This homestead (which was on the farm formerly belonging to Bartholomew Ward, and sold by him to Andrew Purdy), stood in what is now the village of Mount Vernon, at the •corner of Sixth Avenue and Fourth Street, on the ■east side, and now belongs to the heirs of John Stevens. The early boyhood of Mr. Purdy was passed at this place, and at the age of twelve he went to Mamaroneck, and attended a school taught by John

M. Ward, a well-known teacher of that day. Here he prepared to enter Columbia College, a plan which he afterwards abandoned, and at the conclusion of his school term he entered, in 1843, the law office of Samuel E. Lyon. In this office he remained four years, was then admitted to the bar, and established his practice at West Farms. During his first year there he was elected to the offices of Justice of the peace and town clerk, and has been continuously re-elected to ihe former position. He was elected supervisor of the town of West Farm, and held that office in 1855, 1856, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867 and 1868, being four times elected without opposition, and at the other elections by a very large majority. In 1867 he was elected member of Assembly

by a majority of eight hundred and twenty, and served on the committee on internal affairs. The following year he was reelected, and was re-appointed on the abovenamed committee.

His practice as a lawyer has been almost entirely confined to real estate. In this branch of legal knowledge he has few equals, and it may be safely said that there is no one who is more thoroughly conversant with the history of the land titles in this county. He is constantly called upon to decide (piestions concerning ancient boundaries, the locations of which have passed from memory.