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(?-1755). BROTHER: John (?-1758), who mar-
ried his first cousin Zipporah (Zeporah), daugh-
ter of John Purnell (?-1755). SISTERS: Mary, who
married Charles Rackliffe; Elizabeth, who mar-
ried first, (first name unknown) Wright, and sec-
ond, Jabez Fisher; and Comfort, who married her
first cousin Thomas Purnell, of John (?-1796).
FIRST COUSINS: Zadock Purnell (?-1805); Thomas
Purnell, of John (?-1796); Arralantar Purnell (?-
1782), who married Thomas Robins (ca. 1702-
1766); William Purnell (?-1777), a possible leg-
islator; and William Purnell (1739-1796), a pos-
sible legislator. MARRIED Sarah, daughter of
Thomas Marshall (?-by 1788). She subsequently
married by 1792 Robert Mitchell. CHILDREN. SONS:
Zadock; John; and Thomas Marshall. DAUGH-
TER: Mary Outten, who married George Wash-
ington Purnell (?-1844). ADDITIONAL COMMENT:
all of Purnell's children were minors in 1788. PRI-
VATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL STA-
TUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1789. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: probably planter. PUBLIC CAREER.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Worcester
County, 1778 (elected to the 3rd session of the
1777 -1778 Assembly to fill vacancy, but did not
attend). LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Worcester
County, commissioned 1777; commissioner of the
tax, Worcester County, 1778-at least 1790. MIL-
ITARY SERVICE: called colonel, 1783. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £1,101.16.0, including 27 slaves and 12 oz.
plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at least 1,669
acres in Worcester County (at least 1,413 acres
inherited from father; at least 200 acres pur-
chased). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BE-
TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: acquired an
unknown amount of acreage in Northampton
County, Virginia, through his marriage, date un-
known; purchased at least 179 acres in Worcester
County between 1784 and 1789; acquired an ad-
ditional 100 acres and disposed of 200 acres, all
in Worcester County, between 1783 and 1788.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: Will probated on August
12, 1790, in Worcester County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, $7,794.26 current money; FB,
$3,839.76, as calculated; 14 slaves mentioned in
his will. LAND: at least 1,748 acres in Worcester
County, plus lands in Northampton County, Vir-
ginia.
PURNELL (PURNALL), WILLIAM (?-1777).
BORN: of age by 1757. NATIVE: fourth generation.
RESIDED: Synepuxent Hundred, Worcester
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: John Pur-
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nell (?-1755), son of Thomas Purnell (?-1723).
MOTHER. Elizabeth Rackliffe (?-ca. 1754).
BROTHERS: Zadock Purnell (?-1805); Thomas
Purnell, of John (?-1796); and Capt. John (?-
ca. 1761). SISTERS: Elizabeth; Levina; Arralantar
(?-1782), who married Thomas Robins (ca. 1702-
1766); and Zipporah (Zeporah). FIRST COUSINS:
Thomas Purnell, of Thomas (?-1790); William
Purnell (1739-1796), a possible legislator. NEPH-
EWS: John Purnell Robins (ca. 1742-1780); Wil-
liam Purnell (?-1798). NIECES: Ann Purnell, who
married first, Henry Dennis (?-1785), and sec-
ond, William Polk (1752-1812); Mary Robins
(1743-1808), who married William Purnell (1739-
1796), a possible legislator. MARRIED by 1763 Mary
Elizabeth, daughter of Lambert Fassitt (?-1755),
of Worcester County, and wife Levinah. Mary
Elizabeth was the granddaughter of William Fas-
sitt. Her sisters were Mary; Sarah; and Zipporah.
CHILDREN. SONS: John, who married Elizabeth,
and who was living in Sussex County, Delaware,
by 1800; Thomas. DAUGHTER: Nancy, who mar-
ried Reubin Anderson, and who was living in
Kent County, Delaware, by 1800. PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: literate. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERV-
ICE. Lower House, Worcester County, 1773-1774;
3rd Convention, Worcester County, 1774. MILI-
TARY SERVICE: colonel, Worcester County Mili-
tia, elected 1776. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND
AT FIRST ELECTION: at least 1,293 acres in Worces-
ter County (at least 856 acres was the remainder
of at least 947 acres inherited from his father; at
least 125 acres through marriage; at least 169 acres
through personal acquisition). WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: administration bond filed August 18, 1777,
in Worcester County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
at least £968.1.0 specie (including 11 slaves, 15
oz. plate, and 6 books). ADDITIONAL COMMENT:
a court order allowed the executors to deduct
£307.0.0 from the original appraisal of £1,275.1.0
for 11 slaves who died of an epidemic fever shortly
after being appraised. LAND: at least 1,293 acres
in Worcester County. IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS.
There were two candidates for the legislative
service of William Purnell in the Lower House
from 1773-1774 and in the third convention of
December 1774. Both men, who were first cous-
ins, were large landowners and military men. It
was not possible to determine which one served,
hence both biographies have been included and
the same legislative service is assigned to both.
See also William Purnell (1739-1796). The man
who served in the later assemblies from 1785-
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