• Spring 2007 • Page 25 •

by the American Revolution:

Sergeant Gabriel Purdy UE of the Guides and Pioneers and Colonel James DeLancey’s Regiment

Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE was part of a group of Loyalists who immigrated to Westchester Township, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. His story of Loyalist service in the American Revolution exemplifi es the courage and risks taken by men dedicated to the Loyalist cause. This story begins with what is known about his

ancestors, four generations before his birth, and courses through the very origins of white settlement in the Americas.

The authors are indebted to the many years of research by Clayton Charles10 Purdy, Alec Raymond11 Purdy and Foskea Jacoba10 Purdy UE, BA, M.Ed., who spent several summers in Nova Scotia discovering her family roots stemming from Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE.

By Grietje R. (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc. and Robert C. McBride UE, B.Sc., M.Ed.By Grietje R. (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc. and Robert C. McBride UE, B.Sc., M.Ed.

• Page 26 • The Loyalist Gazette •

Family BackgroundFrancis1 Purdy (1587, England – 1658,

Fairfield, Connecticut) was a Puritan. He moved to Fairfield, Massachusetts, within the first few months after its founding in September 1639.

By 1642, Francis1 Purdy was married to Mary Brundish/Brundage (1628, Ipswich, England –, Rye, Connecticut), daughter of John Brundish/Brundage (1593, Belstead, Suffolk, England – 20 May or 27 October 1639) of Ipswich, Suffolk, England, a tanner, and Rachael Hubbard (– 1648).

When Francis1 Purdy died, an inventory of his estate was taken and presented to the court at Fairfield on 20 October 1658.

His third child, Joseph2 Purdy (circa 1652/53 – October 1709, Rye, Connecticut), moved to Rye, Connecticut, in 1677. Rye was included in the limits of the Colony of Connecticut on 30 May 1663 and became a part of the Province of New York in 1702. Along with his brothers, John2 and Francis2, and brother-in-law, Deliverance Brown, Joseph2 Purdy sold land in Fairfield, Con-necticut on 2 May 1678 to Moses Dimon and, on 14 February 1678, he sold land in Rye to Caleb Hart.

John Ogden was the Assistant Governor of Connecticut in the 1660s

In 1680, Joseph2 Purdy married Eliza-beth, (– 1742), the daughter of John Ogden and Judith Budd. John Ogden was the Assistant Governor of Connecticut in the 1660s. Judith’s father, John Budd, the largest landowner in Westchester County, was largely responsible for the settlement of Rye, as he was the one who bought the land from the natives in 1661. Hence the name, Budd’s Neck, in Rye.

Joseph2 Purdy was Justice of the Peace in 1702 and 1709, Supervisor of the Town of Rye from 1707 to 1708 and Representative of the County in the Colonial Legislature (1693, 1702 – 1709).

Circa 17 April 1709, Samuel3 Purdy Senior (circa 1685, Rye, Westchester County, Connecticut – 4 March 1753, White Plains, New York), third child of Joseph2 Purdy, married Clorinda/Cloreen “Penelope” Strang/Streing (13 June 1688 – 6 December 1726), daughter of Daniel Strang/Streng/Streing (circa 1661, Orleons, France – circa 1706, Rye, New York) and Charlotte LeMaistre/Lemestre (circa 1668 – circa 1722, Rye, New York).

Samuel Purdy Senior, was chosen to… take care of the whole management of

surveying their lands

Samuel3 Purdy was involved in various land transactions in Rye. As well, between 1707 and 1755, he was the Town Supervi-sor for Rye, the Justice of the Peace for Rye, Farmer of the Excise, school teacher, Town Clerk of Rye, Judge of the Common Pleas Court and Judge for the County of Westchester.

On 15 June 1715, at a meeting held in Rye, Samuel3 Purdy Senior, along with five others, was chosen to “… take care of the whole management of surveying the town’s bounds of their lands to the best of their discretion.”

Samuel3 Purdy Senior died at White Plains, New York, on 4 March 1753 and is buried in Budds Neck, Rye Township, Westchester County, New York. He died intestate, letters of administration to his eldest son, Samuel4 Purdy Junior, being granted on 19 March 1753.

Samuel4 Purdy Junior (23 March 1710, White Plains, Province of New York – 5 September 1796, White Plains, New York) married, on 17 December 1735, Winifred Griffin (circa 1716, White Plains, New York – circa 1802, White Plains, New York), daughter of Jacob Griffin (1698 – circa 1777) and either Sarah Wright or Sarah Smith. Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffin lived at Philip’s Manor, West Chester County, Province of New York, and are buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery there.

Like his father, Samuel4 Purdy was in-volved in various land transactions in Rye as well as in White Plains, New York.

Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffin were the parents of six known children, five sons and one daughter, each of whom would be greatly affected by the outbreak of the American Revolution.

Life of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UEThe third great grandfather of Grietje

R.10 (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc., Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE (18 May 1755, Philip’s Manor, West Chester County, Province of New York – 08 May 1841, Westchester Township, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia), was the sixth and youngest child of Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffin.

His tombstone, located at Rose Cemetery, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, on part

of his farm, reads “GABRIEL PURDY ESQ. AGE 92 YRS”. The Westchester Township Book in Nova Scotia states that he died “age 85 years, 11 months, 21 days”, and his obituary, published in The Halifax Times on 25 May 1841, records: “Died at Westchester, Cumberland Co. on Saturday 8th instant Gabriel Purdy, Esq., aged 87 years. Mr. Purdy was born at West Chester in the State of New York, 1754.”

There were 47 guests of whom 37 were Purdys, and there was not a Whig

amongst them.

On 28 March 1775 Gabriel5 Purdy mar-ried Charity5 Purdy (12 December 1758 – circa 1776 or 1780), his second cousin, daughter of Joseph4 Purdy (born 1728) and Charity Eisenhart of White Plains, New York. “The wedding is reported in Rivington’s New York newspaper, the Loyalist Press.” The newspaper reported: “Gabriel Purdy, youngest son of Samuel Purdy, was married at White Plains, Westchester Co., to Miss Charity Purdy, daughter of Joseph Purdy of White Plains, April 20, 1775. There were 47 guests of whom 37 were Purdys, and there was not a Whig amongst them.” Gabriel5 Purdy UE and Charity5 Purdy were the parents of one child.

“[In] approximately 1775 the follow-ing declaration was signed by 300 names including 26 Purdys. ‘We the subscribers freeholders and inhabitants of the county of Westchester, having assembled at White Plains in consequence of certain advertise-ments, do now declare, that we met here to declare our honest abhorrence of all unlawful Congresses and Committees, and that we are determined at the hazard of our lives and properties, to support the King and constitution and that we acknowledge no representatives but the General As-sembly, to whose wisdom and integrity we submit the guardianship of our rights and privileges’.”

Gabriel joined the British Army and fought in the battle of White Plains

“At the age of 21 Gabriel joined the British Army and fought in the battle of White Plains. He was made a Sergeant at the close of the battle and served as a non-commissioned officer during the war.”

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...offi cer thrust a sword into the barrel, cutting a gash in Gabriel’s head.

“Gabriel Purdy was [a] Sergeant in the Corps of West Chester Refugees and Light Infantry commanded by Isaac Hatfi eld from Nov. 16, 1779 to Feb. 4, 1780 and on Feb. 5, 1780 continued as [a] Sergeant in Captain Henry Purdy’s Company of Light Infantry, commanded by James Delancy. Fought in the Battle of White Plains under Col. Emerick, then Major Holland. Left New York June 15, 1783, settled in Cobbegate Mountain. Lost house and barns 300 pounds, and farm animals, grains etc. 623 [pounds] 7 [shillings] 11 [pence].”

“As a Loyalist, to escape soldiers, Ga-briel hid in a barrel of tow. [tow = uncleaned fl ax or wool] A searching [Patriot] offi cer thrust a sword into the barrel, cutting a gash in Gabriel’s head. He received medi-cal attention later. He had to wear a silver tube thereafter in the wound.”

In 1782 in Morrisania, Province of New York, Squire Kipp performed the marriage of Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE to Esther Angevine (1766 – 5 October 1803), daughter of Louis Angevine/Angivine (1702, New Rochelle, Province of New York – ) and Phoebe, of North Castle, Province of New York. Esther’s tombstone, located next to that of her husband, Gabriel5, at Rose Cemetery, records “Here lies the body of Esther Purdy who died. Parted this life the 5 of October 1803, in the 43 [sic] year of her age.”

All photos on this page taken by Mrs. Grietje R.10 (Purdy) McBride UE,

August 1998.

Above: Rose Cemetery entrance

Below left: The gravestone of “GABRIEL PURDY ESQ. AGED 92 YRS” located in Rose Cemetery,

Westchester Township, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.

This cemetery was located on land that Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE received as a

Loyalist and cleared as his home farm.

Below: Left side – gravestone of Esther Angevine,

second wife of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE.

Right side – gravestone of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE.

It is interesting to note that at the bottom end of the gravesite of Esther (Angevine) one fi nds two granite fi eldstones that were identifi ed in August 1998 by the caretaker of Rose Cemetery as being the gravestones for two coloured slaves of Esther.

“Gabriel Purdy UE and Esther Angevine [his second wife] left New York on June 15, 1783, bringing their coloured maid with them and settled in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, near the top of the Cobequid range of mountains which separate Cumberland and Colchester Counties, naming the place Westchester after their New York home.”

The terrifi ed women and children, on the fl oor above, listened to the bears growling

“According to Bird, when Gabriel came to Westchester N.S. he found a clearing of

• Spring 2007 • Page 27

• Page 28 • The Loyalist Gazette •

a few acres in a heavy stand of pine, with heaps of stones showing land had been cleared for planting. There was an old log cabin, abandoned, and a spring of fine cold water. Gabriel made inquiries and found that an Embree family had started to make a farm there and had a cellar under the cabin. One day when Mr. Embree was away, several bears prowled near and at nightfall nudged through an opening into the cellar. The terrified women and children, on the floor above, listened to the bears growling and moving about and would not stay in the place. Mr. Embree pulled stakes and went to another location. Gabriel Purdy was not afraid of anything in the woods. He named the area Westchester after his home county in New York.” “[He] settled on the south side of the road running between Fort Lawrence and Fort Belcher.”

Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE is listed in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, “Westchester Loyalists: October 15, 1784 Return” as follows: “Name: Purdy, Gabriel; Men: 1; Women: 1; Children: 1; Location: Remsheg”.

Sergeant Gabriel Purdy UE was: “Loyal, bore arms, to be allowed for

improvements, legacy.”

The Second Report of the Bureau of Archives For The Province of Ontario: Part II, 1904 states:

“Proceedings of LOYALIST COMMIS-SIONERS, St. Johns, 1786. Vol. XI. Before Commissioner Pemberton.

Claimants … Purdy, Gabriel, MSS Folio 13.”

“November 2 [1786] 644. Case of GABRIEL PURDY, late of New York. Sent his Claim to Col. D. Lived on Philip’s manor. Joined the Brit. at the time of the Battle of White Plains. Served with Col. --- [Emerick], then with Major Holland, in the Guides & Pioneers, afterwards in Col. Delancey’s Regt. as Seargent [sic]. Served till end of the War. Now settled in Cobblegate Mount[ain].

Was possessed of the Improvmts. on a Leasehold farm in Philips manor. His Father [Samuel4 Purdy] was possessed of the Farm & gave it [to] Claimt. His Father sd. he would have his name taken off the Book. [and have] Claimant’s name put on. His Father told him the Col. Sd. he would do it. Claimant was in possession of it. The lot contained 140 acres. Vals. Improvmts. at 300 pounds Exclusive of the Cols. fine.

Left various articles on his farm when he joined the Brit. Thinks the Hessians took them almost all.

Says his Grandfather [Jacob Griffin] left by ye Mother’s side 160 acres of Land on the White Plains to be divided in different shares. Val. his interest at 75 pounds. His Grandfather was a Loyalist, but remained on his Place during the War.

HENRY PURDY, Wits. Claimt. served great part of the war.

He joined the Brit. early. Knew the farm in Philip’s Manor which belonged to Claimant’s Father. His father told Wit. he had given it to Claimt. Witness & Claimt. are Brothers. Wits. knows his Father intended he should have it, but is dubious whether ye Conveyance was made by the Col. His Bror. [Gabriel5 Purdy UE] was in possession of it & raised grain. His Father is living.

Witness has heard that his eldest Bror. [i.e. Jacob5 Purdy, a Patriot] has purchased it, & is now in Possession. Thinks he had purchased the whole farm. The name of Claimt shd. have been substituted for his Father in Philip’s Books. Thinks if it was not done it was owing to the Distresses of the Times, which were then beginning in 1775.

Vals. the Improvmts. at 300 pounds be-sides what was to be paid to Col. Philips.

Produces Lease & Release from Samuel & Winifred Purdy, Father & Mother of Claimt. to Jacob Purdy, Henry, Gilbert, Gabriel, Saml. & Gilb., Jun., of all the right which Saml. & Winifred had in the estate of the Grandfather under his Will. They state this right to be ¼ of the Grandfrs. Estate, 1782.”

A notation is made in the margin of this document, stating that Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE was: “Loyal, bore arms, to be allowed for improvements, legacy.”

In 1785 Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE re-ceived grants of 1000 acres and 200 acres on Remsheg River, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. The Loyalists and Land Settlement: Land Grants to Loyalists in Nova Scotia also records: “Annapolis County Warrants: – Gabriel Purdy 334 acres in Clements Township, 1786, – Gabriel Purdy 334 acres in Clements Township, 1787, – Gilbert Purdy 400 acres in Clements Township, 1784. Cumberland County Warrants: – Gabriel Purdy 200 acres River Remsheg, 1785, [and] – Henry Purdy 500 acres Cumberland Road, 1785, – Henry Purdy 150 acres Fort Lawrence, 1788.”

On 7 September 1785, Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE, by his attorney James Purdy,

sold two parcels of land in North Castle, West Patent, Westchester, N.Y. to Jacob Mott of the City of New York that included 140 acres left to him by his father, Samuel4 Purdy Junior, valued at 300 pounds, and his portion of 160 acres from his grandfather, Jacob Griffin, “to be divided into different shares”, Gabriel’s share being 75 pounds.

Gabriel5 Purdy UE and Esther Angevine were the parents of ten known children.

After the death of Esther (Angevine) Purdy, Gabriel5 married a widow, Elizabeth (Wilkinson) Richardson ( – after 1812), on 7 September 1804 in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Gabriel5 Purdy UE and Elizabeth (Wilkinson) Richardson were the parents of six known children. Grietje R.10 (Purdy) McBride UE, directly descends from their second child, Samuel Flintiff6 Purdy (18 January 1810, Millville, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia – 11 January 1892) and his wife, Margaret Knight (circa 1805 or 28 January 1808 – 11 February 1846 or 14 February 1848), this marriage having taken place on 6 January 1829.

The third wife of Gabriel5, Elizabeth (Wilkinson) (Richardson) Purdy, died sometime after 1812. Gabriel then married his fourth wife, Esther Knight (1766 – 5 December 1828, age 62).

After the death of Esther (Knight) Purdy, Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE married his fifth wife on 5 August 1830, Ann Aitkins/Aikens ( – ), widow of John Aitkins. Ann outlived Gabriel5 and is buried in Glenholme, Col-chester County, Nova Scotia.

He had five wives, 17 children, 170 grand children, 52 great grand

children, making a total of 239

The obituary of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE was published in The Halifax Times, (25 May 1841, p. 162): “OBITUARY - Died at Westchester, Cumberland Co. on Saturday 8th instant Gabriel Purdy, Esq. aged 87 years [probably correct although tombstone reads age 92]. Mr. Purdy was born at West Chester in the State of New York, 1754. He had five wives, the last of whom survives him. He had 17 children born to him, the issue of which are 170 grand children, 52 great grand children, making a total of 239. … At [the close of the Revolution] in 1783 he with many others came to Nova Scotia ... settled in what is now called Westchester, Colchester [Westchester Township later becoming

• Spring 2007 • Page 29 •

part of Cumberland County] ... appointed Lieutenant in Provincial militia of Nova Scotia. In 1809 he was a Justice of the Peace, and in 1817 he received the com-mand of a company. For 20 years he acted as a Road Commissioner, and was entrusted with the expenditure of many thousands of pounds of the public funds ... He was strongly attached to the doctrine as taught by [the] Wesleyan Methodists.”

The American Revolution caused a division between Sergeant

Gabriel5 Purdy UE and his siblings

“On July 19, 1776 the residents of White Plains were the fi rst to hear the public read-ing of the Declaration of Independence. The document was brought to White Plains from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Moments after the reading it was ratifi ed.”

This caused great consternation in the Purdy households in White Plains. The confl ict of the American Revolution forced them to choose whether to support the Patriot or Loyalist cause.

Thus the Purdy families became divided as a result of the American Revolution.

Being age 66 in 1776, Samuel4 Purdy did not participate in the fi ghting.

The second child and eldest son of Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffi n, being age 37 in 1776, decided to join the Patriot cause. Jacob5 Purdy (15 October or Novem-ber 1739 – 28 December 1822), married to Abigail Smith ( – 12 November 1839, age 93 years, 7 months, 22 days), lived at Robbin Mills at North Castle, Province of New York, at the time of the Revolution and served in Col. Thomas’ Second West-chester Company of Regiment of Militia as a private, as a Lieutenant under Captain Jonathan Horton, and later as a Captain in the Revolutionary War.

Jacob Purdy…his colonial farmhouse was used as a headquarters

by General Washington

Jacob5 Purdy petitioned the House of Representatives of the United States on 1 April 1790 for relief in consideration of his loss of continental loan-office certifi cates that had been taken from him during the Revolution “by a party of the British enemy”. His petition was referred to the Secretary of the Treasury for ex-amination and a report was to be made to the House.

Although Jacob5 Purdy is one of White Plains’ “most famous residents”, he is per-haps best known in the history of White Plains for his colonial farmhouse that was used as a headquarters by General Wash-ington on 28 Octo-ber 1776 before the Chatteron Hill battle. George Washington also used the home as his headquarters dur-ing the Battle of White Plains in 1776 and again from 23 July to 16 September 1778 while contemplating an attack against the British-occupied New York City. On 1 September 1778, eighteen Patriot Major Generals and Brigadier Gener-als attended a Council of War at the Jacob5 Purdy House.

The Battle of White Plains Monument Committee purchased the house in 1963 and repaired and restored old beams and shin-gles. In 1973, when the house was moved to its present site at 60 Park Avenue, White Plains, New York, 10603, the house was deeded to the City of White Plains.

The second son of Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffi n, being their third child, also fought on the Patriot side of the Revolution.

Patriot, Jacob5 Purdy, eldest brother of

Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, is buried alongside his wife,

Abigail Smith, in the old Presbyterian Cemetery,

White Plains, New York State. Source of photo:

http://www.fi ndagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7041793

J a c o b 5 P u r d y ’ s c o l o n i a l farmhouse is the oldest historic structure in White Plains. On 31 April 1979, the house was placed upon the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1721 by Samuel Hor ton , the co lon ia l f a r m h o u s e w a s purchased, along with 132 acres of land, by

Samuel3 Purdy in 1730, who bequeathed it to his son,

Samuel4 Purdy. Jacob5 Purdy held title until his own death in 1822. The Purdy family continued in possession until the house was sold to Samuel Mott in 1869.

• Page 30 • The Loyalist Gazette •

Samuel5 Purdy UE (circa 1745 – 1784) mar-ried Hannah – and resided at Phillipsburgh, Province of New York. Being age 31 in 1776, he served as a Second Lieutenant of Captain Jonathan Paulding Horton’s Company of Foot in the South Battalion of Westchester Regiment of Militia, 08 March 1773, signed by William Tryon, Governor of New York. Letters of administration were granted to his father, Samuel4 Purdy of White Plains, N.Y., yeoman, on 07 May 1784.

Henry Purdy UE was commissioned as a Captain under

Colonel James DeLancey

The third son, and fourth child, of Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffin, Henry5 Purdy UE, approximate age 30 in 1776, joined the Loyalist cause during the American Revolution. Henry5 Purdy UE (27 June 1745 or 7 February 1746, Westchester County, Province of New York – 20 July 1826, Nova Scotia) married Tamer Sniffen or Kniffen on 16 February 1773. In 1775 Henry5 Purdy signed “an Association with the Rebels, but this he did to remain quiet, and with the approbation of Governor Tryon. He was once drafted into the Militia, but hired a Man in his place.” In October 1776, when the British army came to White Plains, he joined them, serving with the Guides and Pioneers and DeLancey’s Refugees, taking an oath to the King of Great Britain in January 1777. He was commissioned on 04 February 1780 as a Captain of a Company of Light Infantry under Colonel James DeLancey and later became a Colonel of the Militia in Nova Scotia where he was also a Judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia, High Sheriff of Cumberland County (1794) and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia (1806 – 1820). Captain Henry5 Purdy UE is listed in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, “Westchester Loyalists: October 15, 1784 Return” as follows: “Name: Purdy, Henry; Men: 1; Women: 1; Children: 3; Servants: 1; Remarks: Captain; Location: CR-S”. As a Loyalist, he received 150 acres at Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia, in 1785 and 400 acres in 1788. The 2 November 1786 Petition of Captain Henry5 Purdy UE is recorded in Loyalist Settlements 1783 – 1789: New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims.

Gilbert Purdy UE was commissioned

as a Lieutenant and later became a Captain under Major Samuel Holland

The fourth son (fifth child) of Samuel4 Purdy and Winifred Griffin also joined the Loyalist cause during the American Revolu-tion. Gilbert5 Purdy UE (circa 6 December 1750 – 5 June 1838) married Bethia Fisher on 26 March 1781, daughter of Jeremiah Fisher. In 1776, at the age of 26, he joined the British cause at White Plains and acted as a guide for eight months. On 4 May 1777, Gilbert5 Purdy UE was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Guides and Pioneers and later in the Revolution became a Captain under Major Samuel Holland. For a while he was a prisoner at the Salem gaol. His diary of 1777 is in the Canadian Archives in Ottawa. Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy UE is listed in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, “Westchester Loyalists: October 15, 1784 Return” as follows: “Name: Purdy, Gilbert; Men: 1; Women: 1; Children: 3; Servants: 1; Location: Remsheg”. Settling on his grant of 200 acres in Remsheg, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, he additionally applied for two small islands and lived on Lot 30 on the tip of the point at Malagash, Nova Scotia. Gilbert5 Purdy UE became a Colonel in the Nova Scotia Militia. The 2 November 1786 Petition of Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy UE is also recorded in Loyalist Settlements 1783 – 1789: New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims.

Sergeant Gabriel, Captain Henry and

Lieutenant Gilbert Purdy, presented their Petitions

on the same day

It is interesting to see that Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, Captain Henry5 Purdy UE and Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy, all brothers, presented their Petitions on the same day, 2 November 1786, in Saint John, New Brunswick, before Commis-sioner Pemberton. Captain Henry5 Purdy UE served as a witness for the Petition of his brother, Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, while Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy UE served as a witness for the Petition of his brother, Captain Henry5 Purdy UE. Colonel DeLancey certified the “Loyalty & Service” of all three Purdy brothers.

— • —

ConclusionSamuel4 Purdy, his wife, Winifred

Griffin, and their six children lived at Philip’s Manor, West Chester, New York, when the American Revolution broke out, having lived for four generations in the area around Fairfield, Connecticut, Rye, and White Plains, New York. Their earli-est known forefather, Francis1 Purdy, a Puritan from England, settled in Fairfield, Connecticut, circa 1639. Between 1639 and 1776, the extended Purdy family had amassed wealth through business and land transactions and were associated with the very beginning of settlement in the area. Educated at well-established New Eng-land schools, the Purdy family included judges, ministers, millers, storekeepers, lawyers and farmers among their number and proved intensely loyal to whichever cause they championed.

Loyalties divided the Purdy families and changed their future forever

Of the five sons of Samuel4 Purdy, the two eldest, Jacob5 and Samuel5, fought for the Patriot cause during the American Revolution respectively in the continental armies of Col. Thomas’ 2nd Westchester Company and Captain J.P. Horton’s Com-pany of Foot, South Battalion of Westchester Regiment of Militia.

However, his three youngest sons, Captain Henry5 Purdy UE, Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy UE and Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, served the Loyalist cause with the Guides and Pioneers and the Company of Light Infantry under Colonel James DeLancey. All three left New York after the Revolution and settled near each other in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE naming his township, Westchester, in memory of his childhood home in New York.

Like many other New Englanders, loyalties divided the Purdy families and changed their future forever.

Mrs. Grietje R.10 (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc., would enjoy sharing any in-formation on the above families. She can be reached at Maple Grove Farms, R.R. # 1, Indian River, Ontario, K0L 2B0, p h o n e : 1 - 7 0 5 - 2 9 5 - 4 5 5 6 , e - m a i l : maplegm “at” excite.com.

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• Spring 2007 • Page 31 •

Editor’s Notes1. As articles in the Gazette have been

known to end up on the Internet, beginning with the Spring 2007 issue, the @ sign in all e-mail addresses has been replaced with “at” in order to avoid irresponsible web crawlers finding the e-mail addresses embedded in the Gazette to generate spam e-mail.

2. Although there is an extensive list of endnotes available for this article, only a list of references is being published herein, to save space in the Gazette. Please contact the authors for a complete copy of this article and its full endnotes.

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References1. Abstracts of wills in Surrogates Office, New York City, Volume 12, p. 409, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 33 and 37.2. Baird, Charles W., Chronicle of a Border Town – History of Rye 1660 – 1870, including Harrison and the White Plains till 1788, (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph and Company, 1871), as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983.3. Bird, Will R., Off-Trail in Nova Scotia, pp. 24, 27, 293, and 296, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 46.4. Bolton, Robert, History of the County of Westchester from its First Settlement to 1848, (two volumes), Volume 2, 1848. 5. Collins, Ronald W., The Bulkeley Family, The Collins Family History, 4th edition, as quoted in Alec Purdy, Francis Purdy Genealogy, CD Version 2.0, January 2000.6. Corbeil, Karen, 7665 St. Marlo Country Club Parkway, Duluth, Georgia, 30097, phone: 1-770-495-1609 or 1-770-622-4091, e-mail address: <Corbeil “at” ga.prestige.net>, web site URL <http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2020/index.html>, personal messages to Robert C. McBride. 7. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York, Volume N, page 930, (New York Papers ‘S.P.O.’ Bundle 382, City of New York, Dec. 30, 1701), as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 26.8. Fairfield Probate Records, Vol. 1, pp. 39 – 40, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 15.9. Farnham, Thomas J., Fairfield: the biography of a community, 1639 – 2000, Fairfield Historical Society, (Phoenix Publishing Company, West Kennebunk, Maine, 2000). 10. Halifax Herald, 8 April 1909, p. 1, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 46.11. Web site: http://members.tripod.com/~ntgen/bw/budd_index.html.12. Internet: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(hj001240)).13. Internet: http://nerowolf.org/dar/NewCaledo-nia/travel.htm.14. Internet: http://nschubert.home.mchsi.com/education/ssf/october/o1a.html.

15. Internet: http://tourism.westchestergov.com/attractions/TourismDetailRecord2New.asp?lngOrgID=1780&strCategoryDescription=Attractions.16. Internet: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7041793.17. Internet: http://www.hudsonrivervalley.net/new-tour/Guidebook/TheSite.php?SiteNum=R90.18. Internet: http://www.whiteplainshistory.org/JacobPurdyHouse.html, citing It Happened In Old White Plains, by Renoda Hoffman.19. Jacobus, The Families of Old Fairfield, pp. 445 and 496, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 435.20. “Lib B, Rye Land Records” as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 25.21. “Liber K, Westchester County Deeds at White Plains, N.Y, (New York Genealogical & Biographical Records 1924, p. 35): Page 364.” as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 39.22. New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, 1890, p. 133, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983. 23. New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, 1918, page 302, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 30.24. “N.Y.C. Abstracts, Wills, Volume 12: p. 155 – 156.” as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 39.25. “Obituary of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, from the Nova Scotia Provincial Archives, Hali-fax, Nova Scotia, Canada: May 25, 1841”, The Halifax Times, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 406 – 407.26. Original Land Records, Town Clerk’s Office, Greenwich, Conn., Volume 5, p. 442, Volume 3, p. 77, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 29 – 30. 27. Original Land Records, Greenwich Town Clerk’s Office, Book 2, page 404, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 40 – 41.28. Petition of Captain Henry5 Purdy UE, 2 No-vember 1786, Loyalist Settlements 1783 – 1789: New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims, (Research and Transcription by W. Bruce Antliff, Bicentennial Publication from The Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, Susan Fish, Minister, 1985, ISBN 0-7743-9890-6, Archives of Ontario), pp. 76 – 77: “[in margin: N.C. St. John (N.B.) Nov. 2 1786 (Dundas) A.O. 12/23 325-327.] St. John 2d November 1786. Evidence on the Claim of Henry Purdy late of White Plains, Westchester County, New York.”29. Petition of Lieutenant Gilbert5 Purdy UE, 2 November 1786, Loyalist Settlements 1783 – 1789: New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims, (Research and Transcription by W. Bruce Antliff, Bicentennial Publication from The Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, Susan Fish, Minister, 1985, ISBN 0-7743-9890-6, Archives of Ontario), pp. 77 – 78: “[in margin: N.C. St. John (N.B.) Nov. 2 1786 (Dundas) A.O. 12/23 334.] St. John 2d November 1786. Evidence on the Claim of Gilbert Purdy late of West Chester County, New York Province.”30. Petition of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, 2 November 1786, Fraser, Alexander, Provincial Archivist, ed., Second Report of the Bureau of Archives For the Province of Ontario, Part II, The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, 1904, p. 780.

31. Purdy, Alec, Francis Purdy Genealogy, CD Version 2.0, January 2000.32. Purdy, Alec, 935 Main St. #301El Segundo, California, 90245, phone: 1-310-322-9354, e-mail address <Apurdy “at” compuserve.com>, personal communications to Robert C. McBride. 33. Purdy, Clayton C. Gabriel Purdy, His Ances-tors and Descendants, born Westchester, N.Y., 1754, died Westchester, Nova Scotia, Cumberland County, 1841, (Oracle Press Ltd., Baton Rouge, L.A., 1983).34. Purdy, W. Laurie, The Purdys of Westchester, written about 1933, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 48.35. Reverend Wetmore, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 24.36. Rivington New York Press, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 46. In his references in Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 445, Clayton C. Purdy records that he examined Rivington’s New York Newspaper: Excerpts from a Loyalist Press, 1773 – 1783, pages 111, 112, 114, 119, 126, 189 and 343.37. Schenck, Elizabeth Hubbell, History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Volume I., 1889, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983.38. Tombstone of Esther (Angevine) Purdy, second wife of Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE, Rose Cemetery, Westchester Township, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, was photographed by Mrs. Grietje Renskea10 (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc., August 1998, the cemetery being on the farm of Sgt. Gabriel5 Purdy UE.39. Tombstone of Jacob5 Purdy, Patriot, located in the cemetery of the White Plains Presbyterian Church, White Plains, Westchester County, New York, USA.40. Tombstone of Sergeant Gabriel5 Purdy UE, Rose Cemetery, Westchester Township, Cum-berland County, Nova Scotia, was photographed by Mrs. Grietje Renskea10 (Purdy) McBride UE, B.Sc., August 1998, the cemetery being on his farm.41. Tomlinson, Richard G., Treasurer of Con-necticut Society of Genealogists, November 20, 1971 talk recorded in Connecticut Nutmegger, June 1972, Volume 5, No. 1.42. Town Board of Rye, Record of Minutes, Vol-ume 3, page 384, Town Board of Rye, Record of Minutes, Volume 4, page 91, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 40 – 41.43. Van Cortlandt Papers, November 4, 1734, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 29 – 30.44. Will of Samuel4 Purdy, “Unrecorded will, New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, 1936, p. 76,” as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, p. 33.45. Westchester Historian, Volume 51, Sum-mer 1975, No. 3, p. 72, as quoted in Clayton C. Purdy, Gabriel Purdy, 1983, pp. 29 – 30.46. “Westchester Loyalists: October 15, 1784 Return”, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Internet web site URL: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nscumber/loyalist.html.47. Westchester Township Book, Westchester Township, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, pp. 50 – 52.

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