Tag Archives: Augusta County

1777 Map of Albemarle County, VA with Augusta, Amherst, Orange and Louisa Borders

I love old maps! They are so useful for figuring out old deeds. This is a great old map that was attached to a 1777 Legislative Petition filed by Albemarle County “inhabitants and freeholders” in favor of a division of the county from western-most point on Louisa line to the lower edge of Scott’s Ferry (the markings on the left end of the Fluvanna River). It may be hand-drawn without any new-fangled GPS, however it’s a good resource for boundaries and locations that were landmarks. Noted on the map is the Fluvanna River and it’s proximity to the James River, county lines, St. Anne’s Parish, Fredricksville Parish, and Charlottesville represented by a star just over the South-West Mountains. I can make out some of the smaller creek names: Cunningham, Green, Carry, Rockfish (which was just over the Amherst County boarder).

Richard Pryor of Clarksville Nephew of Samuel Morton Gaines

When I read this obit of a Richard Pryor of Clarksville I wondered who he was. Searching for him in Ancestry and through Google didn’t turn over easy answers, but answers I found.

Obituary of Richard Pryor of Clarksville

THE RECORD OF DEATH
Daily Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle (October 27, 1892)
(accessed 9/12/14) https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88061072/1892-10-27/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1892&index=2&rows=20&words=Pryor&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Tennessee&date2=1892&proxtext=pryor&y=8&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Richard Pryor Dies Suddenly at York, Alabama.
There are many people in Clarksville who will be pained to learn of the death of Richard Pryor, formerly of this city. He died Saturday last at York, Ala., and was buried Sunday. The Pryor family, it will be remembered, lived in Clarksville for several years and were well liked here.

Richard Pryor, by the death of his father, had the care of a family thrown on him when he was a mere boy. He went to work, however, and supported his mother and sisters well. At the time of his death he was a popular paper drummer, travelling for Louis Snider & Sons, of Cincinnati. He was popular with the trade and his death will be very much regretted. He died of an attack of cramp colic.

A Second Obituary

Hopkinsville Kentuckian, October 28, 1892
Death of Richard Pryor.
(accessed on 9/12/14) http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069395/1892-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/
The Chattanooga Times of Sunday, contained the sad news of the sudden death of Mr. Richard Gaines Pryor, which occurred at York, Ala., on Saturday Oct. 22. Mr. Pryor was for a long time a resident of this city and enjoyed a wide personal acquaintance here. He was a commerical traveler for the well known Cincinnati paper house of Louis Snider’s Sons Co. He made this city on his regular sixty days’ trip just before going south early in October. He was regarded as one of the best paper drummers on the road and commanded a very handsome salary. He was a nephew of Capt. Sam M. Gaines, of Lexington. He was the chief support of a widowed mother and several younger [rest of text missing]

I found this Pryor family on the 1870 Census in KY. If Richard and his mother and siblings lived in Clarksville, TN it was perhaps after 1870.  I found his uncle Samuel Morton Gaines was living in Hopkinsville, Christian County, KY in 1880.

1870 Census Todd Co., KY
Trenton Twp. Page 461A. Samuel D. PRYOR 35 farmer VA, Elizabeth 32 VA, Richard G. 11 VA, Elizabeth V. 9 VA, Mary C. 6 VA, Samuel 4 VA, Pattie 2 VA, Samuel Gains 28 lawyer VA, Ada S. 22 VA, Frances 1 VA**

Then I located these Pryors in Charlotte Co., VA in 1860. This location makes sense because I also located the death record for Richard’s uncle, Samuel Morton Gaines– He died in 1928 in Washington, DC and the record states his parents were Richard J. Gaines and Martha W. Venable and he was born 1843 at Charlotte Court House, VA

1860 Census Charlotte Co., VA
Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 422 Richard J Gaines 60 farmer Charlotte VA, Eliza W. 58 Charlotte VA, Mary C 28 Charlotte VA, Robt. H. 26 Charlotte VA, Robt. C. Bouldin 27 lawyer Charlotte VA, Mary R. 27 Charlotte VA, M. M. Bouldin (f) 8 Prince Edward Co. VA, Eliza L Bouldin 1 Charlotte VA, Sallie H. Morton 12 Charlotte VA, Wm J Roach 20 overseer Charlotte VA
Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 423 Sam E. PRYOR 26 Dinwiddie Co VA, Bettie F. 22 Charlotte Co. VA, R. G. Pryor (m) 2 Charlotte Co. VA

Remember Richard’s uncle was Samuel Morton Gaines, two Chancery Court Cases help to explain the relationships– Samuel E. Pryor was married to Elizabeth F. Gaines and Samuel Morton Gaines was her brother.

1861 Chancery Court Case – Richard N Venable and the heirs of E W Morton Vs. the Executor of Elizabeth W Morton. One of the heirs was Elizabeth “Betty” Gaines the wife of Samuel Pryor, daughter of Martha W. Gaines, a daughter of Elizabeth W Morton. 1864 Chancery Court Case for the estate of William Gaines includes his daughter Elizabeth F Gaines Pryor and her husband Samuel E. Pryor.

I suspect Richard’s father, Sam E. Pryor, is same the Samuel who was counted in a school on the 1850 Census.

1850 Census Augusta County, VA
Dist. 2, page 309b, house 1393, Pike Powers’ academy, living in school with other young men… Samuel PRYOR 15 VA

I know, I know… all those gosh-darn Samuel Pryors in Virginia! I have in my notes that Samuel E. Pryor was Samuel Edward Pryor, the son of Samuel Pryor and Mary Ann Withers.

Hope this helps someone searching this line.

** 1867 Samuel M. Gaines married Ada S. Leake in Albemarle Co., VA.

Felix Gilbert vs Richard Pryor and Friend to Haden Pryor?

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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.

Tennessee Pryor Newsletter 1

ALL TN PRYORS UPDATE: The total number of Pryors has gone up and down. The “All TN Pryor” project now contains 479 Pryors who were either born in or resided in Tennessee in 1850 or earlier.

Pryor or Brien?

I recently removed a family who turned out not to be Pryors. John and Lydia of Benton Co. are indexed on Ancestry as “Brien”. I looked at the writing and saw that the B is reasonably clear. I then did some searching of TN Census records of 1850 and found John, Lyddia (sic) and family recorded as Brine.

Thomas M. Pryor of Augusta County, VA

A new Pryor has been added to the list. THOMAS M. Pryor married Patsy E. Hartigan on Aug. 16, 1832 in Augusta Co., VA. I found Martha E. Pryor b. 1820 (age 30) living with the Hartigans in Dickson Co., TN in 1850. Her age varies between census years… 1860 she was recorded as 60 years old. Thomas may have died in VA or migrated with Martha to TN. Since Martha made it TN and is recorded as a Pryor I’ve included Thomas M. Pryor on the list with an note (maybe only his wife lived in TN).

Pryors in Christian County, KY

Another new Pryor was added to the list. William Barnes married MARY JANE Pryor 14 Mar. 1850 in Christian Co., KY. Mary Jane, born about 1832, was counted on the 1850-1870 Census as born in TN. In 1880 and 1900 her place of birth changed to KY. I suspect that the three earlier census entries are correct and that Mary Jane Pryor was born in TN. There are no other known Pryors in Caldwell Co. and only the family of John Pryor and wife Rebecca Cook (from Rutherford Co. and possibly Wilson Co., TN) living in Christian Co., KY. An internet search revealed that Pryor researchers place Mary Jane as a daughter of John and Rebecca. I did not find any source information that confirmed this lineage.

Henry County, TN Pryor

MARTHA A. Pryor b. 1823 NC, married John J. Hurt on 3 Feb. 1845 in Henry Co., TN. Martha was counted on the 1880 Census in Henry Co., stating both parents were born in North Carolina.

What About Pryor Surname in Dallas Co., AR?

SARAH A. Pryor b. 1824 and married Samuel W. Looney on Aug. 22, 1844 in Knox Co., TN is on the 1850 Census in Dallas Co., AR. Upon looking at the AR census there appears to be two groups of Pryors in Dallas Co.: kin to John Pryor and Ann Trigg who are related to the Pryors of Marion Co., TN*, and James Pryor and wife Unith and their children. James Pryor was from NC as was Matthew Pryor, the patriarch of the Marion Co. Pryors. While I have no proof of kinship between these lines, it shouldn’t be ruled out.
* As of 2015 there is no evidence that the Pryors in Marion County, TN are connected to the Pryors in Dallas County, AR.

The Tennessee Pryor Went to Pennsylvania

Another clarification… JAMES R. Pryor, the lone Tennessee Pryor on the census records of Blair Co., PA has been identified by his descendant. I recently received an email from a Pryor researcher who has offered terrific information that connects him to the Pryors of McNairy County, TN. James R. is not identified as JAMES RICHARD Pryor. His grave marker states his name as J. Richard, although the 1870 and 1880 Census records in PA state his name as James R. His descendant has discovered through an old letter and family information that James Richard came from McNairy County. He was captured during the Civil War while serving in the Confederate Army and when released, stayed in the North. There is a Richard Pryor of the correct age on the 1850 census in McNairy County. If you have any information to help this researcher confirm their McNairy County ancestors you can contact him by email DLee166@aol.com

VIRGINIA. Several months ago there the website crashed and the extractions of Virginia census records were lost. This webpage is now being recreated.

MATCHING MARRIAGES TO THE CENSUS. Many thanks to researcher Melody Pryor for creating a spreadsheet of Pryor marriages in the South and Midwest. Marriage information is being added as a notation to the census extractions on the website. My focus has been to first find the Pryor women and their husbands and then adding them to the census extractions. Adding the Pryor women under their married names has helped to add clarity to the census extractions, showing connections been families in each county. While this project is far from completion, you will find numerous marriage notes and families that have been added to the census extractions.