Joseph Purdy (abt. 1653 - abt. 1709)

Born about 1653 in Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Ogden) Purdy — married 1680 in New York

Descendants

Died about 29 Oct 1709 at about age 56 in Rye, Westchester, New York Province

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Biography

This profile is part of the Purdy Name Study.

Judge Joseph Purdy, son of Francis Purdy and Mary Elizabeth (Brundage) Purdy, born probably in Fairfield, Connecticut Colony; died probably in Rye, Westchester County, New York, 29 October 1709; buried probably in the Purdy Burying Ground, Rye; Judge, town supervisor, Justice of the Peace, member of the colonial legislature; married about 1680, Elizabeth Ogden.^[1][2][3].

Last Will and Testament

Joseph's Last Will and Testament is synopsized in Pelletreau's work^[4].

Joseph Purdy Sr,* Rye To wife Elizabeth the use of house and ½ of farm where I live. If she do not remarry. To son Joseph all right of lands in the White Plains Purchase, lying on the west side of Mamaroneck river, which I had by draft from the town of Rye, and a piece of meadow at the lower end of my neck, by the Mill creek over against the reed bank, bounded south by my son Daniel. To my son Daniel besides the land given him by deed, I give him all the land and meadow which shall be taken by running the same line from the southmost bounds on the east side of his lot to the Mill creek, "which he now doth, from the rear of his lot to the Country road." To my son Samuel ½ the lot and farm where I live, except my house and barn, and ½ my land on Budd's neck not disposed of. To my son David all my lands on Browns Point. To my sons Jonathan and John all lands in Pondfield, and Lame Wills Purchase, and all the rest of my lands east of Blind Brook, except a small piece near the falls of Blind Brook, which I order my wife to sell. To son Francis after my wife's death my house and barn and ½ of house lot and farm where I live, and ½ my land on Budds neck. Mentions daughters Elizabeth, Jude, Mary and Phebe. Leaves them 20 shillings each. Oct. 25, 1703. Proved Oct. 26, 1710. Liber 7. P. 598.
*The ancestor of the numerous families of the name was Francis Purdy of Fairfield, Conn. He died in 1658. He had three sons-John, Joseph, and Francis-all of whom settled in Rye about 1677.

Previous Researchers

Facts, family tradition, and conjecture have had an impact on the biography of Joseph Purdy and his wife. Many unsourced writings on this family are on the internet.

A more helpful family history is laid out in Baird's Chronicles of a Border Town ^[1]

PURDY. Francis Purdy, of Fairfield, Conn., who died in 1658, is believed to have been the common ancestor of the numerous race bearing this name, scattered widely throughout our county. Three sons of Francis, -- JOHN, JOSEPH, and FRANCIS, -- came early to Rye; John in the year 1670, Joseph by 1677, and Francis by 1679. The following account of them and of their descendants is drawn chiefly from our Town Records, for the more remote degrees. Family records have been consulted as far as accessible.
The pedigree of the Purdy family given in the appendix to Mr. Bolton's invaluable History of Westchester County^[5], has been of some service in the preparation of the following account. But for the earlier portion it is utterly inaccurate and incoherent. Thus Joseph Purdy, who died in 1709, leaving seven sons, is represented as the grandson, instead of the brother, of John Purdy.¹. No mention is made of a brother Joseph,¹ nor of the descendants of the brother Francis;¹ while Samuel, who married Penelope Strang (whose father Daniel was born in 1656, and came to America in 1688), is called a son of Francis of Fairfield, who died in 1658. I have relied on the pedigree only for the accounts of some of the later generations, which appear to have been derived from authentic sources, and are generally confirmed by the information I have been able to gain. . . .
JOSEPH PURDY¹ is first mentioned in 1677, and in 1678 owned land adjoining that of 'his brother John Purdy's children.' He was a leading member of the community, -- being supervisor of the town in 1707-1708; justice of the peace in 1702 and after; representative of the county for several years in the Assembly; and 'one of the chief promoters of the church,' writes the Rev. Mr. Wetmore many years later. With Colonel Heathcote and others, in 1701, he purchased lands in North Castle, where some of his descendants settled. His will is dated October 5, 1709. He had seven sons: Joseph, Daniel, Samuel, David, Jonathan, John (called Still John), and Francis.

Mr. Mead wrote in 1911^[2].

If Bolton, in his History of Westchester County, N. Y., and Baird, in his History of Rye, N. Y., had taken the time to search the probate records before publishing their genealogical data on the Purdy family, it would not have been so inaccurate and unreliable.
¹FRANCIS PURDY, sometimes spelled "Pardee", born in England, about 1610; came to America about 1635; died at Fairfield, Conn., in 1658; married Mary, dau. of John Brundage of Wethersfield, Conn., who after his death married John Hait of Rye, N. Y., and had: ²John, ²Francis, ²Joseph, ²Samuel, and a daughter. . . .
²Joseph, Judge, under age in 1661, removed to Rye, N. Y., in 1670, d. Oct. 29, 1709, m. Elizabeth, dau. of John & Judith (Budd) Ogden, d. in 1742, and had:
[children listed as: ³Joseph, ³Daniel, ³Samuel, ³David, ³Jonathan, ³Still John, ³Francis, ³Elizabeth, ³Jude, ³Mary, and ³Phebe.

According to Thomas William Brundage,^[6]:

Mary² BRUNDAGE, (John¹) b. 10 Dec 1628 at St-Mary-at-Elm Parish, Ipswich, Co Suffolk, England. d. post 1710 at Rye, NY. m1. by 1645 Francis PURDY. b. ca 1610 York, England, d. 1658 Fairfield. m2. ca 1659 John HOYT (Haight) b. 12 May 1614 Co Dorset England, d. 1684 Rye

[children]

A. John PURDY . . .

B. Francis PURDY . . .

C. Joseph PURDY- b.ca 1652. d. 1710. m2. Elizabeth Ogden d. 1742, dau John Ogden

D. Daniel PURDY . . .

E. Mary PURDY . . .

F. Rachel HOYT . . .

G. John HOYT . . .

H. Simon HOYT . . .

"Joseph Purdy (circa 1652/53--October 1709), moved to Rye, Connecticut, in 1677. 1680, Joseph Purdy married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Ogden and Judith Budd."

Research Notes

• Mr. Clayton Purdy^[8] points out below that there is no definitive source stating Joseph Purdy married Elizabeth Ogden.

Joseph²
This Joseph Purdy has been the subject of genealogical controversy ever since the days of the first Purdy "pedigree", compiled by Robert Bolton Junior, and published in his "History of the County of Westchester" in 1848. Mr. Bolton places Joseph² in the fourth generation instead of the second and makes a thoroughly confusing job and a greatly erroneous one of much of the Purdy family history. However, Mr. Bolton gives the wife of this Joseph² merely as Elizabeth ______. Charles W. Baird, in his "History of Rye" (1871), places this Joseph Purdy in the second generation but fails to name a wife for him. This Joseph died sometime between the date of his will, October 25, 1709, and the date of the will's probate, October 26, 1710. (The original will is on file as #505 in the Historical Documents Collection, Queens College, Flushing, New York City). The will provides for eleven children, most of them grown by 1709. It would therefore seem improbable that he was of any generation but the second. Other dubious historical data regarding Joseph² Purdy, son of Francis and Mary (Brundage) Purdy is in "History and Genealogy of Families of Old Fairfield" Vol l, parts 4-6, pages 495 et seq -1930/34 by Donald Lines Jacobus, the eminent genealogist. He lists Joseph as son of Francis, but questions another assertion that has been made over and over regarding Joseph² Purdy- that is the assertion that Joseph's wife was Elizabeth Ogden, daughter of John Ogden and Judith Budd. Mr. Paul B. Purdy in his book "A Branch of the Purdy Family" even goes so far as to call her "Elizabeth H. Ogden". So far none has offered any proof whatsoever of this assertion. Joseph² Purdy did have a wife "Elizabeth Purdy". Joseph's will mentions "my dearly beloved wife Elizabeth Purdy" in four different sections. "My wife Elizabeth Purdy" was named, along with Caleb Heathcote Esquire and John Hoyot (Hoit or Hyatt) as executors of Joseph's will. At New York, on October 26, 1710, Elizabeth Purdy, one of the executors named in the will "was duly sworn" and power of administration was awarded to "Caleb Heathcote Esquire and John Hoyot. Thus, consistently, is Joseph's wife called "Elizabeth Purdy". Perhaps the cause of whatever confusion there is about Joseph's wife is that on October 25, 1709, the witnesses to Joseph's will were Anthony Miller, Abraham Miller and "Elizabeth Ogden". On October 26, 1710, at New York, Anthony Miller and Abraham Miller appeared and proved the will and stated that "They saw Elizabeth Ogden, the other witness to the said will, subscribe her name". It is not probable that Joseph's wife Elizabeth Purdy would sign his will as a witness as "Elizabeth Ogden". To be a legal witness Elizabeth Ogden would have to have been either Miss Elizabeth Ogden or Elizabeth Ogden, widow of an Ogden, at least 18 years old. In addition, the John Ogden, who married Judith Budd (as his 2nd wife), did not have a daughter Elizabeth so far as has been discovered by careful examination of documents. An inventory of John's estate was sworn to by "Jude" Ogden on August 7, 1682, (Fairfield, Conn.P.R.). Donald Lines Jacobus in his "Families of Old Fairfield" vol 2, pages 447-9, names the children of John Ogden as: 1. Joseph Ogden, of Rye, m Mary _____ He died ca 1715. 2. Hannah Ogden, conveyed to Hachaliah Brown, Nov 11, 1684 land confirmed to her as part of her portion by Francis Brown, she being "his [Francis'] daughter in law" (step dau). 3. Richard Ogden 4. David Ogden of White Plains. It should be noted here that after the death of John Ogden, his widow, Judith (Budd) Ogden, married second Francis Brown, of Rye, and Mr. Jacobus notes that on Dec 12, 1690, Francis and Jude Brown gave lands to Joseph Ogden, son of John Ogden, as his legacy. On June 5, 1700 Francis Brown conveyed to "son in law" (step-son) David Ogden, to "son in law" (step son) Richard Ogden on June 11, 1700, to wife Judith, and to "son" Richard Ogden, Feb 19, 1706 land "which was our son Richard Ogden's own father's, John Ogden.Therefore, until some further proof is found it seems likely that Joseph² Purdy married Elizabeth _____.

• Mr. Robert Ogden gives us some indications that Joseph's wife was indeed Elizabeth Ogden.

Two other witnesses to Joseph Purdy's will were Anthony Miller and Abraham Miller. David Ogden, son of John and Judith Budd and brother to Elizabeth Ogden who married Joseph Purdy, was married to Elizabeth Miller, sister of Anthony and Abraham.
It seems quite likely that Elizabeth (Miller) Ogden is the Elizabeth Ogden that witnessed Joseph's will along with her two brothers, Anthony and Abraham.
They were all of Rye at the time of Josephs death and all were of age.^[9]

During that time there were three Ogdens in the colonies.
John Ogden "The Pilgrim", at that time in New Jersey. Did not have a daughter named Elizabeth.
Richard Ogden, brother of John, "The Pilgrim" at that time in Fairfield, Connecticut. Had a daughter named Elizabeth who married Daniel Meeker.
John Ogden "of Rye", then living at Rye, NY, whose daughter, Elizabeth, married at Rye, Joseph Purdy.
Lawrence Dunham, since deceased, researcher for the Rye Historical Society^[10], is credited with establishing the information regarding the children of John Ogden and Judith Budd. He established her as 2nd born in the family and her year of birth as 1664.
I have seen some who list Elizabeths father as Richard Ogden, who, in fact, was Elizabeth's brother.^[11]

Sources

Notes

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Baird, Charles W., pp 434-435
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Mead, Spencer P., pp 630, 632-638
3. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon.
4. ↑ Pelletreau, William.
5. ↑ Bolton, Robert, Jr.
6. ↑ Brundage, Thomas William.
7. ↑ McBride, Grietje R. and Robert C. McBride.
8. ↑ Purdy, Clayton C.
9. ↑ Ogden, Robert, forum message 3226.
10. ↑ Email querry on Mr Dunham's research sent to the Rye Historical Society on 29 Sep 2020. -RAH.
11. ↑ Ogden, Robert, forum message 3224.

Bibliography

• Baird, Charles W. Chronicle of a Border Town (Anson D. F. Randolph and Company, No. 770 Broadway, New York, 1871).

• Bolton, Robert, Jr. A History of the County of Westchester From Its First Settlement To The Present Time (New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848).

• Brundage, Thomas William. A Brundage Family Genealogy, An Account of Some of the American Descendants of John Brundish (1593-1639), Who Came from England to Massachusetts in 1635. Paia, HI: published by the author, 1989. p 2-2.

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 25 September 2020), memorial page for Judge Joseph Purdy (1653–29 Oct 1709), Find A Grave: Memorial #87299556, citing Purdy Burying Ground, Rye, Westchester County, New York, USA ; Maintained by JKK (contributor 46959203). NOTE: There is no gravestone or source stating Joseph was buried in the Purdy Burying Ground.]

• McBride, Grietje R. and Robert C. McBride. "A family divided by the American Revolution: Sergeant Gavriel Purdy UE of the Guides and Pioneers and Colonel James DeLancey's Regiment." The Loyalist Gazette, 22 Mar 2007. [also available at the United Empire Loyalists.]

• Mead, Spencer Percival. Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich (Knickerbocker Press, Greenwich, Conn., 1911). pp. 632 - 638.

• Ogden, Robert. "John Ogden & Judith Budd, Forum Message 3224." 28 May 2011. Genealogy.com. Accessed 29 Sep 2020. [with minor editing.]

• Ogden, Robert. "John Ogden & Judith Budd, Forum Message 3226." 28 May 2011. Genealogy.com. Accessed 29 Sep 2020. [with minor editing.]

• Pelletreau, William. Early Wills of Westchester County, New York, from 1664 to 1784 (F.P. Harper, New York, 1898) Page 26-7

• Purdy, Clayton C. Three brothers : Joseph, Daniel, Samuel Purdy, born and died, Rye, NY, ca 1680-1768, 1993. Book 9, pp 23-24.

• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985). p 607.

See Also

• Frost, Josephine. The Strang Genealogy (Bowles-Printer, Brookly, N.Y., 1915). p 139.

• Kennedy, Clara Hart. Edward Hart, Descendants and Allied Families. Los Angeles, CA: Wm. B. Straube Printing Co. 1939. p 140.

• Parrin, Anna Falconer and Mary Falconer Parrin. Allied Families of Purdy, Fauconnier, Archer, Perrin. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogy Co., 1911. p 15.

• Spies, Francis Ferdinand. ‘’Chappaqua, N.Y. Quaker Records, Copied With Genealogical Notes’’. Mount Vernon, NY: typeset, 1932.

• Spies, Francis Ferdinand. ‘’New Rochelle, New York, Cemeteries. Part 1, Inscriptions from Graveyards of Trinity Church, First Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Churchyard on Main Street, Coutant Yard; Part 2 Beechwoods Cemetery; Copied With Genealogical Notes’’. Hastings-on-Hudson, NY: Typeset, 1933. p 65.

• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004).