, ▁around ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁" Mr . ▁Re ed " ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁James ▁Re id , ▁who ▁continued ▁the ▁business ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁Robert . ▁ ▁One ▁indic ation ▁of ▁Pur vis ' s ▁fame ▁at ▁this ▁late ▁stage ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁horse ▁named ▁" B illy ▁Pur vis ", ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁Mr . ▁Ste bb ings , ▁ran ▁in ▁numerous ▁races , ▁for ▁instance ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁ ▁End ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁post hum ous ▁reputation ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁as ▁an ▁old ▁man , ▁saying ▁" my ▁strength ▁begins ▁to ▁fail ", ▁" he ▁gave ▁material ▁into ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Mr . ▁J . ▁P . ▁Rob son ▁to ▁write ▁his ▁aut obi ography , ▁pay ing ▁him ▁£ 2 0 ▁for ▁the ▁undert aking . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁issued ▁in ▁tw open ny ▁numbers , ▁and ▁went ▁like ▁wild fire , ▁the ▁first ▁bu yer ▁being ▁Mr . ▁W . ▁Campbell , ▁boot maker , ▁Dean ▁Street , ▁who ▁requested ▁Pur vis ▁to ▁write ▁his ▁aut ograph ▁in ▁it . ▁ ▁Many ▁bu ying ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁not ▁particular ▁whether ▁they ▁gave ▁Pur vis ▁p enn ies ▁or ▁half - c row ns ▁for ▁them , ▁in ▁such ▁este em ▁he ▁was ▁held ." ▁Rob son ▁was ▁careful ▁to ▁write ▁in ▁his ▁subject ' s ▁own ▁voice ; ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁Pur vis ' s ▁distinct ive ▁stage ▁pat ter