I recently was able to put together what happened to the last of the children of Edward Pryor of Overton County, TN. It seems like time to share his family group sheet. First a little about Edward.
No proof has been found to determine that Edward or Edmund Pryor was a son of William and Spicy Pryor. However, Edmund was ordered to road work several times with Overton Pryor and lived near Overton Pryor per census records. It is believed that Edmund was named for Spicy’s father Edmund Taylor.
There are so many confusing things about this Edward Pryor. Yes, his parents are a bit in question, but there are bigger mysteries.
- Edward is on the 1850 Census with a son named Shadrack whose name only shows up in the registration for the Civil War and on the 1890 Census, but who probably went by the name Chesley Allen Pryor.
- I haven’t seen it yet, there’s an 1860 divorce in Overton Co. for Edward and Eliza — yet the children after the divorce and while he was in an Illinois hospital during the war are attributed to Edward. Both Edward and Eliza state they were divorced on the 1880 Census.
- It is not clear how many children Edmund and Eliza Pryor had. Edward’s Civil War records state he was in a military hospital in Illinois through most of the war to 1865, yet there are 2 children born during that time who identify themselves as children of Edward Pryor and Eliza Knight. And didn’t they divorce in 1860? A total of 4 children were born after 1860.
- When was Edward born? Edward’s tombstone states he was born in August 1829 and died in February 1905 in Overton County while census records have varying birth years. Check out findagrave.com — there’s a photo of his gravemarker in Byrdstown, TN.
Family Group Sheet
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Husband: Edward Pryor
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Born: 15 Aug 1822 in TN (see note 1)
Died: 18 Feb. 1905 in Overton Co.
Buried: in Bethsaida Cemetery
Overton Co. Court Minutes Feb. 1844 to Nov. 1849.
Edmund Pryor was ordered several times to serve on road crews to make or repair county roads, usually with Overton Pryor.
pg.34: Ordered by the Court that Joseph RILEY be appointed overseer of a first class road commencing at Obids River at Stephen GARRETT’s to the old Fentress County Line and that Joseph RILEY, James RILEY, Thos. RILEY, Amos RILEY, Jeremiah EVANS, Henry YAIG?, John PARRIS, Dianah PARRIS hands. Overton PRYOR, Edmund PRYOR, Stephen GARRETT, Robt. WALKER, Thos. GARRETT, Isaac GARRETT, Elijah GARRETT hands and WIlliam WALKER and Joseph HIBBERT work under him as hands.
1850 Census Clinton Co., KY — Dist 2
House 8 Roland Flowers 26 TN, Fanny 21 TN
House 9 Edward PRYOR 26 TN, Eliza 26 AL, Shedrick 1 (male)
<Roland Flowers and Edward Pryor are living near each other on 1860 Census
Overton Co., TN>
1860 Overton Co., TN Census Dist 12, p. 281B
House 549 Edmond PRIOR 46 TN
1860 Census Fentress Co., TN, Dist 1
House 149 William Gunter 50, Cynthia 50, George W. 20, Lucinda 17, John 16,
William 14, Mary 8, Eliza PRIER 28, Samantha E.PRIER 5, Melissa E. PRIER 4.
Eliza and Cynthia were sisters.
1860 Divorce: Edward Pryor vs Elizabeth Pryor (Sept 1860)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnoverto/OCHS/Divorce/Divorce1852to1861.html
Edward Pryor was recorded on the 1860 Census on 16 June 1860. He and Eliza were living in separate dwellings which makes sense if they were divorce a few months later.
1861-1865 Civil War Pension Application obtained by Catherine Gunter.
Edward’s wife was Eliza Knight.
Eliza and Edward were married in 1845 by J.C. Parris in Overton. County, TN.
They had 3 children. Shadrick born in 1847, Elizabeth born in 1852, and Ellen born in 1857. At the time of Edward’s pension application, Eliza was listed as deceased.
He applied for the pension in 1890.
In 1890, he states his age as 68 which would have made him born about 1822.
In 1864, he states his age as 42 which would also signify the year 1822 as his birth year.
1870 Overton Co., TN Census Dist 15
House 51 Edward PRYOR 50 TN, Eliza 45, Elizabeth 15, Melissa E. 13
Ten years after they divorced Edward and Eliza were counted in the same household. Missing are the 3 children born after 1862, but before 1870: Mary Lucinda, William Anderson, Hannah Tennessee. But the same year Eliza was counted a second time in another dwelling–
1870 Census Fentress Co., TN – Dist 6
page 561, House 85: Eliza PRYOR 34 TN, Lucinda 7 TN, William 5 TN, Hannah F. 2 TN
1880 Overton Co., TN Census, Dist 11, The village of Monroe
House 127 Edward PRYRE 56 TN VA VA, Ellen 22 dau TN, William F. Lacy 1
grandson TN
While Edward was living with his daughter Melissa Ellen, and Eliza was living in a separate dwelling near her sister:
1880 Census Overton Co., TN – Dist 12
House 218 L. PRIOR 47 (female) Divorced TN TN TN , Mary 18 dau, William 14 son, Tennessee 10 dau, M. 8 dau.
House 219 Wilson Gunter 70 NC NC NC, S. wife 70 NC NC NC
1900 Census, Overton Co., TN
Dist. 11. ED#55, page 307B
House 20 Samuel Smith 5/1854 TN VA KY, Elizabeth 5/1854 TN VA VA, Jake F.
2/1881 TN, Robert E. L. 2/1883 TN, Millard V. 2/1883 TN, Dillard T. 1/1887 TN,
Sarah E. 2/1889 TN, Rosetta C. 3/1891 TN, Flosie J. 7/1893 TN, Mary E. 12/1895
TN, Edward PRIOR 5/1829 TN VA VA
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Wife: Eliza Knight #8323
Married: 1845 in Overton Co., TN
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Born: Abt. 1832 in ALABAMA
Died: Aft. 1880
Father: Mr. Knight #9034
Death record of Samantha Pryor Smith says her father was Eddie Pryor and
mother was Louisa Gunter.
Children:
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M Child 1: Chesley Allen Pryor
Born: Nov. 1847 in Byrdstown, Pickett Co., TN
Died: 14 Mar 1924 in Scott Co., TN
Death Certificate… PRYOR C.A. 73 1924 Scott #13
Born 9-16-1850
Death 3-14-1924
Occupation. Farmer
POB Tenn.
Father Edd Pryor
Maiden Name of mother “Don’t know”
Cause of Death “don’t know. Found dead in bed. there was no marks
of violence.”
Person who completed the certificate was J. R. Pryor.
Place of Burial: Cross Roads
1880 Census Allen Priar – Mullentown ED#107, Wayne, Kentucky. page 515D.
1890 Veteran’s Schedule – Prior, Shade C. Pri D 01 TN Inf Apr 1865 Chansite Pickett
(In 1850 Edward Pryor had a son named Shadrack Pryor living in his household. Are Chesley and Shadrack the same person?)
1900 Census – Chesley Pryor – 7th Dist. of Pickett Co., TN.
1910 Census – Chesley Prior – Scott Co., TN – Dist. 3
1920 Census – Chesey A Pryor – Scott Co., TN – Dist. 2
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F Child 2: Samantha Elizabeth Pryor
Born: May 1854 in TN
Died: 02-15-1937 in Monroe, Overton Co., TN
1880 Census, District 12, Overton, Tennessee, page 323B
R. S. SMITH Self M Male W 28 TN Laborer TN TN (b. 1852)
S. E. SMITH Wife M Female W 26 TN Keeping House TN TN (b. 1854)
J. A. SMITH Dau S Female W 9 TN TN TN (b. 1871)
Wm. J. SMITH Son S Male W 3 TN TN TN (b. 1877)
Ellen SMITH Dau S Female W 1 TN TN TN (b. 1879)
1900 Overton Co., TN Census, Dist. 11. ED#55, page 307B
House 20 Samuel Smith 5/1854 TN VA KY, Elizabeth (PRYOR) 5/1854 TN VA VA, Jake F. 2/1881 TN, Robert E. L. 2/1883 TN, Millard V. 2/1883 TN, Dillard T. 1/1887 TN,
Sarah E. 2/1889 TN, Rosetta C. 3/1891 TN, Flosie J. 7/1893 TN, Mary E. 12/1895
TN, Edward PRIOR 5/1829 TN VA VA
1910 Census, ED#71, 11th Dist., Overton Co., TN. Page 9B, Ancestry image 18
#175 Sam Smith 52, md 1, 9/6 children, TN US US
Elizabeth (PRYOR) wife, 50, md 1, TN US US
Sarah E. dau, 21 TN
Flora J. dau 16 TN
Mary O. dau 14 TN.
1920 U.S. Census • Tennessee • Overton • District 11 • ED# 67 Sheet 17B
house 315
Robert E Smith 38, Samantha E (PRYOR) mother 62 Divorced
1930 Census Overton Co., TN. Dist. 11
House 115 R.E. Smith 48 (27) TN TN TN, Nova wife 34 (18) TN TN TN, Proctor son
8 TN, Estelle dau 6 TN, Samantha E. (PRYOR) mother 70 TN TN TN.
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F Child 3: Melissa Ellen Pryor
Born: Abt. 1856 in TN
Died: Aft. 1910 in
Married 1 Andrew J Lacey
Married 2 Thomas “Honey Tom” Garrett
1900 Census Ellen Garrett – Pickett Co., TN
1910 Census, Malissie E Garrett – Pickett Co., TN. 2nd Civil Dist. Sheet 10 B.
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F Child 4: Mary Lucinda Pryor
Born: Abt. 1862 in TN
Died: Aft. 1880 in
Delayed TN Birth Record for her son Hoffman states she was Mary Lucinda
Pryor
Married: John White
1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1900 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1910 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1920 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
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M Child 5: William Anderson Pryor
Born: 14 Mar 1865 in TN
Died: 30 Jan 1950 in PULASKI CO., KY
1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
William Prior to Permelia A Black on 27 Nov. 1890 in
Pulaksi Co.
1900 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1910 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1920 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1930 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
Death records for the William
and Permelia who lived in Pulaski Co.
William A. Pryor d. 30/Jan/1950, age 84, vol. 8, certificate 3633
Permelia A. Pryor d. 24/Nov/1950, age 81, vol 53, certificate 26324
Obit of William A. Pryor
W. A. Pryor, 84, of Science Hill, died at the home of a relative in West
Somerset Monday. He was born in Tennessee March 14, 1865 being the son of the
late Edwin and Eliza Knight Pryor. He and his family moved here in 1921, and
he had engaged in farming since residing in the county.
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F Child 7: Hannah Tennessee Pryor
Born: Abt. 1868 in TN
Died: 20 Jun 1951 in Whitley Co., KY
1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
Married: George Hoover
1894 First child Nora Hoover born in TN
Married: William E Young
1899 First child with Wm Young was George Lester Young born in KY
1900 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1910 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1920 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
20 Jun 1951 – Died in Whitley Co., KY
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F Child 8: M. Pryor
Born: Abt. 1872 in TN
Died: Aft. 1880 in
This daughter only appears in Eliza’s household in 1880.
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