My Genealogy Hound

JOHN R. PURYEAR. This gentleman, who is a prominent representative of a numerous family in Kentucky, is a son of Thomas J. Puryear, and was born October 21, 1837, in Graves County, Ky. His father was a native of Virginia, and married Miss Perlina M. Bressie, a native of Tennessee; they settled in Graves County in 1836. Thomas J. Puryear was a merchant, farmer and trader or dealer in tobacco, and died in Graves County September 13, 1873; his wife is still living and a resident of Arlington, Ballard Co., Ky. John B. Puryear is the eldest of a family of ten children. He was reared on his father’s farm, educated in the common schools and the Mayfield Academy, and in 1859 taught school in Graves County. During the year 1860 he was similarly employed in Texas, and on returning was appointed a postal clerk on the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern Railroad, which position he held two years. In 1863 Mr. Puryear became associated in the wholesale drug business as a member of the firm of Kidd, Bradshaw & Co., which firm was dissolved by the death of Dr. W. H. Kidd, in October 1864. Mr. Puryear continued the business with other parties until burned out in 1865. He then turned his attention to completing his law study, which he had begun in early life. He studied under Judge C. S. Marshall, was admitted to the practice in 1868, and is now a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. On January 13, 1869, he was appointed to the office of clerk of the United States circuit court, Sixth Circuit, and district of Kentucky, and clerk of the United States district court for the district of Kentucky, which duties he is still discharging with, credit to himself and acceptance to the people. In 1873, in connection with E. W. Bagby, he established a weekly Republican newspaper entitled the Paducah Journal, which had an existence of eighteen months, when, though ably edited, it was discontinued. Mr. Puryear is one of a few Republicans of Paducah who wields more than a local influence. In 1876 he was a delegate from the First Congressional District of Kentucky to the National Republican Convention at Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1880 he represented the same district as a delegate to the National Convention at Chicago, and was there elected one of the assistant secretaries of that body. At the Republican State Convention held at Lexington, Ky., in 1883, his friends presented his name as a candidate for the office of state auditor, but he was defeated by a small majority in favor of Leroy W. Hawthorn. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., and of the K. of. H., and for several years has been a deacon in the Baptist Church. He was married in Paducah in 1868, to Miss Eliza M. Kidd, daughter of Dr. W. H. Kidd. Their children are Courtie, Letha, Odie, Roscoe, Kidd and Carl Puryear.