The Purves family history can be traced back to 1066 AD. During the Battle of Hastings, the Purves family gave significant military service to William the Conqueror (Duke William of Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

). Because of their achievements, William the Conqueror awarded them lands in Suffolk in 1066 AD.

Ancient land holdings

Purves is a name of local origin, from Purveshaugh, in Berwickshire, shortened to Purves. This name is of Scottish descent and is found in many ancient manuscripts in Normandy. Examples are William Purveys of Mospennoc, who made a grant to the monks of Melrose in 1214, and Alan Purvays, who witnessed a confirmation charter by Patrick, Earl of March, in the year 1318. Names were recorded in these ancient manuscripts to make it easier for the overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired lands by either force or as gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. Other examples of this name were found in the person of a Thomas Purves, who had a charter from Robert, Duke of Albany, in 1427, and Andrew Purves, was a juror on an inquest on the lands of Tulloch, recorded in the year 1438.

The origin of the name

The name has an ‘occupational’, or role, origin stemming from the “the collection or requisition of provisions for a sovereign” – Purveyance (purvea(u)nce, purvya(u)nce in middle English and purveance in old French).

Family motto

The family's motto is in Latin "Clarior e tenebris," which translated means "the brighter from previous obscurity."

Settling the New World

Some of the first settlers in the New World

New World

The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...

were:

• Catherine Purvice and her husband, Nevice, 1663.
• Alexander and William Purves, Philadelphia, 1860.
• James and Jane Purvis, Virginia, 1805.