Family:Francis Purdy and Mary Brundage (1)

The birth place and date of Francis 1 Purdy are unknown. There are lots of guesses but no evidence. His parents are also unknown. Please people, stop repeating these silly guesses!! He did not marry Mary Brundish (she did not have a middle name) on 5 Aug 1642. That is the date of a probate document relating to her father's death, which is the first document to mention that Mary was married to Francis. They were certainly married before that date, and probably at Wethersfield, CT [The Purdy surname does not appear in either volume of the Wethersfield History by Stiles and Adams]--jaques1724 00:38, 17 July 2024 (UTC). No record exists of the marriage.

Mary Brundish was christened at St. Mary at Elm church in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Her father John Brundish was born at Rattlesden (It would be helpful if someone could provide source citations for these Statements. --jaques1724 00:38, 17 July 2024 (UTC)).

The proposed son Daniel Purdy listed here is unsubstantiated. The name Daniel is used in Francis's grandchildren but there is no record of a Daniel as son of Francis. Certainly none survived. Daniel, apparently youngest son and probably youngest child, is mentioned in the inventory sworn by the widow 14 October 1658. The other four children, but not Daniel, are mentioned in connection with a sale of land on 2 May 1678. See Jacobus's Families of Old Fairfield, 1:495-96. --jaques1724 00:38, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Francis died in October of 1658. Probate documents exist in CT archives. There was a "great sickness" in Fairfield at that time so a number of people died. Mary Brundish was christened 10 Dec 1628; not birth date. She did not have a middle name Elizabeth. The Elizabeth part seems to have originated with the book on Fairfield history "Historie of Fairfield" Vol 1 1889 p324-326 by Elizabeth Hubbel Schenk, who got the date right but added to the name. The christening record appears in Partridge's transcription of the St. Mary Elm parish documents, but it does not appear on the microfische or microfilm of the parish record book. Transcriptions include loose pages and other material that are part of the church records but that may not be part of the book that is photographed. Mary had a brother James christened at the same church. The church is still actively used and is located on Elm street (hence the name) in the southwestern corner of downtown Ipswich. Some of the inner door is said to date from Norman times. The use of two given names is very rare before the mid 1700's. Her family name was Brundish, but it became corrupted through phonetic spelling to Brundage by the time her brother's children were adults, and has been Brundage ever since.

1. ↑ Information from Alexander Weeks.
2. ↑ Rootsweb Message Boards
   Cal Owen.