Tennessee Pryors

My ancestor John Pryor of Campbell County, VA and Sumner County, TN married Massey Taylor, a daughter of Edmund Taylor and Elizabeth Garrett. Edmund’s other daughter Spicy Taylor married – and settled in Overton County. I feel compelled to write a bit about the Taylor Family in Sumner County, TN.  Some of the twists and turns may be of interest even if you’re not related to this line.

For years I had argued with Taylor researchers that Pleasant Taylor was a son of Edmund and Elizabeth Garrett. Their relationship was stated in Edmund’s Campbell County will and in a later Sumner County lawsuit that named his son Pleasant. The dispute was that some researchers of Thomas Taylor and his wife Mildred Markham were convinced that Pleasant was Thomas’ son.  This belief originated with a transcript of Thomas Taylor’s 1836 will in Sumner County, TN.  His son’s name was erroneously transcribed as Pleasant.

But when you look at the actual will, Thomas’ son is recorded as Jarratt Taylor. The whole will is on http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~providence/will_taylorthomas.htm

Now Jarratt Taylor is very interesting indeed. Thomas Taylor’s Revolutionary War pension application helps to support that Jarratt or even Garrett may be a family name (see application http://revwarapps.org/w873.pdf). The family record attached to the pension names his son as Garard Taylor. There’s even an affidavit from Jarratt E Taylor of Monroe County, KY who states he was Thomas’ brother and that he recalled Thomas and Mildred’s marriage in Cumberland County, VA in 1785 (after the War).  Both Thomas and Jarratt had beautiful clear signatures… no X’s.

Now this is where the whole Pryor and Taylor search takes on a wild hook. There are several family trees on Ancestry.com that link Thomas Taylor as the son of Samuel Taylor and Sophia Childress (a daughter of Abraham Childress). Remember Samuel Taylor? He was appointed guardian of John Pryor after the death of his father David Pryor in 1747. Abraham Childress was the guardian of David Pryor, the son of the deceased older David Pryor. Hmmmm, I’m approaching the link of Thomas Taylor to Samuel Taylor with a dose of skepticism because none of the trees include his brother Jarrett/Gerard/Garrett Taylor.

Are Thomas and Jarrett Taylor related to Edmund Taylor the father in law of John Pryor and William Pryor? I’m looking at records because not only do I suspect John Pryor who was in Bedford and Campbell Counties in VA was from Cumberland County, VA — I also suspect the Taylors had ties to these same counties. Here’s some additional records that make for interesting reading.

• Thomas Taylor’s son Jarrett Taylor married Delilah Anglea in Sumner Co., TN.  In Cumberland County, VA there’s a 1795 Chancery Court case titled Creed Taylor vs. William Anglea.
• Thomas Taylor’s will was witnessed by Wrenny Crews (his name was also recorded incorrectly on the transcript). Wrenny Crews signed a 1791 petition in Campbell County, VA  with John Deckey, Edward Deckey, Wrenny Crews, Martin Rector, Thomas Oglesby, Murrell Cunningham (Murell Cunningham also went to Sumner County). Edward Dickey was the father of Sally Dickey Giles who married Hezekiah Taylor, son of Edmund Taylor.
• Thomas Taylor’s daughter Betsy married James Flowers (The Flowers family was connected to the Pryors in Overton County and were also in Campbell County, VA  see post)