Category Archives: Tennessee Pryors

Pryors on Blackburn’s Fork of Roaring River in Jackson County, TN

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Confluence of Blackburn Fork Creek and Roaring River, Jackson Co, TN Confluence of Blackburn Fork Creek and Roaring River, Jackson Co, TN

I’ve been using the TN and NC Land Grants to put together a picture of which Pryors lived near one-another, get an idea of where they were from, and who was related to whom.  More than 5 years ago I wrote about the Pryors in Jackson and Williamson Counties who seem  to be related (Leroy B. Pryor – Part II: Can We Connect the Cousins?). Knowing where they lived seems to add perspective to their connection.

Nancy Crocker b. 1764 is suspected to be related to the Pryors — Polly and Rhoda Pryor, daughters of Henry B. Pryor of Williamson Co. were living in Jackson County in 1850 and married Crocker brothers.

1828 Land Grant In Jackson County, TN. To David Lovall assignee of Nancy Crocker, 50 acres per survey dated 1 June 1827 on West Side of Blackburn Fork of Roaring River, house where Nancy Crocker formerly lived. Dated 11 Sept 1828.

There were several Pryors near William Swearingin in 1840– Nancy, Allen and Cinda. William Swearinging was on Blackburn’s Fork so it’s probably safe to assume that Nancy Allen and Cinda were also living near that location. It’s interesting to see the Bruington name because William H. Pryor of Overton County was connected to the Bruingtons.

1830 Land Grant to James Bruington for land on Blackburn’s Fork of Roaring River. Near William Swearingin’s line.

Hewitt J Dennis is another name that connects the Pryors. Nancy Crocker was living with his family on the 1850 Census. His children share names with John Y Crocker’s family– Darcus, Sary. I believe Hewitt J Dennis went to Iron Co., MO with the Crockers and  Pryors.  There’s a 1870 marriage for a Hewitt J. Dennis performed by William T. Crocker in Iron Co. Hewitt J. Dennis bought property in Iron County in 1882.

1838 Land Grant to Hewitt J Dennis assignee of Leah Harris on the waters of Blackburn’s Fork of Roaring River on the East Side of William Pryor’s spring branch. Grant includes the house and improvements formerly occupied by William Pryor.

I wonder which William Pryor used to live on the land that was purchased by Hewitt J Dennis. Was it the William Pryor on the 1840 Census? Was it the William Pryor married to Alsey on the 1850 Census?

The last grant I found on Blackburn’s fork is sale of Nancy Pryor’s property, including her house, to Isaac Haney. This is the Nancy Pryor who I’ve referred to in the past as “Nancy the Weaver” due to her occupation. On the 1850 Census she was living with Love McGehee who was married to her daughter Cassa Pryor. The death record for Nancy’s son Amos Pryor stated his father was Caleb Pryor. I’ve never found a Caleb Pryor, so that’s another Pryor still open to research and debate.

1847 Land Grant in Jackson County, TN – No. 9388, Granted to Isaac Haney assignee of Nancy PRIER 50 acres per survey of 26 Sept 1838 on Blackburn’s Fork of Roaring River, near tract owned by David Lovall. The grant includes the house and improvements where Nancy Pryor was living. 30th June 1848.

So which Pryors are related? It certainly helps to know who was living around Blackburn’s Fork.

  • Alfred, Allen, and Thomas Pryor born 1808, 1810, 1813. Alfred and Allen were born in SC and Thomas on the 1850 and 1860 Census states he was born in TN. Alfred’s children migrated to Dent County, MO. Allen’s and Thomas’ widows and children migrated to Franklin County, IL.
  • Caleb Pryor b. 1800? married to Nancy the Weaver. All of their known children were alive in 1880 and stated their father was born in TN. Whether his actual name was Caleb or something else, I now suspect this man was a brother of Alfred, Allen, and Thomas Pryor due to all of their connections to Blackburn’s Fork.
  • Sarah or Sary Pryor b. 1764 who was living with John Y Crocker in 1850 is somehow related to the 4 Pryor men noted above.  Ah, but who was she married to? I’m wondering if it was someone obvious. Joseph Pryor of Tuscaloosa, AL was born about 1767. He was allegedly married to Sarah Patton or Odle. Could she have stayed behind rather than moving to AL or was she visiting TN?

I suspect this is another piece of the puzzle. Still playing with the whole picture and testing which pieces fit.

 

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William Pryor Photo with Overton County Connection

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41_georgenwilliam
This photo has been on the TN Pryor website for some time and is begging to be identified.  It was shared with the website by a descendant of Edward Pryor (son of Spicy and William Pryor) of Overton County, TN.  On the back is written “William Pryor and son George Pryor.”  I’ve mulled over this relationship with several researchers and we can’t come up with a William who was kin to Edward Pryor who would have been about this age in roughly the early 1900’s.

We’ve speculated that this may be Overton Pryor b. 1816. Was his full name William “Overton” Pryor?

Or was this William Anderson Pryor b. 1865 son of Edward Pryor and Eliza Knight with his son George Bryant Pryor b. 1893? William Anderson Pryor moved to Pulaski Co., KY after 1880 and lived there until his death in 1950. There’s even some question whether William Anderson was actually the son of Edward Pryor in that he was born while Edward was away serving in the Civil War and only Shadrack, Ellen and Eliza were stated to be his children on his Civil War pension application (William and 3 other children were omitted). Possilby the birth of 3 children while Edward was away explains why he and Eliza listed their marital status as divorced on the 1880 Census.

Can anyone give us a positive ID of these folks?

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Jesse Pryor of Knox County– Is He the Jesse Pryor in Overton County?

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juda-pryorWow, the TN Tax Lists are INTERESTING! In 1804 there was a Jesse Pryor on the Knox County Tax list. I can’t tell much about him — he had one pole and no acres recorded. There was also a Samuel Pryor in Knox County with the same status. They were both in Captain Steel’s Company that consisted of 66 taxpayers.

I wondered in print (Harris Pryor of Knox Co., TN and Bedford Co., VA) if Jesse Pryor of Knox County was the same Jesse Pryor who went to Overton County, TN.  Myself and other researchers have long speculated that Jesse was the father of Juda Pryor who married William Huston Hummel (Juda is on the 1850 Census with an older Anna Pryor who may be her mother). When Juda’s son John McDonald Hummel died in 1915 his mother was reported as “Julie Pryor” born in “East Tenn.” How about that… Knox County is in East Tennessee.

If Jesse is the of Harris Pryor of Bedford County, then I suspect Samuel is related to this line. They seem to stick with each other through the records. This is the point to pour your second cup of coffee before we jump into the puzzle.

Yes, the pieces of the puzzle start to stack up to complete the picture that Jesse and Samuel were related.

  • Samuel and Jesse were on the 1804 Tax List in Knox County – Both living in Captain Steel’s Company.
  • The administratrix of Samuel Pryor’s estate was Fanny Ferguson Pryor and a later Roane County court case ID’s Samuel Pryor as the grandfather of P. Miller Freels. There was a John Foggueson (sic) also in Captain Steel’s Company on the 1804 Knox County Tax List.  John Ferguson may have been Fanny’s brother as there is a John Ferguson, deceased, named on a 1839 Cumberland County Chancery Court suit that also names Fanny Pryor and her children.
  • Jesse Pryor is spectulated to be the father of Juda Pryor Hummel of Overton County whose son’s death record states she was born in East Tennessee.
  •  Samuel Pryor died in Anderson County, TN in about 1815 (that’s when Fanny was appointed administratrix). There’s a Jesse Pryor on the 1805 Tax List for Anderson County. Jesse was recorded as #119. I found #85 Isaac Freels, #96 Burrell Hudson, #157 and #158 were Edward and Thomas Freels, #191 John Rector–a daughter of Samuel and Fanny Pryor married Edward Freels around 1813 or earlier. Another daughter, Mary, married Barry Hudson. John Rector was recorded near Fanny Pryor and her son Harris Pryor on the 1830 census in Roane County.
  • Jesse Pryor, son of Harris Pryor and Mary Kinnerson was from Bedford Co., VA. Juda Pryor Hummel stated her parent’s place of birth as VA on the 1880 Census.
  • The Jesse Pryor on the 1830 Census in Overton Co., TN was born between 1771-1780. Samuel’s wife is on the 1830 Census in Roane Co., TN and was also born between 1771-17780, so perhaps Samuel was also born about the same time, which would make Samuel and Jesse contemporaries.
  • I believe sons of Harris Pryor of Bedford County, VA came to Knox County at the end of the 1790’s. In 1799 William Pryor (Harris’ oldest son) signed a petition for tax relief for an impaired neighbor (Richard Shields). In 1801 Harris Jr. (he didn’t use Jr on documents – I’m just using it to distinguish him from his father) was on the deliquent tax list for Knox County. In 1801 Jesse Pryor was a defendant in a crime.
  • Samuel is not mentioned in any Bedford County, VA records so, I don’t yet see how he’s related, though he lived around Harris’ family in TN and named his son Harris.

Happy to hear from anyone who wants to contribute to this theory with a pro or con!

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John and William Pryor on Sumner County Tax List

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tax-listI’m not ready to scrap my question of the ID early Pryors in Sumner County. I see that William is connected to Richard Pryor, but still wondering if he was a son or other relative.

  • I read through the early Tax Lists of Sumner County and found that Philip Trammel Sr. and Jr were in the county by 1789 and were recorded near William Pryor in 1793. The Trammells are kin to William Pryor of Stewart County (William of Stewart County was married to Betsy Trammell).
  • Richard and Mourning Pryor were in Logan County, KY where Richard bought land in 1796. Philip Trammel went to Logan Co.
  • I see that the land transactions in Sumner Co. are for land that was later in Smith County, TN. John Pryor was bonded to (borrowed money from?) Howell Tatum in 1791 and William Pryor bought land from Tatum in 1794, William’s tract was recorded as bordered by land owned by John Pryor and John Hannah (a Mary Pryor had married John Hannah). In 1802 Richard’s widow sold land “formerly the property of Howel Tatum.” to James Ewing and the deed was recorded in Smith County.
  • Researchers have speculated that the Jonathan Pryor born 1788 living in Logan County was the son of Richard and Mourning Pryor. I think he’s too young to have been the John who was bonded to Howell Tatum in Sumner County in 1791. Do they let 3 year-olds enter into legal arrangements? Yet because of the proximity of John’s Sumner County land to William Pryor and William’s land mentioned in the 1802 deed, it’s likely that John was kin to William who was kin to Richard and Mourning Pryor
  • Going through the TN Tax Lists is vexing.  There are obviously years missing and the images show frayed edges and missing portions of sheets.  John Pryor was recorded in Sumner County in 1791, yet he doesn’t appear on a tax list until 1793. I know I ask this all the time… Where’s John Pryor?! He could be the John Pryor recorded with Richard Pryor on the 1783 Tax List in Greene County, TN. Could be.
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Pryors on the Tennessee Tax Lists

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TaxesApril 15th has passed and now we can look at taxes for fun (hopefully). The Tennessee Tax Lists are up on Ancestry.com and I’ve had some fun going through them. There are a couple of connections that I’d like to share – just in case they will help out another Pryor researcher.

First I found on the 1794 Sumner County Tax List William Pryor. I’ve had several researchers tell me that this William was a son of Richard Pryor and Mourning Thompson. I looked at his neighbors on the list and found Elijah Ewing and Benjamin Downs are close by. In the early 1800’s Benjamin Downs is on several records in Stewart County with the William Pryor who later migrated to Austin’s Colony in Texas. So is William in Sumner County the same man?

I love these kind of questions because it’s like a domino effect… ask one question and how we look at other data comes into question.  Was he the same William who was surety for the Sumner Co. marriages of Mary Pryor to John Hannah, and Jenny Pryor to George Fairly (or Farely). Was he the William Pryor who in 1796 signed a bond for Richard Pryor for 200 pounds VA money for a tract of 2565 acres on the Cainey Fork of the Cumberland? Wouldn’t it make more sense in that kind of transaction that William might be Richard’s brother and not his son?

I mentioned Elijah Ewing. He is on the 1805 Tax List for Blount County—on the same page as a Thomas Pryor.  Let’s throw another name into the mix for Blount County — There’s a Joseph Pryor in that county on the 1805 Census.  I suspect that he was the same Joseph Pryor who was on the 1803 Tax List for Jackson County because both men were recorded near John Whitson.  The Whitsons were connected to the Pryors of White County. Researchers report Jeremiah Whitson married Susannah Pryor in about 1804, and Elizabeth Pryor married James Whitson.

It’s been speculated that Thomas is Thompson Pryor, who was a son of Richard and Mourning Pryor, and that Joseph, Susannah, and Elizabeth are additional children of Richard and Mourning Pryor.

Puzzle solvers welcome!

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