Tennessee Pryors

A blog is an evolving thing, much like a family tree. So I felt the need to circle back and look at the son of Edward Pryor of Overton County again. The last time I mentioned Chesley Allen Pryor or Shadrick Pryor in a post was 2013. That was quite a long time ago.

Edward was born in 1822 in TN to William Pryor and Spicy Taylor. It’s speculated that he was named for Spicy’s father Edmund Taylor.  Edward’s line is ripe with questions — were all of his children fathered by him? After all, some were born while he was hospitalized out of state during the Civil War and he and his wife divorced several years after his return.

Both AncestryDNA and male Y-DNA testing has led to the probable conclusion that Edward’s younger brother Chesley was “adopted” and not a Pryor or Taylor at all.

So, I didn’t easily jump to the conclusion that Chesley Allen Pryor and Shadrick C Pryor were the same person. It’s a pain to conclude that someone with different names is the same guy.

1850 Census: Edward and his wife were in Clinton County, KY. They had a one year old named Shedrick.

Then there’s no mention of Shadrick on the 1860 census nor 1870 census. In 1860 Edward and his wife Eliza were living in two different households. Eliza and two young daughters were living with the Gunters. Edward was living on his own. In 1870 they were under one roof again, however there was no son in the household.

The 1890 census for Pickett County, TN seems to explain where Shadrick Pryor was during part of this time. He was serving in the military: Private, Co. D, 1st TN Inf. If he was born in 1849 per the 1850 Census he would have been a young teen at the time of the Civil War. He married Miss Sarah Walker in Overton County in 1872.

The 1850 Census, a 1872 marriage record, and the 1890 Veterans Census are the only three records of Shadrick.

Chesley Allen Pryor, sometimes recorded as just Allen, appears on the 1880 through 1920 censuses. I obtained the Scott County, TN death records for both Chesley and his wife.

Scott Co., TN. Village of Robbins
Registration Dist. No. 47702. File No. 8
C. A. Pryor
Male, white, marital status blank, born Sept. 16 1850.
Age 73 yrs., 6 mos., 15 days.
Occupation: farmer.
Birthplace Tennessee
Father Edd Pryor, born in Tennessee
Mother Don’t Know
Informant: J. R. Pryor of Robbins, TN
Date of death: March 14, 1924
Cause of death “Don’t Know”
Place of Burial: Cross Roads. Date of Burial March 16, 1924.
Undertaker: J. R. Pryor, Robins TN.

Scott Co., TN. Village of Robbins
Registration Dist. No. 47702. File No. 25
Katherine Pryor
Female, white, married, born 1850
Age 70
Occupation: housewife
Birthplace Overton Co., Tennessee
Father Robert Walker, born in Virginia
Mother Story, born in Tennessee
Informant: C.A. Pryor of Robbins, TN
Date of death: January 8, 1924
Cause of death Pulmonary Tuburclosis
Place of Burial: Black Creek. Date of Burial January 8, 1920
Undertaker: none stated.

Chesley’s death record ID’s his father as Edd (or Ed) Pryor.  His wife was a Walker which matches up with Overton County marriage. Perhaps the clue is in the 1890 Census where he was recorded as “Shade C”– Chesley was a middle name?