Generation One
James Purdon was married to Jane Little, daughter of Thomas Little of Thorn Hill Cumberland England, then married Margaret Graeme, daughter of Earl of Montrose at the time of Henry VIII or Elizabeth. James Purdon was granted an estate in County Lourth Ireland and settled there and later moved to Dublin where Gilbert was born. He was granted the land in Ireland during the "Flight of the Earls" when the English sent people to occupy land in Northern Ireland.
Taken from family papers
He married Jane
Little, daughter of Thomas Little and Margaret
Graeme.
He lived at County Lourth, Ireland; He was granted land in County Lourth. He settled there and later moved to Dublin where Gilbert was born.
Children of James1 Purdon and Jane Little were:
Generation Two
2. Gilbert2 Purdon (James1) was born at Dublin, Ireland.
Children of Gilbert2 Purdon and an unknown spouse were:
Generation Three
3. John3 Purdon (Gilbert2, James1) He was a an Elder of the Scots Presb. Church Phila 1768. He came to America before 1768 married Mary Ross, daughter of James Ross. He was born in 1740.
Children of John3 Purdon and Mary Ross were as follows:
Generation Four
4. John4 Purdon (John3, Gilbert2, James1) John Purdon 1784-1835
John Purdon was born in Philadelphia in 1784. He graduated from. Princeton in 1802, was admitted to the bar in 1806. He was a Councilor at Law and served in the Legislative. He was offered a judgeship, but turned it down in order to work on his Digest. ( Purdons Digest - Laws of Pennsylvania)
He died at the age of 51, apparently due to the misguided and primitive ways of the doctors who "cupped and bled him and put him on a diet of toast and water" Such a regeme was supposed to build up the blood. While taking care of other peoples affairs and engaged in his own profession, he much neglected his own affairs unfortunately not even to take out a copyright on his publications, so that the Digest "passed out of his hands". The income from the book would have given his widow considerable income
1 He was born in
1784 at Phila, Pa.2 He married Mary Brian
Boyle, daughter of James Boyle
and Martha
Williams, in 1818 at Chester, Pa. He died on 3 Oct
1835 at Phila, Pa.2
Children of John4 Purdon and Mary Brian Boyle were as follows:
Generation Five
5. John Graeme5 Purdon (John4, John3, Gilbert2, James1) JOHN GRAEME PURDON 1854-1910
John, Graeme Purdon was born in Philadelphia on July 31 1854. His father John died a few months after he was born. The family moved several times in Phildelphia and to Chester County when they traveled by stagecoach to reach their destination. Most of his life is carefully detailed in his diary.
FROM THE LETTER BY COUSIN FRANK
" I knew Uncle John in his last years only. He was of medium height., extreamily nervous.. restless temperament. He had been an excellent dancer in his youth and generally active. but in his early life in China., he had broken his leg which had been so badly set by an incompetent surgeon that he remained painfully lame for the rest of his life.
For many years his business prospered, but about the turn of the century changing conditions in the East became increasing adverse to his interests and he decided to pull up stakes and go home to stay. bo he transferred what remained of his fortune and bought a house at 356 Malboro St. and settled down for the first real home he had had in many years. The domestic tranquillity of his new life was welcome to his affectionate nature. but dags often must have seemed very very long to him. !In Shanghai, he had become a man of importance in a large Anglo-American community; he was active in the business, civil and social world, !In Boston where he had never lived he had no civil or business affairs to occupy him and few acquaintences outside the family group. But he accepted the situation without complaint and was always a cheerful companion.
John Graeme Purdon was a gallant gentleman of high ideals, a loyal Episcopalian, a devoted and unselfish husband and father, a most responsive and agreeable companion."
He was born on 31 Jul 1834 at Philadelphia, Pa. He married Clara Pomeroy Rogers, daughter of John Rogers and Sarah Ellen Derby, on 13 Nov 1863 at Roxbury, Mass; They sailed for China the day after they were married. He died in 1910 at Boston, Mass.
He was (an unknown value) between 1840 and 1900 at Merchant, Shanghai Trade, China.
Children of John Graeme5 Purdon and Clara Pomeroy Rogers were as follows:
