Purvis was born near Roslin Castle in Lothian, but was brought to Newcastle at an early age and always passed as a native of the place. He was a call-boy at the old Theatre Royal at the top of Dean Street, when Stephen Kemble (q.v.) was manager. Purvis was actually a cabinet-maker by trade but by choice a mountebank, player on the Northumbrian pipes, maker and dancer of fantoccini figures, clown, conjuror and manager of a widely-loved itinerant theatre. Better than all this, he was 'a good husband, a loving father, a firm friend, with a heart and hand open to all.'
The immortal favourite of Newcastle people, as Charleton calls him, used to have a booth among those beside Marlborough Crescent. These were displaced by the sheep market and moved to the south of Neville Street whence they were again ousted by the Central Station. He then had a booth on the north side of St Nicholas Square, where he gave two performances every evening. In November the company moved to winter quarters in Hartlepool. On one occasion his leading man came in with two black eyes. Billy promptly changed the billed play to a performance of Othello! Fordyce remarks in his Local Records: 'His contributions to the very inadequate stock of harmless pleasures will long be remembered with feelings of pleasure and respect.' Billy Purvis is buried in Hartlepool.