It’s been a while since my last post and quite a bit longer since posting on my own Pryor line.
My line are the Pryors of Sumner County, TN. My great-great-grandfather was Allen L. Pryor who was the son of John and Massy Pryor and kin to the Pryors in Overton Co., TN. In 1870 Jospeph Pryor aged 15 shows up in the household of Allen L. Joseph was counted after the younger Pryor children, indicating he may have been a relative staying in the household.
On the 1860 Census I found a Joseph Pryor aged 5 living in the household of Massy Pryor in District 11, while Allen L. Pryor was living in District 12. Other Pryors living in District 11 were the children of William Pryor and Margaret Curry in house 17, Phereba Pryor of Overton County in house 104, Eliza or Louisa Pryor who was married to David McCullough in house 108 next door to her mother Massy in house 107.
Massy’s household in 1860:
House 107 Massy PRIAR 60, Betsy 40, Samuel 26, Joseph 5, Samuel 8
I’ve suspected that Betsy aged 40 was a daughter in law. In 1850 Massy was again counted as a head of household in Sumner Co.
House 96 Massa PRYOR 50 VA, Jonathan 25, Elizabeth 28, Samuel 15
The older Elizabeth counted after Jonathan seems in keeping with children recorded by census takers most frequently in chronological order and spouses, and non-related individuals added after family members on the census record. Samuel Pryor is a known son of Massy and John Pryor. Jonathan is probably a son named after his father.
In 1850 and 1860 he was recorded in Massey Pryor’s household. On December 14, 1865 Samuel married Susan F. Cardwell. This marriage appears short-lived; in 1870 he was living on his own. I have not yet found a marriage record, but the census records state he married a woman named “Ann Kate” in about 1870. Their marriage lasted more than 30 years. At the time of Samuel’s death after 1900, he had no children, naming in his will his McCulley and Pryor nieces and nephews as his heirs. Therefore, I’m fairly certain that neither Joseph nor Samuel on th 1860 Census are children of Samuel Pryor.
I think the best bet is that Jonathan and Elizabeth were the parents parents of Joseph and Samuel. The young Samuel (born 1852) seems to disappear after the 1860 Census. In 1870 Jospeh was living with his probably uncle Allen L. Pryor. Elizabeth was living in District 11 in 1870, surrounded by kin George Pryor, Eliza Pryor McCullough, Pleasant Taylor.
In 1880 Joseph Pryor aged 25 was counted as J. D. Pryor living in Dist 10 of Sumner County, working in the Albright family as a farm laborer. Joseph has not been found on the 1900.
And that’s where the trail ends. Has anyone stumbled upon Joseph and more information about him?
