Billy Purvis (1853)

Billy Purvis (1784–1853) was a British entertainer and showman.

Early life

Purvis was born in Auchindinny, Scotland on 13 January 1784, with his family moving to The Close in Newcastle in 1786. He was apprenticed to a joiner, and there impressed his coworkers with feats of dexterity, before becoming a drummer for the Newcastle Theatre and later the Newcastle Volunteers.^[1]

Stage career

Purvis then became an assistant carpenter for the theatre, as well as an amateur company actor. He also appeared at public events as a dancingmaster, conjuror, piper, play-actor, and showman.

On one occasion, during the Whitsuntide holidays, when the South Shieds magistrates gave him license to erect his theatre "if he would not annoy the residents in the market place with his din," he assured them, with his ready wit, that "the only noise that was made was caused by the audience applauding him—which they could not help."^[1]

References

1. William Fordyce (1857). The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham: Comprising a Condensed Account of Its Natural, Civil, and Ecclesiastical History, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time; Its Boundaries, Ancient, Parishes, and Recently Formed Parochial Districts and Chapelries, and Parliamentary and Municipal Divisions; Its Agriculture, Mineral Products, Manufactures, Shipping, Docks, Railways, and General Commerce; Its Public Buildings, Churches, Chapels, Parochial Registers, Landed Gentry, Heraldic Visitations, Local Biography, Schools, Charities, Sanitary Reports, Population, &c. A. Fullarton and co. pp. 268–.