The citizen., 1902-04-04
DEATH OF DIR. PURNELL
Sketch Of an Interesting Ca.
reer-Was Principal of the
Frederick Female
Seminary.

dated March 31st, says:
Rev. DR.. William II. Purnell.
former president of Delaware
College and professor in the in
stitutiOn, died at Atlantic CITY
yesterday of stomach trouble.
The body was brought to the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Chas.
G. Blandy, at Newark.
The funeral was held at the
Presbyterian church, Newark, at
$50 a. IN. Tuesday. The burial
was made at Annapolis.
DR.. Purnell was about 76 years
old. AT the time of his death he
was professor of logic, law and
elocution at the college. He was
a trustee of the institution and a
member of the Baltimore Presby-
terry.
The death of DR.. Purnell was a
great surprise to his many friends
here. During his residence here
he endeared himself to all with
whom he came in contact.
DR.. Purnell was a Marylander.
having been born on the family
farm, "Quepengo," near the POGO
moke river, Worcester county.
He entered Buckingham Acad
emy, at Berlin, where he was
prepared for admission to Della
ware College, at Newark, Del.
After graduating he went to
Snow Hill, where he read law
with the late Judge John r.
Franklin and was admitted to
the bar. Notwithstanding the
fact that he was the Youngest
member of the bar, he was chosen
soon after the death of Judge
Franklin to succeed him as the
deputy Of Attorney General Rich
ardson. When % years old he
was elected member of the
school board of the county and
chief town commissioner. DR..
Purnell was then an ardent Whig.
In his early career at Snow Hill
he married Margaret Neill Martin.
DIR. Purnell served as Deputy
Attorney General until 1855,
when he was elected Comptroller
of the State Treasury. In the
State Nominating Convention of
the American party in 1857 his
name, with those of Col. George
b. Rickerds and Thomas Holiday
Hicks, was put in nomination for
Governor. He received "a votes
on the first ballot, a number of
which were cast, the friends of
DR.. Purnell and Col. Rickerds
finally voting for Hicks. who had
received but nine votes OH the
first ballot. After the nomina
tiOn of Governor Hicks DR.. Pur.
nell was nominated as his OWL
successor in the Office of State
Comptroller. In 1859 he was re.
nominated by the American party
by acclamation and elected tC
succeed himself.
In 1857 DR.. Purnell was elected
trustee of Maryland Agricul
tural College and served on the
board IL years. He was a mem.
Der of the original board of organ,
ization and assisted in selecting
the site for the college.
At the instance of Governor
Hicks, Henry Winter Davis and
Others, he was made postmaster
of Baltimore in 1861, having re
signed the Office of State Comp.
troller to accept his new position
He was reappointed postmaster OF
Baltimore by President johnson.
from whose hands he also, in 1866,
received the appointment of as
SCISSOR of internal revenue.
In 1864 he was elected chair
man of the Union State Central
Committee, but resigned in 1866
because of differences of opinion
on the registration law. He was
opposed to the prOscriptive policy
and spoke in Frederick and else
where against it.
After his retirement from poll
TICS DR.. Purnell practiced law in
Baltimore until 1870, when ht
was elected president of Delaware
College, his alma mater. He held
this position 10 years. While al
the college he served IL years as
president of the State Board Of
Education. In 1885 he resigned
the presidency of the college tC
accept the principalship of the
Frederick Female Seminary
Later he became president of New
Windsor College, Carroll county
Maryland, and afterward returned
to a prOfessorship in Delaware
College.
DR.. Purnell had relatives anG
many friends in Baltimore, where
he often preached in Presbyterian
churches.
TT.A-1