Purple, William D.

6 Apr. 1802–1886. Physician, town officer, bookseller, postmaster. Born in Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Edward Purple. Moved to New Hartford, Oneida Co., New York, 1805; to Smithville, Chenango Co., New York, 1807; and to Greene, Chenango Co., 1814. Studied medicine with Dr. Charles Josslyn, 1820–1824. Moved to Bainbridge, Chenango Co. Became a Mason, 1825, in Bainbridge. Took notes at trial involving JS, 1826, in Chenango Co. Elected clerk of Bainbridge Village, 5 May 1829. Moved back to Greene, ca. 1830, and practiced medicine. Married Julia Burnham, 20 June 1831, in Albany, Albany Co., New York. Secretary of Methodist Episcopal Church at its organization, 29 Sept. 1832, in McDonough Village, Chenango Co. Inspector of common schools, 1834, in Greene. Town clerk, 1835, 1866–1867, 1869–1870, 1872–1873, in Greene. President of Chenango Co. Medical Society, 1838–1839. Town supervisor, 1843, in Greene. Postmaster, 1853–1861, in Greene. Published JS trial notes as “Joseph Smith, the Originator of Mormonism,” 1877. Buried in Greene.