Category Archives: About TN Lines

OH DEAR! Two New Pryors in Tennessee

tn-pryors

Just when you think you’ve got all the Pryors in TN at 1850 and earlier two new ones pop up. We now have a JOHN PRIOR and DAVID L. PRIOR in Weakley County. I located two court records that named John on charges of unlawful gaming (gambling). One of the cases has David L. Prior as John’s security (bondsman?).

In trying to figure out who these Prior/Pryor men may be I looked at other Weakley County records. I don’t see neither John nor David on the 1830 Census nor on the 1840 Census. There’s a John L. Prior who married in 1846 to Lucinda Smith, but  he was age 22 and she was 20 on the 1850 Census, so he would have been a toddler in 1830-1831.  If the census is correct, John L. Prior was born about 1828 in Tennessee.

Any ideas to match these Prior/Pryor to their families?

1830 Court Record, Weakley Co.
Page 151 (image 224)
January the 15th 1830
This day the grand jury appeared in open court in a body and returned the following bills of indictment to wit…John Prior (for unlawful gaming)
(FamilySearch.org, Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927; pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-195-343301-1-59, Weakley County Minutes 1827-1835)

1831 Court Record, Weakley Co.
Page 270 (image 365)
Wednesday October Sessions 1831
State of Tennessee vs. John PRIOR
For unlawful Gaming
This day came the Attorney General on behalf of the State and the defendant being solemnly called to come into court as he was this day bound to do and answer the State’s charte against him came not but made default. Therefore it is considered by the court that a Judgment Nici be entered up against the John Prior & David L. Prior, his Security, for the sum of two hundred dollars and that a Scire Facias issue direced &c. of the
(FamilySearch.org, Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927; pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-195-343301-1-59, Weakley County Minutes 1827-1835)

Prior R Hughes

Prior R Hughes in Williamson Co. A great grandson of Catherine Pryor and Henry Lansford of Pittsylvania County, VA. There are other Pryors and Hughes connections; is Prior R. Hughes connected to any of them?

I believe we have John Hughes Pryor born 1785 on the 1840 Census in Williamson County, TN. John married Sallie Smith in 1802 in Goochland County. John was the son of William Pryor and Elizabeth Hughes and the brother of Judith Neville Pryor who married Fountaine Duke and settled in McNairy County, TN.

I found an affidavit in the loose court documents from Williamson County.

State of Tennessee
Williamson County
Personally appeared before me Lemuel? B McConners? clerk said James Hughes and made oath that Pryor Hughes as the guardian for Polly Hughes, Barrett Hughes, and Sally Hughes had never received anything– that he was appointed for the purpose of petitioning the court for an order of sale of land belonging to said minors and others, but abstaining would be attended with much cost it was never deal.
signed Jas. Hughes
undated

There’s a Williamson County will for Polly Hughes proved 15 November 1825 by James Hughes and Nancy Hughes, his wife. It names her brother James Hughes, Benjamin Hughes, 5 sisters (unnamed), and her brother-in-law John Lane.

I don’t want to go on a wild goose chase, but there is also a Lane connection to the Pryors in Goochland County. David Lane married Elizabeth Pryor there in 1757. Are they related to John Lane in Williamson County?

Does anyone have information that connects Prior Hughes with John Hughes Pryor?

Some Pryor Men Named in Obion County, TN Records

tn-pryorsAccessed on FamilySearch.org
Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927
Obion County
Inventories, Settlements, Wills 1834-1844

State of Tennessee
Obion County
July Term 1835

William Andrew Administrator of the Estate of Enos Hay deceased Present the following Statement of his Administration of S. Estate to wit

No. 1 Paid to Benjamin Totten of note deed $16.40
2 Paid to Doctor N. L. Allen on Proven acct 5.00
3 Paid to Benjamin Totten on note 1.45
4 Paid to James N. Cullen on note V (viz) Interest 11.58
5 Paid to Lonsdale Walton due on note .88
6 Paid to Byrd Turner on note V (viz) Interest 8.47
7 Paid to THOMAS PRYER on Proven account 8.43
8 Paid to Joshua C Richmon Proven accout 2.50
$49.7_

———————————————————————–

Inventory of notes belonging to the Estate of A. Linn Dec’d–

… One note on HENRY PRIAR Due the 25th of Decr. 1835— 6.00

———————————————————————–

State of Tennessee
Obion County

Know all men by these presents that we HENRY PRYOR all of the County of Obion and State of Tennessee are held and firmly bound unto Newton Cannon Governor of the State for the time between and his successors in the Penal Sum of ….. dollars for the payment of which well and truly to be made we bind our selves our  heir s executors administrators and assigns jointly and Severally firmly by these presents. Sealed with our Seals and dated this 4th day of April 1835—

The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound  Henry Pryor administration of all and singular the goods and chattels lands and Tenements of MATTHEW YOUNG Deceased, do make or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory of all and Singular the goods & chattels Eights & credits of Said Matthew Young Dec’d which have or shall come to the hands or possession or Knowledge of him the Said Henry Pryor or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons and for him and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited to the County Court when orders for administration passed within ninety days after the date of these presents and the Same goods chattels and credit and all other goods chattels and credits of the Said deceased at the time of his death or which at any time after Shall come to his hands or possession of the Said Henry Pryor or into the hand or possession of any other person for him well and truly administrator according to Law and further do make or cause to be made a true and perfect account of his said administration within two years after the date of this presents and all the rest and residue of the said goods chattels and credits which Shall be found remaining upon the said administrator’s account the same first being examined by the court and allowed of by the county court. Shall deliver and pay unto such person or persons respectfully to whom the same shall be d…,  unto pursuant to the true intent and meaning of the act of assembly in such cases made and provided.  An d if it shall appear than any last will and Testament was made y the deceased and the Executor or Executors therein named do Exhibit the same into court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly. if the said Henry Pryor be thereunto requested do render and deliver the said letters of administration approbation of such Testaments being first had and made in the said court then this obligation to be Void and of no Effect, or otherwise to remain in full force and Virtue.

Henry Pryor

Abraham Enloe

Jos. S. Enloe

———————————————————————–

The amount of Property of the Estate of Matthew Young Dec’d amounted to fifty eight dollars and 18 cents—H. Prior, administrator

———————————————————————–

1837

Account of the estate of George H. Long
1 Log chain purchased by Henry Pryor
2 saws purchased by Henry Pryor

TN Pryor: Wild West Sheriff

sheriff-badge

Russell August Pryor born 1835 in TN was a real sheriff deputy in the wild west. In 1880 he and his family were recorded in Humbolt County, NV and his occupation was stated as deputy sheriff. Did they really have twins they named Florence and Lawrence? The 1900 Census (below) solves that question… no.

1880 Census Humboldt Co., NV – Winnemucca
Page 269B R. A. PRYOR 46 TN TN TN Deputy Sheriff, Maggie 33 Scot Scot Scot, Edward son 14 CA, Lorance son 12 NV, Florance dau 12 NV, Maggie J. dau 5 NV, Jane Jinerson (sic) mother in law 58 Scot Scot Scot

Santa Rosa Mountains

“Santa Rosa Range, NV 2008” by Zack Sheppard from San Francisco, USA – FlickrUploaded by PDTillman. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Santa_Rosa_Range,_NV_2008.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Santa_Rosa_Range,_NV_2008.jpg

Deputy Pryor got his name in the paper, praising his efforts track down a thief.

GOT HIS MAN. On the first inst. a man stole a watch and a sum of money in Winnemucca, and disappeared. Officer R. A. Pryor, of that town, took charge of the matter and followed the fellow so persistently that he could not escape, and the officer came upon him in Truckee ten days after…
(Nevada State Journal (Reno Nevada). 13 October 1878)

Sometime in the 1880’s Russell moved his family to CA. He started appearing on the California Voter Registrar in 1886 as Russell Augusts Pryor born 1835. By 1900 Russell Pryor and his family had moved to CA

1900 Census San Francisco, CA
ED#179, page 301A. 660 Broderick St., house154/219 Russell A. PRYOR Aug. 1835, 64, md. 30 TN TN TN watchman (day), Margaret wife Mar. 1850, 50, 4 children/4 living Scotland Scotland, Scotland, Laurence W. son Feb. 1870, 30, NV, Florence dau Sept. 1871, 28, NV, Margaret dau Sept. 1876, 23 NV.

His obituary confirms he died in 1906. I tried to figure out his birth date… I’m miserable at these types of calculations. Was his birthday 4 October 1835? If you’re tracing this line, there’s good news– there’s a death record in California.

PRYOR – In this city. March 11, Russell A. Pryor, beloved husband of Margaret M. Pryor, and father of L. W., E. R. and Miss M. Pryor and Mrs. C. W. Conlisk, a native of Tennessee. aged 71 years, 6 months, and 25 Days. Remains at the parlors of N. Gray & Co. 612 and 614 Van Ness avenue. between Golden Gate avenue and Turk street.
San Franciso Chronicle (San Franciso, CA. 12 Mar 1906)

I think Russell Pryor is the one Russell Pryor who was on the 1850 Census in Missouri:

1850 Bates Co., MO
Page 259B. House 424. William Pryor 59 TN, Elizabeth 22 MO, Russell 15 TN, James 17 TN

It’s speculated that Russell’s father, William,  is one of the sons of William Pryor of White County, TN who migrated to Missouri in the 1840’s.

I also think he’s the R. A. Pryor living in Mud Springs, California in 1860. This was after the Goldrush but men were still working as miners in Northern California. I looked up the Donner Party (you know that ill-fated immigration through the High Sierras in winter) and Russell’s friend Patrick Donner is not listed among them.

1860 Census, El Dorado Co., CA
Mud Springs, Page 980B, House 2367 G.H.H. Forester 45 miner MA, Patrick Donner 47 miner Ireland, R. A. PRYOR (male) 26 miner TN.

I think from MO he went to CA. His son Edwin Russell Pryor was born in Placerville, CA (Placer County) in 1866 (California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985). His daughter, Florence born 1868, has a stated place of birth as NV on census records. I’m wondering what he did during the Civil War.

1870 Census, Nye Co., NV
Page 238, Belmont, Twp., house 3 R. A. PRYOR 35 ranchman TN, Margaret 24 keeping house Scotland, Edwin 4 CA, L. W. 2 NV, F. J. 10/12 NV

Sumner Co., TN: Neighbor Bartholomew Stoval

Campbell County Pryor FamiliesI’ve been hot on the trail of anyone and everyone who was mentioned on records with John Pryor of Campbell County, VA (Bedford County too).  I’m curious to see if they stayed in VA or migrated to parts of TN near any of my Pryor family.

First I found that Murrell Cunningham had moved to Sumner County (see post). Then I found that John Kitchens went to Anderson County, TN (see post).

I think I found kin of Thomas Stoval /Stovall (he and John Pryor witnessed the will of Jacob Rector in Bedford County in 1779).  Bartholomew Stoval b. 1760 was a Revolutionary War vet who migrated to Sumner County, TN (see pension application). He’s recorded on the 1840 Census in Sumner County as an 80 year old veteran.  I also found an online family tree Benjamin Stoval’s Family (his father was George Stoval):  http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/u/r/Robert-Arthur-Murphy-florida/GENE3-0006.html

Then there’s a nice little topper to the sundae, I found a McNairy County bio of the Stovall family that expounds of the line of Bartholomew Stoval (Stovall),  stating the name of one of his sons as George Pryor Stoval (read the bio). I found George on the 1840 Census in McNairy County. His neighbors were Ambrose Shull, Joseph Kincheon (related to the Kitchens?).  George is also on the 1850 census with a year of birth about 1798 in Tennessee.