Can We Clean Up the Mess In the Jackson Co., TN Records?

First I found Joseph Pryor on the 1803 Jackson Co., TN Tax List, THEN I found him on the 1805 Tax list in Blount County, TN.  However, when I looked at the 1805 document it’s clear that it’s the 1803 list. Who knows when this happened— the pages could have been photographed twice when the National Archives photographed the records for microfilm.

There IS a John and a Joseph Pryor on the 1803 Jackson Co., TN Tax List.

John Pryor is in Captain Smith Hutcherson’s Dist, recorded near Elijah Ewing, Caleb Job, Daniel Job, Elijah Ray.

My Notes: Elijah Ewing shadows the “heirs” Richard Pryor (husband of Mourning) through the records and helps to point at other Pryors who are related to Richard’s line– more on Elijah Ewing in my next post! Caleb Job, Daniel Job, and Elijah Job were all recorded as Richard’s “heirs” on a 1811 document in Logan Co., TN.  I don’t think this John Pryor is the Jonathan Pryor born 1788 in Logan County, he was 15 in 1803 and this John is likely to be older if he is the same man who was on the 1793 list (born 1772 or earlier). A possible fit is John Pryor who married Ruth Sherrill in Greene Co., TN and lived in White Co., TN. I kind of like this John Pryor for this John because we know that he was in Greene County and likely followed the other Pryors to Sumner, Jackson and later White Co., TN.

Still on the 1803 Tax List, Joseph Pryor is in Captain Russell’s Dist, recorded with William Russell, James Taylor, William Walden

My Notes: Based on deeds in Jackson Co. these men lived on Roaring River. Joseph Pryor was surety for James Taylor’s marriage in Greene Co., TN. Joseph Pryor, William Russell, and William Walden all signed a petition in 1789 in Greene Co. There are no age indicators on the tax list, however he could be the Joseph Pryor on the 1820 Census in Jackson County as residents on the Roaring River, even after earlier county divisions, remained in later Jackson County records.

Another question came up regarding 1803 Tax List —

I found an old edition of Ansearchin’ News online with the transcribed 1803 list.tngs.org/ansearchin/pdf/1995-3.pdf. The entire tax list was transcribed, so I was able to compare the old list to the Ancestry film. That’s when I found another there’s another Joseph Pryor on the Ancestry film of the list, but he’s not on the Ansearchin’ transcipt… and there is a Thomas Pryor

I suspect the transcript in the Ansearchin’ News is correct and that the pages in the Ancestry film are mixed up. Are these earlier or later records? Were they from Jackson County or another county? Anyone got an idea when these following record were from?

On the mixed-in page the district is not shown at the top. Thomas Pryor recorded with Elijah Ewing, Luke Mayfield, Stephen Dill, Arter Dill, David Dill, Seth Mayberry, William Crocker, John and William Dill.

My Notes: Based on deeds in Jackson Co., these are the Pryors on Roaring River in Jackson Co., TN. Elijah “Ewine” on the 1801 petition not to join Smith Co with Wilson Co. Elijah Ewing was on early tax lists in 1790’s in Sumner County, TN and with the “heirs” of Richard Pryor on the 1803 Tax List. The Dills and the Crockers married in to the Pryors of Jackson County– Serena Dill married Alfred Pryor b. 1808, Sary Pryor b. 1764 was living with John Y Crocker in 1850, Mary Ann and Rhoda Pryor who were living with William Pryor in 1850 married Crocker brothers. 

Also on the Ancestry list… Joseph Pryor recorded with James Whitson, John Hunter, Joseph Copeland, James Bartlett, William Haws, William Whitaker

My Notes: Based on deeds in White Co. these are the Pryors on Caney Creek in Dry Valley, White Co. Joseph Pryor b. 1792 married Mary Bartlett and in 1828 was deeded property that bordered by the Hunters in White County. Seth Maberry and Joseph Pryor are on the 1820 Census in Jackson Co., TN.