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Yesterday's Tennessee

COLONEL JOHN PURDY

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

Mr. Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith of Jackson has published seven genealogical miscellanies for Henderson County.  He wishes to share this information as widely as possible and has granted permission for these web pages to be created.  We thank Mr. Smith for his generosity.  Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2001

(Page 38)

From the NATIONAL BANNER AND NASHVILLE WHIG, August 27, 1834:

JOHN PURDY. Residence, Henderson County; born April 16th 1798 in Millin /Mifflin/ County, Pennsylvania. Emigrated to Tennessee in 1819. Occupation, a farmer.

  Colonel Purdy appeared among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of Tennessee which convened in Nashville in 1834 and devised a more democratic state constitution which was adopted by the electorate of the state in 1835 and its provisions became effective in 1836.

  Colonel Purdy was Surveyor-General of the Ninth Surveyor's District in the 1820s, which included the area now Henderson County. As such he processed all land claims that were finalized at state land grants for this district. His office was first located in Lexington but was moved to Mifflin shortly where he lived for years. (JACKSON GAZETTE, 11-20-1824)

Appearing in the DISTRICT TELEGRAPH AND STATE SENTINEL, December 14, 1838:

Departed this life at his residence near Mifflin, Henderson County, on the 4th inst., in the 40th year of his age, Col. JOHN PURDY. In the death of Col. Purdy, a loss to his family and to society has been suffered, which cannot be estimated. For 20 years past, Col. Purdy was a citizen of Henderson County and in the time filled many responsible offices of trust, without a shadow of reproach. He was a member of the late Convention in Tennessee for the revisal of the Constitution. As a husband, parent, friend and neighbor, all the mild traits of character were displayed and attested benevolence of heart and good will to men.

Buried in the old Miff lin Cemetery about. 3 mile northeast of Mifflin, off Highway 197 is his burial plot. Until Chester County was organized in 1879, Mifflin and the area around it were located in Civil District Three of Henderson County.

 

COL. JOHN PURDY
Died
December 4, 1838
Aged 40 years
& 7 months

SARAH
Daughter of John & F. E. PURDY
Died
Aug. 8, 1851
Aged 18 yrs.

FRANCES E. PURDY
Born
In Pittsylvania Co., Va.
Dec. 28, 1808
Died
April 3, 1881

WILLIAM P. PURDY
Died
March 26, 1836
Aged 26 years



One tombstone:
Infant Daughter of F. E. Purdy Died 1828
A. M. PURDY daughter of John & F. E. Purdy
Died 1831

"and the village of Mifflin was named by him /Colonel Purdy/ in honor of a town in his old state." W. A. Goodspeed, HISTORY OF TENNESSEE, Chester Co., 1887, page 807.

 

Other works by Jonathan K. T. Smith can be found at the Madison County Records Repository at TNGenWeb.

Return to Table of Contents for A Genealogical Miscellany Henderson County Tennessee

volume I · volume II · volume III · volume IV · volume V · volume VI · volume VII

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