I had to get out the map again. I can understand that Sumner County was one of the first counties in TN and that it was divided to make other counties and then those counties were divided into other counties. What I wasn’t understanding was where the Pryors were in relationship to each other.
Thank goodness many of the old deeds have a water source noted. I would never have found locations by the old white oak or a hickory tree noted on many deeds (Google Maps for some reason doesn’t pick up trees as land marks LOL!).
So, the map above shows a yellow border that represents “roughly” the original boundary of Sumner County. I’ve marked in purple the water sources mentioned in Pryor deeds. The Pryors are grouped below.
Drake’s Creek
In 1793 William Pryor was assigned land from Jesse Goldsmith. He received 640 acres on Drake’s creek. It’s believed he is the same William Pryor who appeared on 1794 Tax list “on Drake’s Creek. He was counted with William Bird and Benjamin Downs who were closely associated with William Pryor who was in Stewart County, TN by 1804. If this is the William Pryor who went to Stewart County, then he may be the William on the 1793 Tax list near Philip Trammel — William of Stewart County married Betsy Trammel. More on this William in my next post.
Blackburn Fork, Roaring River
In 1802 Jacob Ward (or Work?) was granted land in Jackson County on the Roaring River near a path that led between William Pryor and John Pryor, so it’s believed William and John were there before 1802. The 1803 Tax List of Jackson County states Joseph Pryor and John Pryor were in the county and Joseph was living among men who were deeded land on the Roaring River. In 1850 there were still Pryors on Blackburn Fork: Nancy Pryor, William and Alsey (more on Blackburn’s Fork…)
Caney Creek
An 1802 indenture indicates the men connected to this property and also a connection to Richard and Mourning Pryor.
1802 Smith County, TN Court Order – Tuesday, March 18, 1802 – Smith Co., TN. Ordered that Richard Lancaster, Tom Lancaster, William Pryor, James Pryor, Will Walker, John Goad and David Morrison view, mark and lay off a road from Lancaster’s Ferry on the Caney Fork River to intersect Walton’s Road at the most convenient (place) going toward Knoxville.
1802 Smith County, TN Land Record. Deed Book B, Pages 94-95. Indenture made 10 May 1802. Names Thomas White & Mourning White (formerly Mourning Prior[sic]) Administrator & Administratrix of Richard Pryor decd. of Logan County & State of Kentucky of the one part and James Ewing of Smith County & State of Tennessee of the other part. Describes property part of Tract of three thousand acres lying on the Caney fork of Cumberland River, formerly the property of Howel Tatum (this may be the land purchased from Tatum in Sumner County).
Mansker Creek
The Pryor’s on Mansker Creek were late-comer’s to Sumner County. The 1827 TN Land Grant to Emily Prior and Preston Kennedy states they were granted 225 acres on the “head” of Mansker Creek. I did my best to find Mansker Creek in current-day Sumner County, but could only find it on a map slightly out of the county line.
South Tunnel
I marked South Tunnel on the map because my ancestor Allen L. Pryor reported in the Goodspeed History of Sumner County that his father moved to Sumner County in 1828 or so and purchased a farm near South Tunnel.
