Tennessee Pryors

I was in the Williamson County, TN probate records again, looking for another family I’m researching and I found a couple records on the Pryors.

I was reading through the accounts filed by Henly/Hendley Stone in Williamson County for the care of Green and Peter Pryor, orphans of John Pryor. The 1812 settlement is a list of expenses that make the Pryor boys sound like a couple of dandies.
linen for pantaloons
Latin book, Cicero
2 striped waistcoats
Cash for a 4th of July frolick (yes, it really said frolick!)
Money to go to Nashville
a payment to a singing master… Mr. or Ms. Brown
wool socks and corderoy
3 hanks silk
tuition paid to Blackbourn
Maj. Maury for Peter and Green’s board
Payment of taxes on their land in Wilson County and taxes on land in VA
The expenses were offset by a credit for the rent of slaves: Sukey and her 4 children, Chloe, Hannah and her 4 children, Jude and 3 children, Joe, Sam and George. Rent of land in VA.
Signed April 1813 by N. Perkins Senr. Dan’l. Perkins, Robert McLemore, and Edward Warren.
Williamson County, TN. Inventories. Inventories, Wills, 1811-1818, Vol. B, page 17

The account of 1815 expenses and income is also interesting:

5 pairs of shoes or half boots
Tax on Wilson County land
Expenses for Green to travel to VA and back
Expenses for Green to attend a ball with Agness in Franklin.
Cash to Green to go to Brother Bartons on July 11th
A hat, a ham
Feed for Green’s horse
Cash “when Green started to the Army”
Cash paid to Thos. Reynolds for Green’s gun
Tuition paid to Mr. Blackburn
Peter Pryor to hire of Sam

Any idea what this expense was? Who was William?  I think a half eagle is a gold coin “Nov. To half eagle sent to Green & William to the Army by Maj’r Reed.”

This record answers one of the Pryor riddles and whittles down the number of John Pryors we’re researching. There’s Pryor land on the 1804, 1805, and 1806 Tax Lists for Wilson County, TN. It’s recorded as owned by the heirs of John Prior/Pryor. Hurray, from these records it appears the heirs are Peter and Green Pryor. One less John and now a bushel of new questions for researchers of this line — How did these boys get land in Wilson Co.? Did John receive the land before his death? Was it a military land grant? Did he buy the land?

I like this next record because it nicely connects Peter and Green Pryor to their siblings, the children of Hendley Stone. Hendley Stone’s 1829 will names his children, but not the Pryor boys, so it’s nice to have this record to support the probability that Hendley Stone married Peter and Green’s mother.

HENDLEY STONE Receipt July Session 1817 March 17th 1817. We have received of Hendley Stone our Guardian all the Negroes belonging to us in his posession agreeable to a division made the 15th of Jan. 17999 between us and our mother and on the 11th day of June 1817 we received our part of negroes in full which is our third part, that is three Negreoes namely Stepney, Mar., and Jacob and $75 in cash in full of all demands against H’dly Stone our Guradian, the balance of our mother’s part of Negroes, namely Pat, Jane, Henry, Fanny, Easter, S’l., Simeon, and Sally and their increase is to be equally divided between our 2 sisters Agnes P. Jenkins, Mary M. Stone, and our 2 brothers Alfra Stone and N’s P. Stone, our sister Agnes Jenkins is to leave Easter and Simeon for her part valued to $625 1/6 part of the above named Negroes as witnesses we have hereto set our hands this 11th day of June 1817. Signed Peter Pryor, Green Pryor. Which rcp’t as above recited was produced in C’t. July Session 1817 and ordered to be rec’d.
Williamson County, TN. Inventories, Wills, 1811-1818, Vol. B, page 359

I’m looking at the chart at the top of the page and how George Reynolds is in the middle… does he connect up the Reynolds with the Pryors on the left side of the chart?

George Reynolds, Jr. Dec’d. Account of Sales October Session 1815–
An Invt’y of the sales of the Estate of George Reynolds, Dec’d, made Aug 5 1815.
Pryor Reynolds bought 30 barrels corn $21.25, 1 whip saw $10,d Thos. Reynolds bought 3 books .50, 1 horse whip 2.25, 1 birdle 5.50, 1 feather bed and furniture 35.50, 1 colt 2.31 1/4, Henry Cook 1 cow and calf $12, 1 steer 5.87 1/2, James Tomlin 1 steer 4.50, one ditto 5., Jas. Waddle bay horse 27.75, 1 cow and calf 12.37 1/2, Am’t for’d $145.81 1/4. James Hughes bought 1 ax .43 3/4. S’l. Core bt. 1 apron .25, Peter Pryor bought 1 heifer 4.6 1/4, Joel Hobbs bt. 1 set plain irons 3., 1 cow $8., total 161.56 1/4.
Pryor Reynolds Admr. Which acc’t of sales was produced in Court October Session 1815 and ordered Red’d
N. P. Hardeman
Williamson County, TN. Inventories, Wills, 1811-1818, Vol. B, page 173