Felix Gilbert vs Richard Pryor and Friend to Haden Pryor?

Posted on May 19, 2013 by tnpryors

felix 2Sometimes a name pops up and it seems to connect a family. This time the name is Felix Gilbert. I think he was part of the same group of aligned families who settled the most rural parts of colonial Virginia.

Gentry And Common Folk: Political Culture on a Virginia Frontier, 1740-1789, by Albert H. Tillson (pub. 1991) describes Felix Gilbert as “an Augusta merchant and justice of the peace.” With an association to William Preston.  There’s a nifty map online that shows the proximity of Gilbert and Preston’s property in Albemarle Co., VA  (view map)

I first spotted Felix Gilbert mentioned with a Pryor on an 1757 record for military pay in connection to the French-Indian War – AUG. 12 1757  John Pryor. Receipt to William Preston for 3 11s. being in full of his pay. Witnessed by Felix Gilbert.  Howdy, neighbor! There’s William Preston again.

About a decade later Gilbert is paired with another Pryor: Felix Gilbert vs. Richard Pryor. Elizabeth Pryor Harper in Twenty-One Sourthern Families found this suit in Chalkley’s Chronicles with an abstract reference to this case in Augusta County Court judgments for Aug. 1765, Bk. B, noting that Richard Pryor had not been found, and lived on the Roanoke (Chalkley, vol. 1, p. 333). This says writ was issued 28 March 1765.

He moved from VA to NC. In 1785 Felix Gilbert was named on the estate of Stephen Shifflett in Orange Co.  Matthew J Pryor married in Orange Co. and it should be noted that his brother Haden Pryor (of Granville Co., NC) and Elizabeth Wade – named a son Felix G Pryor in the 1770’s. Was he Fexlix Gilbert Pryor?

And then Felix Gilbert pops up again. He signed a petition in 1799 in Knox County (see signers). Another signer was William Pryor who I believe is from Bedford County, VA.

I don’t like to throw around loose theories… so I’m going to keep Felix on the back burner. I have a feeling he’ll be a clue later on.

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Ancestry DNA — More Frustrating Than Useful?

Posted on May 17, 2013 by tnpryors

I actually got some interesting results through the test, however the whole structure of the website and how others use it is very frustrating.  How do I dislike Ancestry DNA let me count the ways.

  1. Private Players. These are the people who take the test and then put a lock on their family tree. This means they get the full view of my public tree, reap all the benefit of my research and my membership in Ancestry, but I can’t see how we are related through tree. Yes, I know I can message them and get access to their tree—do you know how few respond?!
  2. Stragglers (Just Along For the Ride). These are the people who are testing but post no tree at all. I first suspected that people were taking the test to prove paternity (al la Maury Povich Show!)—that was until I learned a paternity test kit was cheaper. Maybe these folks are helping out a relative to see if they match. Could be they got a Groupon and took the test for a hoot. More likely they are working on a family tree at home and just gleaning information from my test results and my PAID subscription to Ancestry.
  3. Extensive Review Time.  Ancestry dumps all the Private Players and Stragglers into my search results. I can’t just delete them—I have to open up each one. This took a couple weeks to get through all of the results.
  4.  Stupid Search. How stupid is the Ancestry DNA search function? So stupid… there is NONE! This means that you can’t type in a surname and bring up all the match results for that surname. Ancestry allows you to mark interesting results with a gold star or a note, but to find those interesting results again you have to scroll through pages of marked results and open the notes. Yes, it’s dumb.
  5. Hidden Markers. Ancestry doesn’t actually show you your DNA results or markers. It doesn’t even tell you for sure which ancestor is your match. On some of the matches I’ve seen there were 11 (ELEVEN!) surnames that matched and it’s anyone’s best guess which one is the DNA match or if it’s someone in my tree or the match’s tree we haven’t ID’d yet. Totally a pain in the sit-down region!

The best results have been through tenacious research. I’ve been getting feedback on the Pryor surname from others who have taken the Ancestry DNA test—one researcher who is definitely from the line of the Marion County Pryors  (Matthew Pryor back to Robert Pryor and Virginia Betty Green) has completely different than the test subject I submitted. So that line is not connected to the line of Nicholas Pryor of Henrico County. The jury is still out on Richard Pryor (and Mourning Thompson) line because of some of the issues noted above.

Has anyone else tested with Ancestry and would like to share with me which Pryors they matched to? Rather than leaving a comment on this post, contact me through the TN Pryor website http://www.tnpryors.com/contactus.htm

 

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Letters on General Brazure Williams Pryor Land Grant

Posted on May 12, 2013 by tnpryors

In an older post ( Widow Pryor’s War of 1812 Land Bounty Letter ) I shared the transript of a letter written by Elizabeth A De Neufville Pryor, widow of Brazure Williams Pryor. I had misplaced other letters related to her request for bounty land. Ah Ha… found at last! This is the first post, more to come. Enjoy the transcripts.

King and Queen Co, July 23 / 52
[to] Mr. Martin

Dear Sir,
Mrs. Eliza Pryor requests with [obscured by tape] say to you that whe had been informed through Carter B. Fog (sic), of your having located Warrant a [obscured by tape] land of her husband the late General Pryor and that you desired to purchase same. She is willing to sell it to you for the same price offer her by others, and rather to give your the posession, you will please therefore answer this immediately stating the no of acres contained in said Warrant and the amount you are will to giver there for.
Yours respectfully,
John Washington Jr.
Eliza Pryor
Bestland, Essex Co.

—————————————– Next letter ———————————————-

Richmond, Va, July 26th, 1852
[to] Mrs. Pryor

Dear Madam,
Your friend Mr. Washington is mistaken in supposing that your Land Warrand is [?] which is sugested to some order. You can dispose of your warrant or have located++ just as you please. Your warrant is for 8 acres which when the assignment is made is worth now $63 less my commission. I would be pleased to hear from you on that subject. Immediately on receipt of the Warrant by mail I advised you find Mr. Carter B. Fogg of that part.

—————————————– Next letter ———————————————-

Caroline, August 13/52

Mr. John K Martin

Sir,
Your communication to Mrs Elizabeth Pryor of [obscured by tape] seems have been answered at an earlier day, but for a [darn tape again!] attack which frustrated me for several weeks. She is willing to take your offer for her warrant. You will therefor write upon the back side an assignment as the law requires, enclose it to her and she will sign it [can't read the word] it to you. You will send her for the balance of the deducting your com- ($63 – 6.30= 56.70) a certificate of depoist in a check that she can pass off without having to go to the bank for the money. Say to her in your letter that you have said this of me.

Yours respectfully
Jno. Wasthington Jr.
Elizabeth A Pryor
August 13, 1852

—————————————– Next letter ———————————————-

[Small inscription at top of letter, perhaps back of warrant was coppied over the letter?
Wrote said day August 26th to Clerk of Court Essex Rappahannock and ??? 37 County and asked the clerk to put his certificate and seal on Warrant as soon as Mrs. Pryor sends it to hime and return the same to me.]

Richmond, Va
August 16, 1852

Dear Madam,

In reply to Mr. John Washington Jr letter of the 13th said and in compliance with his request will enclose to you Land Warrant No. 36.562 with the view to get your assignment and with it will endorese a certificate of Deposit No. 902 for $56.70/100 which will enable you to check out any amount under that sum as by [can't read the word] your name on the back of the certificate you can pass it away to any body for the full amount.

This will pay you for your warrant, any deducted my commission therefrom for [?] the same.

The Warrant is already for your signature when the paper has been exectuted by you before a [witness?]. It will have to be sent  to the CH* to get a certificate and seal from the clerkof the court. And as you will have an opportunity to send the Warrant to the court house from Bestland**. I will trouble you to do so for me. I have this day written to the clerk of the court upon that subject.

You will be kind enough to acknowledge the receipt of the Warrant and said in your letter what disposition you have made with it. or in other words when did you send the warrrant to the CH.

Mrs. Eliz A Pryor
Bestland PO

Very respectfully yours,
John K Martin

* I believe “CH” stands for Court House
** Bestland is located in Essex Co., VA
++This sounds like Mrs. Pryor and her friend Mr. Washington wanted to know where the warrant was located and that Martin was offering to buy it but not locate it.

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