Family of Michael Tivis Purkey
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On this page I will attempt to provide information regarding the history of my family name for those that may be interested, or are researching the name. As those of you familiar with this name know, it is a very perplexing line and there are most likely numerous inaccuracies contained here. If you have validated information you wish to add please let me know. Many have done much more work on this than I have, such as Fred Purkey, Bob Purkey, Bev Peterson, Jack Purkey and Vester Purkey just to name a few that I am personally aware of. Please contact me if you'd like to contribute to what is shown on these pages.
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The Purkey Exodus
Source: Hancock county and it's people, Walsworth Publishing © 1990NOTICE: I have been made aware that the information I have here, which is from the above source, may not be accurate. Keep this in mind if you refer to anything on this page and always try to verify your information no matter where it is from.
To better understand how the Purkey's came to America, one should know why they came. They were one of many families caught in a movement of disagreement with the Catholic Church. This movement was known as the "Mennonite Movement" which began in 1552 and lasted well into the seventeenth century. Originally, they were called Anabaptists, a Latin term meaning "to baptize again". At first it referred only to those who were re-baptized, but quickly the term identified all those who refused to have their children baptized as infants. Self-designations for the Anabaptists varied with the area. In other cases they referred to themselves as the followers of various leaders. The Amish, a division of the Mennonites, derives their name from the leadership of Jacob Amman, who was the center of the Amish division. The Anabaptist movement began in France, Switzerland, and Germany. Authorities publicly named Anabaptist leaders and put prices on their heads. Especially in Holland and Switzerland, official "Anabaptist Hunters" were sent out to catch the hated Anabaptist. The movement was indeed the acorn that produced the oak. Amish congregations migrated to Holland and subsequently to North America.
The Purkey's were one of many families to flee their homeland to avoid certain death by the Anabaptist hunters. They moved from the Jura Mountains of France, a wine producing area near the Swiss - French border, to a mountainous area Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. From here they traveled north on the Rhine River to Holland. According to the Pennsylvania state archives a list of male passengers sailing from Rotterdam included the names of Christian Bierkenbeyle and his brothers Jacob and Andru. They arrived at the port of Philadelphia in 1754.
How I Fit In
There are several variations of the Purkey name. Andru's will which was recorded July 1, 1773, in the court of records of Baltimore county, Maryland, lists the spelling as "Bergenboyle" . However, I have information which contradicts this and shows the name spelled "Perkepeal. Other spellings include Bergenboyle, Perkepill, Perkinpile, and Purkeypile. These variations may be explained by the apparent lack of education in those days. Ironically, Andru died within thirty days of making his will. The Purkeypile variation of the name lasted two generations before Reuben, Christian's grandson, changed it to Purkey.
Christian's son, Michael Purkeypile settled in Shenadoah County, Virginia. While I have no proof I suspect the reason he settled there was the great Philadelphia Wagon Road. It was the main land route south and wound down the western frontier of Colonial America from Pennsylvania to Georgia. I think this road brought him through the area, which looked much like what his father had described as the old homeland. Public records show his descendants owning the
Shenandoah caverns until 1950. These caverns are located on the Blue Ridge sky-land drive. Michael's son, Rueben, (my 3rd great grandfather) settled on chestnut ridge in Hawkins county, Tennessee. This mountainous area is similar to the old homeland back in France and Switzerland. Later, this portion of Hawkins County changed to Hancock County. Census record of 1880 listed Rueben's age to be 85 years old. A church bearing the Purkey name was located nearby until only a few years ago. Rueben had a very large family of which many settled in or near my birth town of Morristown, Tennessee. One of his son's, Asa, lived in the central community Hancock County where he and his son, George, are buried in the Sutton-Purkey cemetery located on the Noah Sutton farm.
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Page Updated On August 18, 2007