Category Archives: West Virginia

Charles McClung on the American Frontier

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Charles McClung is mentioned in Kanawha County, VA– more precisely with George Clendenning’s fort that began the settlement of Charleston, WV (see researcher’s post). McClung, Clendenning, and 3 Pryors were recorded on the 1792 Kanawha Tithetables.

Joseph Carroll
Geo. Clendenin
Wm. Clendenin
Alex. Clendenin
Shadrack Harriman (married to Susannah Pryor, probably daughter of William Pryor of Amherst County, VA)
John Jones
Chas. McClung
Leonard Morris
Abner Pryor
Allen Pryor
Wm. Pryor

There’s record of Allen Prior (the man from Connecticut?) meeting with Clendenning and McClung in 1793.

Jan 27th, 1793 – George Clendenin to the Governor (of VA). Clendening wrote the governor concerning two scouts that were appointed to protect the garrison in Kanawha from Indian attach. The Scouts were Charles McClung and Lewis Newton. Clendenin sent the Governor a certificate of service to sign for the scouts. Allen PRIOR brought him the certificate and request for payment to the scouts. [Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts]

Earlier in the same month, Clendenning was recorded with the name William Pryor:

Jan. 1st, 1793 – Information from Col. Clendenin, Major Clendinin, and co. received Col. Donnelly (Donnally?) and Watkins. Received from Capt. John Morriss, from Capt. W. Morris, Leonard Morris, William Pryor, Joseph Carroll, and John Jones, with all their people,were at one time collected at Will. Morrisses–some continued two weeks some 6 some, 3 weeks.

In 1809 a  Charles McClung comes up again when a William Pryor was deeded…

35 acres on waters of the Indian Fork of Poplar Creek in Roane Co., TN Beginning on Charles McClung’s 3,000-acre tract…corner to Michael Hosstlar’s 25-acre survey…near foot of Waldens Ridge.

I have to wonder if this William Pryor mentioned in the Kanawha was the same man in Roane Co., TN or were names over-lapping as people moved into the frontier.

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Connecticut Yankees on the Southern Frontier

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Kanawha FallsWhen sorting out the Pryors in Kanawha County, I’ve wondered who were Abner and Allen Pryor. I’ve wondered if Allen (sometimes spelled “Allyn”) was kin to my ancestor Allen L. Pryor who settled in Sumner County, TN.

Nope, no connection.

I’ve wondered if Abner Pryor was the same man who was in North Carolina. An Abner Pryor died in Caswell County, NC in 1778 (during the Revolution), so he would not be the Abner Pryor on the 1792 Tax List of Kanawha County. A younger Abner Pryor was in Stokes County, NC at the time of the 1820 and 1830 Census. In 1820 he was 26 to 45 years old, which means he would have been 17 in 1792. I think that precludes the NC Abners from being the Abner who was in Kanawha.

I found the answer to Allen and Abner’s identity in The History of Ancient Winsor, Connecticut published in 1859 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Qg0WAAAAYAAJ). Abner and Allyn Pryor were from Connecticut and served in the Revolutionary War as young men in a Connecticut company http://www.genealogy.com/24_land.html . Connecticut and other developed northern states offered bounty land grants in the frontier, so it is likely that they came to Kanawha to pursue a land grant. Further support of the land grant is a letter written in 1820 by Allyn Pryor of Mason County which queries lands in Kanawha County received for his services in the Revolutionary War.

The 1850 Census would have answered the exact age and origin of these men. When it’s not available, so good to find another source!

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