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Billy Purvis (1784–1853) was a Scottish entertainer and showman, living in Newcastle upon Tyne. His life is very well documented; his act was regularly mentioned in newspaper articles, for instance a detailed account, including a brief biography, of his performance at Newcastle Races. An autobiography appeared in 1849. Although he could read and write, Purvis speaks in the biography of having a letter written for him by a stationer; so it is not surprising that his 'autobiography' was ghostwritten, by J.P. Robson. Another source is a posthumous biography published by T. Arthur, although the identity of the author is not stated. This states that the earlier autobiography is basically the work of Purvis himself. Although writing two decades after Purvis's death, the author was in contact with his widow, who was still alive. The author had other sources, for instance quoting from correspondence between Sam Bayliss, of Billy Purvis' company, and "T.A.", presumably the publisher. Another source is a detailed obituary of his widow.
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1784
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| Died |
1853 (aged 68)
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