

About this time, the family decided to move to Texas. The train journey was made with only 5 children, as their son John P. had passed away when he was about 6 years old. After waiting a few days in Cisco for their possessions to arrive, they traveled South to the Atwell area of Callahan County Texas.

Atwell & Cottonwood Texas would be the birth place for their future children

Thomas Henry
Jewel Perry
Cora Beatrice
John Milton

It was noted in the book 'The Early Days of Callahan County' by Brutus Clay Chrisman that the family of J T Purvis was one of the first to settle in this region of Texas (Atwell community) in the mid 1880's

Early in May of 1893 John Thomas became ill and a telegram was sent to his son George who had gone back to Arkansas to help his Uncle Henry and Aunt Nancy on their farm. It is said that he arrived back in Texas on the 14th and his father John Thomas Purvis passed away that very night.
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* We owe a great debt of gratitude to Freida and Golden Purvis. Before the age of the internet Golden & Freida spent many years researching & documenting ancestral information, without that work most of this would have not been known. Many thanks to their writings so that future generations may benefit from their hard work. ~Joseph