The obituary of Elizabeth Gaines Pryor published in The Tennessean on 28 Jun 1912 provides some great nuggets to piece together this branch of the Pryor family.1
Elizabeth Gaines Pryor in the census records:
1910 Census Hamilton Co., TN
Chattanooga 1st Ward, ED#45, sheet 1b, house 203/15 William PRYOR 34 KY VA VA, insurance agent. Ruta wife 33 TN TN TN. Elizabeth PRYOR mother 72 widow VA VA VA (See 1912 death)
1900 Census Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN
10th Dist., page 91a, house 616 Oak St. Elizabeth H. PRYOR 10/1837 62 widow 10 children/2 living VA VA VA, William H. son 7/1875 24 KY VA VA, Philip J. son 7/1883 19 TN VA VA.
1880 Census Montgomery Co., TN Samuel E. PRYOR 45 KY KY KY, Eliz F 40 wife KY KY KY, Mary C 14 dau KY, Sam 14 son KY, Martha 12, William 5, Virginia 3.
1870 Census Todd Co., KY
Trenton Twp. Page 461a. Samuel D. PRYOR 35 farmer VA, Elizabeth 32 VA, Richard G. 11 VA, Elizabeth V. 9 VA, Mary C. 6 VA, Samuel 4 VA, Pattie 2 VA, Samuel Gains 28 lawyer VA, Ada S. 22 VA, Frances 1 VA.
1860 Census Charlotte Co., VA Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 422Richard J Gaines 60 farmer Charlotte VA, Eliza W. 58 Charlotte VA, Mary C 28 Charlotte VA, Robt. H. 26 Charlotte VA, Robt. C. Bouldin 27 lawyer Charlotte VA, Mary R. 27 Charlotte VA, M. M. Bouldin (f) 8 Prince Edward Co. VA, Eliza L Bouldin 1 Charlotte VA, Sallie H. Morton 12 Charlotte VA, Wm J Roach 20 overseer Charlotte VA Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 423Sam E. PRYOR 26 Dinwiddie Co VA, Bettie F. 22 Charlotte Co. VA, R. G. Pryor (m) 2 Charlotte Co. VA
I know I come back to the same documents over and over, but I love finding new ways to crunch the information. In 1785 John Pryor witnessed James Karr’s will in Campbell County, VA. Karr was holding a judgement against Charles Ballow:
1785 Will: “I, James Karr of Campbell, of sound and disposing mind and memory First, all my debts and funeral expenses to be paid. To my trusty friend, Charles Rork – 55 (pounds), “which the bonds is in the hands of George Hearon, being the price of my land on Pigg River”. Also, 25 (pounds) which I obtained [in a] judgment against Charles Bellue (Ballew/Ballow/Ballou). To my wife – one half of my still, which is now at my brother, Robert Carr’s. To the said Charles Rork – the other half of the still, and half the accounts “of papers and Thomas James now in the hands of David Ross“. To my wife – the other half of said accounts, that is, the accounts in said Ross’ hands. To Charles Rork – all accounts and debts due me that were not before mentioned. Also to Charles Rork Jr, my bay horse. At Campbell Court of Dec 7, 1786, the will of James Karr dec’d was proved by the oaths of witnesses Wright and Pryor, and OR.” – wits. John Pryoralong with Robert Wright and James Rock (or Rork)
I’ve found more information on Charles Bellue. Charles Ballow is named in a 1780 Chancery Court case (Thomas Ballow vs heirs of Charles Ballow, Edward Haskins executor) in Cumberland County, VA. The suit names Charles Ballow (Jr.)* as an heir of Charles Ballow (Sr.), deceased and also names “infant” sons and daughters Jesse Ballow, Mary Ballow, John Ballow, Thomas Ballow. The suit was filed on behalf of the minors by their “friend” Frederick Hatcher. The suit made a division of slaves named Patt, Abba, Bob, Harry, Amos, Fanny, Judy, Greenoch, Sarah, Lucy, Skelton, and Arthur. The suit also refers to the elder Charles Ballow’s will dated 18 May 1767. It states that Charles has a considerable estate and he had appointed in his will Charles Ballow, Thomas Proper, Edward Haskins and Alexander Trent as executors, but only Edward Haskins took on the “burden” in probate.
Another suit filed in the Chancery Court in Cumberland County in 1793 is titled William Taylor and Rebecca his wife vs. Thomas Ballew, administrator of Charles Ballew, deceased and the children of Charles Ballew: Elizabeth, William H, Sarah, Charles, William Ballew their guardian. It states Charles died intestate and doesn’t name his wife, so she may have died before him. The case file contains a division of Charles’ real estate and describes parcels bordered by Nelson Patterson, William Ballow, and slaves Jack and Candass.
An online family tree has a Charles Ballow married to Mary Crews. Remember Wrenny Crews from Campbell County went to Sumner County, TN and witnessed the will of Thomas Taylor formerly of Cumberland County, VA (see post). Also David Pryor of Cumberland County and later Buckingham County was married to Susannah Ballow (Ballew?).
So Charles Ballow is an interesting guy to look at for connections between Campbell County and Cumberland County.
* Note: I’ve used Jr. and Sr. to identify the older and younger Charles Ballows. This designation is not used in the original document.
Samuel Pryor married Mary Ann Hamlin on 16 Oct 1821 in Amelia County, VA.
In 1841 James Boisseau Hamlin, a minor, sued his father’s estate. This case filed in the Amelia County, VA Chancery Court names James’ father William B. Hamlin, his widow Ann P Hamlin, and James’ siblings William B. Hamlin, Edward Y Hamlin, and Mary Ann Hamlin, wife of Samuel Pryor. The dispute seems to have been over advances in the estate given to James’ siblings before his father’s death. Edward was given slaves and land in Dinwiddie County. Mary Ann Pryor had received 8 slaves. The case also revealed the deceased Hamlin had 65 slaves in Virginia and 10 slaves in Tennessee.
Then in another Chancery Court Case filed in 1848 Samuel and Mary Ann Hamlin’s children are named. Samuel Pryor was the guardian of his infant children Samuel Edward, William, Anna, Virginia Frances, Lucy Osborne, and Agnes Epes Pryor. The suit also mentions a married daughter Mary Elizabeth Pryor, wife of James R. Craig. The suit was filed to gain interest in the estate of Anna Hamlin, widow of W B Hamlin.
Samuel Pryor and his children on the 1850 Census.
Samuel’s daughters were living near him in Dinwiddie County, VA: Southern Div., Page 478b, house 136 Lucy O. Field 40 VA, Susan E. J. Field 9 VA, Mary A. J. Field 7 VA, Sally J. J. Field 5 VA, Wellington E. Webb 33 Episcopal Clergyman 33 London, Eng., Sarah C. Webb 24 VA, Fanny V. PRIOR 13 VA, Lucy O. PRIOR 11 VA., Agnes E. PRIOR 8 VA.
Southern Div., Page 479a, house 142 Samuel PRIOR 50 farmer VA, Ann E. 53 VA, Anna J. 16 VA, Martha P. Broadnax 24 VA. (Samuel and wife Ann were on the 1860 Census in Campbell Co., VA. See Chancery Court case filed in Amelia County for names of other Pryor children.)
His sons were living apart from their father and sisters: William H Pryor was living in the household of a blacksmith in Hanover County and Samuel E. Pryor was a student residing in the Pike Powers Academy in Augusta County, VA.
The Hamlins were still in Amelia County in 1850 and onward. Anna P Hamblin age 55 and James B Hamblin age 24 were recorded in the same household on the 1850 Census (and together in 1860).
Now that I’ve jumped to the 1850 Census I need to look backward a quarter century and into Tennessee. On 19 April 1824 the following notice was published in the Nashville Whig (Davidson County, TN):
In Equity: Calvin Morgan, Gideon Morgan and Rufus Morgan, Com’s vs. Samuel Elam, and Elizabeth his wife, William B. Hamlin, Thomas Crutcher, and Nicholas B. Pryor, defts. William B. Hamlin not a resident of the state.
There was only one William B Hamlin on the 1820 Census and he wasn’t a resident of Tennessee… it’s the William B. Hamblin in Amelia County, Virginia who was counted with 60 slaves. This sounds like the same William B who was the father in law of Samuel Pryor. The 1820 census was recorded in alpha-order so it’s difficult to piece together who was living near who.
Places: Amherst County, VA (A) and the fort at Point Pleasant (B). About 275 miles through the wilderness.
I’ve shared my theory of before but I’ll flesh it out in this post. I think William Pryor of Goochland, Albemarle, and Amherst Counties was the father of Captain William Pryor of Amherst County. It may get confusing, however I’ll do my best by distinguishing them as Old William and Young William.
Young William Pryor was the Capt. Pryor who swore out a statement for a Revolutionary War Pension in 1832 that told of his own military service and his brothers’ military service and the trials of settling in Kanawha. Per this statement, Young William Pryor was born about 1752 in Albemarle County.
William Pryor of Goochland County Suit
I think I can place Old William in Albemarle County at the same time. A Court Case filed in Goochland County in 1744 places Old William Pryor in Albemarle County. A William Laffoon had died without a will and his widow Grace came to court to petition her appointment as administrator of his estate. George Carrington was surety. By 1747 the case was MOVED from Goochland County to Albemarle County, which was probably the result of the formation of Albemarle County in 1744 from a portion of Goochland County. William Pryor (the Old William) was dismissed from the case on 13 May 1748. William Pryor was named as an heir of William Laffoon.
Old William Pryor is named in additional Albemarle records during the early 1750’s. He’s the only Pryor to turn up at this time Young William was born in that county, hence there’s a strong likelihood Old William is the father of Young William Pryor and his brothers Nicholas and John.
“WILLIAM PRIOR (who was then listed as a resident of Albemarle Co., VA) sold 200 acres of land in Henrico County to WILLIAM HARDING of Henrico Co. This land was noted as “part of a greater tract of land granted to WILLIAM LAFFOON by patent”. (1751)
William Pryor of French Indian War
1758 Act of General Assembly – March 1758 awarded pay to officers and soldiers for service (French Indian Wars) to William PRYOR and Nicholas PRYOR of Albemarle Co.
William Pryor in Amherst County
Amherst County was formed out of parts of Albemarle County in 1761. Young William Pryor mentions this in his pension application. So after that year we have to look in Amherst County for the this family of Pryors. There are two deeds (deed #1 and deed #2 below) from about this time for a William Pryor in Amherst County– this William was not Young William because Young William was 10 years old in 1762 and 14 years old in 1766.
Deed #1 – William PRYOR, 350 acres on Peddlar Creek (1762)
Deed #2 – William PRYOR 395 acres on Irish Creek, Blue Ridge (1766)
A deed a decade later (1774), a deed reveals a William Pryor sold land in Amherst county, possibly the same land he acquired on Irish Creek in 1766.
Deed Book D, p. 166 3 Jan 1774 WM. PRYOR & wife MARGARET, AC, to PHILIP THURMOND, AC, for L114-11, 395 acres on the blue ridge; branch of Irish Creek. Wit: Roderick McCulloch, David Crawford, Isaac Wright, Wm. Crawford (1774)
This William Pryor sold off his land in 1774 a few months after his son, Young William, stated he had moved to Kanawha. The younger William moved to the land near the great Kanawha river in the fall of 1773, but the Indians drove him out and he returned to Amherst, venturing back to Kanawha in 1775. This back and forth between Kanawha and Amherst County went on for several years. https://revwarapps.org/s8979.pdf
I like to be a bit skeptical about dates and who was who. The 1774 deed doesn’t state which William was involved, however the only known marriage for Young William Pryor was to Elizabeth Wright. So there’s the possibility this 1774 deed reveals the name of Old William’s wife… Margaret. It also contains the names of several men who were associated with this line of Pryors over time: Isaac Wright’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Wright, married Young William Pryor during the American Revolution in 1778. David Crawford’s will was witnessed by William Pryor and John Pryor in 1801– Was this the younger or the older William? I don’t know.
The first record of Young William Pryor in Amherst County was the purchase of land on Enchanted Creek in 1780. It was during this year that he served out 3 months of duty in the Revolutionary War and claims to have returned to Amherst County where he lived ever since.
William PRYOR Jr. grantee, 247 acres on Inchanted Creek
I haven’t seen any records of William Pryor earlier than the Laffoon lawsuit, so perhaps William and Margaret were a young married couple in the late 1740’s. Their son, Young William indicates they were having children around that time and into the 1750’s. It’s estimated that Old William was born around 1720.
Old William and Margaret’s probable children were
1. Nicholas Pryor b. about 1740-1750 in probably Goochland County. Nicholas married (1) Mary and later to (2) Sally Paxton. Died about 1813 in Kanawha County, VA 2. Capt. William Pryor b. about 1752 in Albemarle. Married Elizabeth Wright. Lived out rest of his life in Amherst County, VA. 3. John Pryor b. about 1750. Fought in Lord Dunmore’s War. Killed by indians? 4. Susannah Pryor b. about 1765. Married (1) Shadrack Harriman last man to be killed by indians in Kanawha, (2) David Milburn.
Rhoda Pryor, a widow, shows up on the 1910 Census in Lynchburg, VA in 1910. I looked around online to see if I could find a marriage for her to a Pryor. I now think I know who she married. Continue reading →
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I know I come back to the same documents over and over, but I love finding new ways to crunch the information. In 1785 John Pryor witnessed James Karr’s will in Campbell County, VA. Karr was holding a judgement against Charles Ballow:
Samuel Pryor married Mary Ann Hamlin on 16 Oct 1821 in Amelia County, VA.
Rhoda Pryor, a widow, shows up on the 1910 Census in Lynchburg, VA in 1910. I looked around online to see if I could find a marriage for her to a Pryor. I now think I know who she married.