Recorded in a wide range of spellings including: Pourvoieur, Pourvoyeur (French), Pourveer (Breton), Perver, Pervoe, Perview, Pervew, Pervou, Purver, Purves, Purviss, and Purvey (English and Scottish), this is a surname of French origins. Particulary recorded in the northern counties of England and Scotland, it was an occupational name for an appointed official, one who was responsible for obtaining the supplies needed for a monastery or manor house, a 'purveyor'. Probably first introduced after the Norman invasion of England in 1066,and agin later by the Huguenot protestant refugees in the 17th century, the derivation is from the Olde French word 'porveoir', meaning to provide or supply. Early examples of the surname recording include that of Thomas Purvas, who was granted a land charter in Scotland in 1427 by the Duke of Albany, Jok Purvas was a yeoman in his stables in 1474. Other recordings include Jane Purveyor who married Richard Barker at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, London, on August 10th 1597, in France, Thierry Pourvoieur, a baptismal withess at the village of Cond dur L'escart, departement of Nord, on December 4th 1619, whilst back in England Margaret Pervou was christened at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on June 11th 1643, and Robert Perver, a christening witness at St Mildreds, Bread Street, also in the city of London, on August 2nd 1683. The first recorded spelling of the family name is possibly that of William Purveys. This was dated 1214, in the register of St. Mary's Abbey, Melrose, during the reign of King William, known as the Lion of Scotland, 1165 - 1214. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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