Wake Forest College Board of Trustees 1852

Click to See Larger Image

Wake Forest College Catalog 1852, showing the Board of Trustees.

Trustees with Caswell County connections:

John Purify/Purefoy
Nathaniel J. Palmer
John Kerr
Rev. J. J. James
Calvin Graves

James S. Purify/Purefoy
Sidney S. Lea
Elias Dodson

And, possibly others.
















Rev. Dr. George Washington Purefoy was a prominent Baptist Minister. He was involved in survival of The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill following the Civil War. He assisted in bringing the University back to life after two years of being closed. Purefoy Road is along the southern campus of UNC-CH. The Purefoy/Merritt Mill was in this location. The mill is gone, but some of the foundation stones are at the NC Botantical Gardens in Chapel Hill. His father was John Purefoy, one of the men responsible for the founding of Wake Forest University. George's brother, James Simpson, was also a trustee for Wake Forest University. As a leader of the Baptist movement he was the writer of "A History of the Little Sandy Parish," an account of the early beginnings of the Free Will Baptist movement in North Carolina. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate in 1870 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
_______________

In 1844, the Biblical Recorder wrote:

"The arm or branch of the Baptist Church of Yanceyville, located in Milton, N.C. was constituted into a separate and independent church on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday in the last month (June 1844) by the Presbytery of the Beulah Association. Elder S. Pleasant acted as Moderator. The examination was conducted by Elder G. W. Purefoy assisted by other members of the Presbytery. The right hand of fellowship was given by the Moderator and the charge to members by Elder J. Bradley of Virginia, late president of Newton College. Concluding prayer by Elder E. Dodson."

Source: Milton Baptist Church (Caswell County, North Carolina).