William Purvis

In the novel Dumb Witness, William Purvis is a solicitor of the firm Purvis, Purvis, Charlesworth & Purvis in Harchester, a town some ten miles from Market Basing. He is the solicitor of Emily Arundell and had handled her affairs for a long time. After falling down the stairs Emily called him to prepare a new will, insisting that it must be brought to her ready to sign. Purvis did not like Emily's new terms in her will and he did try to dissuade her and he did go along with them as instructed, bringing in his clerk and the gardener to act as witnesses. Purvis was appointed executor of the will and presided at the reading after Emily's death. During an interview with Poirot later, he told Poirot that Emily was in full possession of her faculties in making the new will. Purvis did advise Emily not to reveal to Wilhelmina Lawson that she would be the major beneficiary of the new will and Emily accepted this advise. He told Poirot that this was to prevent any future feelings of disappointmet--he presumed that the new will was the result of some argument and disagreement Emily had had with her relatives and expected that at some future date Emily would change the will in their favour again.

Agatha Christie's Poirot
In the Agatha Christie's Poirot ITV TV adaptation aired in 2002, Emily's solicitor does not appear. Dr Grainger read the will as he was the executor.

Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie
In Témoin muet, the French Télévisions film adaptation of the novel, the parallel character is Maître Sermet.