Tennessee Pryors

Hot on the trail of David C. Pryor born 1826 in TN. The book Trail Drivers of Texas states that his son David C. was born 1847 on a plantation in Alexandria, located in Rapides Co., LA.

 In 1830 there was a John C. Pryor counted on the census in Rapides Co. In a 1843 lawsuit, John C.Pryor was doing business in that county in 1830 and was involved in a litigated land deal in Alexandria, LA.

 On the 1840 Census there was an Isaac Thomas recorded in Rapides Co. This is of interest because David C. Pryor b. 1826 gave his a son born in 1847 the same name.  One researcher notes General Isaac Thomas was born 4 Nov. 1784 in Sevier Co., TN. He died in Rapides Co., LA in 1859 and had married Ann Pryor, Jane Bullard, and Emerline Flint.  The Wells Family of Louisiana and Allied Families by George Mason Graham Stafford states Ann Pryor was “General” Thomas’ first wife and that she was from Winchester, TN (Franklin Co.). A Genealogical Register of the Inhabitants and History of the Towns … by Abner Morse recounts a story of General Isaac Thomas riding from Natchez to Alexandria with Judge Bullard and seems to suggest that Thomas was also a judge or attorney (“remains at the bar”).

 By 1850 both David C. Pryors were living in Desoto Co., MS. It’s probable that the head of household Archibald McKissack was David Sr’s father in law. In the same county, only one page away from the McKissack household, was John C. Pryor b. 1794 in VA. John C. was also on the 1840 Census in Desoto Co. It’s likely that he was the same John C. who was in Rapides Co., LA in 1830. On the 1850 Census there was a child named John Pryor in David’s  household, possibly an earlier son named for his own father? His second son, Archibald, appears to have been named for his father in law. The second son for his grandfather, David. And his last son born after the census, Isaac Thomas Pryor, may have been named for the affluenent “General” and probable family friend.

 In a biographical sketch of David C. Pryor’s son Isaac “Ike” T., he states that his brother Archibald went to live with relatives in Tennessee after his mother’s death. Ike was sent to live with his aunt in Alabama and then eventually to relatives in Spring Hill, TN (Williamson Co.). The elder Pryor, John C. also had ties in Tennessee. He married Ann C. Bullard in “Winchester”in 1818 and was counted on the 1820 Census in Franklin Co., TN.

 Minute Man, Volumes 20-21 contains a genealogy stating that John C. Pryor who married Ann Bullard was John Cannon Pryor, son of David Pryor of VA, “Private in Third, Fifth, and Seventh Regts., VA Cont’l Line. This was published by the Sons of the American Revolution in 1927.

Oysterville: Roads to Grandpa’s Village by Willard R. Espy, 1977 edition states John Cannon Pryor married Ann Bullard. John was the son of Davis (sic) Pryor and Susan Ballow. John C. had a daughter named Rachel Medora who married Richard Harrison Taylor (aka Dick Taylor), son of  William Henry Harrison Taylor.

IF… that’s a very big “if ” in that more research must be done… if John C. Pryor was the father of David C. Pryor it would make sense that the son, David C. born in 1826, could have been named for a grandfther aslo named David.

Another Pryor also resideded in Rapides Co., LA. William b. 1810 was living in Rapides Co. in 1846 when his son William T. was born there. The 1860 census in Jackson Co., TX states the counties of birth for this Pryor family. William was born in Nashville, TN (Davidson Co.)

Are we getting close to figuring out this line?