Merchant.
Born in Lanark County, Ontario on 17 June 1851, son of James and Barbara Purdon, he quit school at the age of 17 to work on the family farm for five years. He worked as a carpenter until 1889 when he moved to Manitoba and established himself in the coal, wood, flour and feed business at Brandon. He retired from business in 1909.
On 15 March 1880, he married Isabelle Gillespie (1857-1943) of Cromarty, Ontario. They had six children: Barbara Livingstone Purdon (1882-1967, wife of Charles Kenning Newcombe), James W. Purdon (1885-?), Carlisle Purdon (1887-?), Agnes Purdon (1889-?), Jessie May Purdon (1891-?), and Marjorie Douglas Purdon (1896-?). The family lived at 335 Fourth Street, Brandon. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters.
He died at Brandon on 30 December 1945 and was buried in the Brandon Cemetery.
Birth registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.
“Brandon pioneer, R. Purdon, dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 January 1946, page 2.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 8 December 2013
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