Tennessee Pryors

It happened again. I was talking to a Pryor when they proclaimed their family tree went back to Cornwall, England. I bristle a bit on that news. I know there are a lot of Pryor family trees that claim a Cornwall connection, but are they all right?  Well, maybe not.

A fact from the Pryor Y-DNA project — There are numerous Pryor men from the UK who had tested and none of them match any of the US Pryors who have tested.  Over the past few years I’ve poked around in UK records. In the late 1700’s there were Pryors in London and in multiple UK counties located in the South West, East, South East, West Midlands, and Yorkshire. And of course, there were Pryor families off-shore on the “emerald isle” (Ireland). There’s no telling where these all these Pryors originated from. Yes, there were Pryors in Cornwall, but they were all over the UK by the time of consistent parish registers and even more spread out by the time of the first UK census.

Pryor Cornwall, England

There seems to be just one US Prior/Pryor family that we know for sure can trace their line directly to Cornwall: John Prior who died in Edgefield County, South Carolina around 1797. What’s really cool about John is that his death left a trail in America and in the UK. His wife was still living in the UK, but it appears he had a long term relationship with Eva/Eve Grubbs in America, fathering at least 4 children. On his death he acknowledged the children as his own but they used the Grubbs surname. When know his eldest son from his UK marriage, John, left the UK for America to settle the estate. He may have stayed in the US and was counted on the 1810 Census.

1775 Marriage in Cornwall, England – John Prior and Elizabeth Cheqwidden on 28 December 1775. Witnesses John Cheqwidden and Anthony Prior.

1778 Christening in Cornwall, England – John Prior, son of John Prior and wife Elizabeth. Christenened 12 May 1778.

US Will

1797 Will, Edgefield County, SC – John Prior husband of Elizabeth Chiqwidden

1797 Will, Quoted in a Petition – Edgefield County, SC
John PRIOR executor petitioned the court for permission to sell the estate of John Prior, deceased. “I will, that my beloved son John Pryor (now in England) if he come over to this country be and I do hereby constitute and appoint him Guardian to Susanna P Grubs, Tobias P Grubs, Elizabeth P. Grubs, and William Pryor Grubs until the whole of the estate is divided and the youngest receives his portion. I also constitute, make and ordain John Starr, Captain Jacob Zinn (both of beach Island) and my son John Pryor, if he comes from England, Executors of this my last will and testament.” He also states in the will “I do hereby acknowledge to be my children.” Witnesses William Stewart, Charles Ramsey, Peter Cooper. “I will and Bequeath unto my son John Pryor, aforementioned (in the County of Cornwall, and Parish of Wendron, in England)” The will also states, “I will as my land and Mills on Town Creek are sold, that my executors make titles unto James Otis Prentis according to the articles between the said J. O. Prentis and myself” The will states John Pryor was a Mill Wright. He also willed money to Eve Grubs. The will indicates his son Tobias may have been under 21 years at the time of his death.

UK Probate

1799 Cornwall Chancery Court Case – States John Prior husband of Elizabeth Cheqwidden, daughter of Thomas Cheqwidden— John went to America 18 years earlier and died there in 1797, leaving property. His wife in Cornwall was alive in 1799 as was his son John, daughters Mary. The son John Prior and postmaster Nicholas Hichens left for America to administer the estate.

This case is pretty awesome stuff because it gives the approximate year that this John Prior arrived in America… 1779. It seems a bit odd or perhaps worth noting that he arrived in the middle of the Revolutionary War.

Edgefield County Records

The Census records and salve sales shows there was an evolution in the use of the surname Prior. The Prior heirs went from Prior-Grubbs to just Prior.

1810 Census, Edgefield Co., SC
Page 37, Eve PRIOR 01100-110010-1 (oldest male 16-25yrs, oldest female over 45yrs)

1818 Slave Sale in Edgefield Co., SC: On 18 May 1818 John PRIOR made several slaves sales (Ann, Binah, Dick, Ellick, Jack, Lucy, Phillis, Sam, Shade) to John P. Grubbs, William P. Grubbs, and Tobias P. Grubbs.

1843 Sheriff’s Sale – Dawson Atkinson vs. Martha PRIOR, seventy acres of land more or less , adjoining lands of Tobias Pryor, and lands of the estate of John J. Gray, and others. (Edgefield Advertiser, 1 November 1843)

More Possible Descendants of John Prior of Cornwall

1820 Census, Barnwell Co., SC
Page 7, Isham H Clayton (married to Susannah Pryor) 00001-10002 (Isham Henry Clayton and wife Susannah Pryor b. 1800 were in Lowndes Co., GA in 1850 – Susannah Pryor may be the daughter of John Prior of Edgefield County, aka Susanna Pryor Grubbs. 1850 Census puts her birth in 1800 is that an error or is she too young to be John’s daughter?)
Page 41, Tobias PRYOR 30001-001

1850 Census Edgefield Co., SC
Page 425B, House 1899, Richard PRIOR 45 wheelwright SC, Barbara 37 SC, John 18 wheelwright SC, Catharine 16 SC, Elizabeth 14 SC, Richard 12 SC, Mary Ann 10 SC. (Richard & Barbara Pryer are on the 1860 Census in Edgefield Co. Per notice in Charleston Oberserver Feb. 16, 1828, Richard Pryor married Barbara T. Hail at Beach Island.)
House 1900 Charlotte PRIOR 48 SC, David Clark 39 wheelwright SC, Sarah 38 SC, Charlotte 11/12 SC.
Page 127A, House 1923 Tobias PRIOR 60 SC, Mary 55 SC, Richard 36 SC, Mary 14 SC (See Barnwell Co. 1820 Census. Mary Pryor is on the 1860 Census in Edgefield Co.)

1860 Census, Edgefield Co., SC
Beach Island PO, page 51, house 758 Richd (Richard) PRYOR 55 mechanic SC, Barbara 47 SC, Richard Jr. 21 SC, Cinchin (Kinchin R. Pryor) male 16 mechanic SC, Archibald 12 SC, Jane 10 SC, James 8 SC, Alice 5 AL.
Beach Island PO, page 52, house 787 Mrs. Mary PRYOR 56 farmer SC. (widow of Tobias Pryor)

1870 Census, Edgefied Co., SC
Hammond Twp., page 265a, house 51 K R PRYOR 26 farmer SC, Ann Eliza 18 SC, Ida 4/12 SC (born Jan) (Kinchin R. Pryor who was later in Aiken Co., SC. Son of Richard Pryor and wife Barbara.)

1930 Census Aiken Co., SC
Page 19b Robert Pryor 44 SC SC SC, Willie wife 30 SC SC SC, Evelyn dau 6 SC, John W. son 5 SC, Nath Lee dau 1 4/12 SC, Will Miner boarder 43 widow SC SC SC