Background
He was born at Portuguese Macquarie to Presbyterian clergyman Reverend William Purves and Alison Inglis Adams.
politician Presbyterian clergyman
He was born at Portuguese Macquarie to Presbyterian clergyman Reverend William Purves and Alison Inglis Adams.
He attended the University of Sydney from 1866 to 1872, receiving a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts.
From 1870 to 1871 he went to England, and on his return he settled in the Clarence River district. A real estate agent, he also served as a North Sydney alderman and mayor. In 1880, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Clarence, serving until his defeat in 1887.
Purves died at Woollahra in 1915.