William Purdy was born in 1831 in Little Walsingham and was the son of Elizabeth Purdy (1805) - father unknown. He was an agricultural labourer for all his working life. In 1841 he was living with his mother in Little Walsingham, probably in Guild Street. In 1851 he was living in the house of agricultural labourer John Custance in Egmere. He married Mary Tuck in Walsingham in 1854. From 1861 to 1891 he was living in Knight Street in Little Walsingham. In 1901 he was working as an agricultural labourer and living in Coker's Hill, Little Walsingham, at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Edith and Emmanuel Shepherd.

Sources
• 1. 1901 Census. Coker's Hill, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. F-in-Law. Age 70. Ordinary Agricultural Labourer. Born Little Walsingham. • 2. 1881 Census. Knight Street, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. Head. Age 50. Born Little Walsingham. Agricultural labourer. • 3. 1861 Census. Knight St, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. Head. Age 30. Ag. Lab. Born Little Walsingham. • 4. 1891 Census. Knight St, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. Head. Age 60. Agricultural Labourer. Born Little Walsingham. • 5. Marriage Registers. Purdy, William & Tuck, Mary. Dec. 1854. 4b. 908. Walsingham. • 6. 1871 Census. Knight St, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. Head. Age 40. Ag. Lab. Born Little Walsingham. • 7. 1851 Census. Egmere. William Purdy. Servant. Age 20. Ag. Lab. Born New Walsingham. • 8. 1841 Census. Guiles [sic] Street, Little Walsingham. William Purdy. Age 10. Ag Lab. Born Norfolk.