Category Archives: Tennessee Pryors

#2 Bible Entry: Early Family History

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Entry 2 Form the Bible of of John Polk Pryor

Family Memoranda, Script 1867

I have heard (from my father, Edward, I believe) that while my great-great grandfather, John Pryor, had 12 children of whom 4 were sons, my great-grandfather, Green Pryor (born in 1745) died before he was 25, leaving but a child, one son (John) .  This son lived to be only 27, dying of the small pox at Norfolk, VA., leaving only 2 children, Peter and Green. My uncle Peter, who was two years older than my father, married my mother’s half sister, Angelina Harris, and dying at the age of 27, left but one child, a daughter named Eliza, who married her cousin George Washington Perkins. Washington and Eliza, both always seemed so near and dear to me almost as brother and sister.  Eliza lived a happy wife for many years with a home-full of the fairest children ever seen, and then became partially insane for a year or two — recovered entirely — added considerably (2 or 3 children) to her bright home circle, and then after living nearly through the war and until she was about 43 years old, died beloved and lamented by all who knew her. (She was a noble and beautiful woman — gentle and true).

TN Pryor Notes:

George Washington Pryor and wife Eliza are found on the 1850 and 1860 Census in Desoto County, MS.
https://tennesseepryors.com/pryor-website/state-records/mississippi/

Break out the champagne! We’ve added another Pryor to the TN Pryors Project. Eliza Pryor, daughter of Peter Pryor was probably born in Williamson County, TN.

View TN Pryor Project.
(short link)

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#1 Bible Entry: Early Family History

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Entry 1 From the Bible of of John Polk Pryor

Copy of a Mu…..? of John Pryor dated Dec. 18th 1812:

Robert Pryor born Feby 11, 1733 (married)
Elizabeth Pryor born June 1, 1735 Smith + Flourney
Rhodah Pryor born July 6, 1739
Mildred Pryor born Aug 6, 1741
Lucy Pryor born July 20, 1743 Womack
Green Pryor born Sept 29, 1745 Susan Perkins
Leah Pryor born Nov 20, 1747 Nicholas Perkins
Rachel Pryor born Mar 23, 1750
Dorothy Pryor born Mar 23, 1750
Henrietta Pryor born Sept 15, 1756
Jno Henry Pryor born May 4, 1759 Stokes
Abner Pryor born Dec — 1761

The above are the names of the children of John Pryor and Margaret his wife drawn from the family Bible by Green Pryor, May 25th AD 1844.  The John Pryor above mentioned as father of 12 children is my great great grandfather, his son Green born in 1745,  my great grandfather, his grandson John my grandfather; and his great grandson Green my father , who died in 1852 aged 56. My granfather, great grandfather,  and great great grandfather (my father told me) all died young within a few years of marriage. My grandfather John Pryor, of Pittsylvania County, VA ….. a keel boat load of corn to Norfolk (when about 27) took the Small pox, got nearly well, collapsed, and died there when my father was still a child. My great grandfather, marrying quite young, died at the age of 24.

[signed]
J. P. Pryor

From Trolley to the Web: Peter and Green Pryor of Williamson County, TN

Sometimes new information comes to the Tennessee Pryor website from the most unusual sources.   It began with an email last month from a genealogist who was working with a widow in Frankfort, KY who was in possession of a Pryor family Bible. She wasn’t a Pryor… the book had been found on a trolley decades ago.  I know it sounds like the opening line to one of those email scams… just substitute Kentucky for Nigeria and the story runs off from there.  It looks to be the real deal!

From a trolley to the web, it’s been a long strange journey for this this treasured heirloom.

Although the information in the Bible is quite old, the book itself was published in 1856, it appears that it may have been transcribed  in the past as the data appears in many of the Ancestry Family Trees on this line.  A note initial “JPP”, presumably written by John Polk Pryor, a son of Green Pryor (brother of Peter Pryor of Williamson Co., TN) states that his father’s siblings births had been transcribed earlier: “The above are the names of the children of John Pryor and Margaret his wife drawn from the family Bible by Green Pryor, May 25 th AD 1844.” This is a reference to John Henry Pryor born about 1694 in VA and his wife Margaret Gaines.

I’m going to post transcriptions from the Bible on this blog in a series of postings. Like a great soap opera, you won’t want to miss a single one! Please let your family and researching friends know that about this blog. Subscribe in your favorite reader or get updates via email!

William H. Pryor of Overton and Clay Counties

I was contacted by a researcher who was looking for information on William H. Pryor of Overton and Clay Counties. It’s time to look at him again.

William H Pryor was born February 1843 in Tennessee per the 1900 Census. He married Ruth (or Rutha Dial) in about 1857. His marriage date is determined by the years married noted on the 1900 Census (married 43 years in 1900).

Where was William H. Pryor on the 1850 Census? It’s suspected that he may be the “William” aged 15 who was living in the household of Jane Dial and daughter Ruth in District 10 of Overton County. There is no proof one way or the other to confirm this is William H. Pryor.

In 1850 the Pryors living near the Dials were Judy Hummel and mother Anna Pryor. Also Joseph Garrett, probably an uncle of Spicy Taylor Pryor and her siblings.

By 1860 William, his wife Ruth and her son James aged 6 were living in District 7 of Overton County, TN. They were counted near Ruth’s mother, Jane Dial, who was a weaver (Read more about Pryors who were Spinners and Weavers). If the 1900 Census is correct and that William and Ruth were married in 1857, then James was born in about 1853, before their marriage. In fact, James went by the surname “Dial” which indicates he was probably born to Ruth Dial out of wedlock.

In working with this researcher we found that there is a Civil War Pension application for William H. Pryor. The Pension App and the 1890 Veteran’s Schedule indicate the William H. Pryor served with the Tennessee Volunteers, 2nd Regiment, Co. H. Being a big Google fan I searched this regiment.
Here’s a great photo! []
You can also view the photo on Rootsweb and the people already identified [View Page]
Can anyone ID William H. Pryor in the photo?  Does anyone have his Civil War Pension record?

I suspect that Ruth was the daughter of James Dial of Lawrence County, TN.  This suspicion is based on her naming her first-born James and this record which possibly connects the Dial and Pryor families: 

Mary Mathena Brashears, 17, b. KY, c. 1833 Lawrence Co, TN Minutes Book, 1851-1858, p. 162:¸”Nov 1, 1852.¸John Brashears has died intestate.¸Robert Newton appt. Admr.” Lawrence Co, TN Wills and Inventories, 1852-1856, p. 87:¸Dec. term 1852. Inv. and sale bill of estate of John Brashears, dec’d, Nov 20, 1852.¸Among buyers: Mary Brashears, Lawson Williams, William Inzer?, Elijah Alsup, Berry Brashears, John H. Johnston, J. M. Halcomb, D. J. White, Shadrick Chapman,J. J. Kelton, Wm. P. Halcomb, James Dial, Wm. Pryor, John Brashears.¸Robert Newton, Adm.¸The proceedings mention 400 ac. in Lewis Co. and 250 ac. in Lawrence Co.

The Pryors in Lawrence County were descended from Thompson Pryor, a son of Richard and Mourning Pryor. The Census Extracts of Lawrence County show the Pryors and Brashears mentioned above.
https://tennesseepryors.com/pryor-website/tn-records/tennessee-counties-l/#Lawrence . If William H. Pryor is connected to these Pryors, it’s not yet know how.

Added Another TN County to Census Map

I’ve added another county to the map of census records. There is now on the website the census record for an Andrew Pryor in Meigs County.

http://www.tnpryors.com/tn_census/county-map.html