Tennessee Pryors

I’ve been contacted by many researchers through the years who want to know the parents of Matthew Pryor of Marion Co., TN. I know I’ve frustrated some folks when I dispute that Matthew was the son of Green Pryor. I think people assumed that since his son was named Green Hill Pryor that he must have been after his grandfather.

Recently Jean Hughes book¹ on the Pryors was brought to my attention by another researcher. It’s very well documented and her conclusions rely heavily on impeccably sourced records:

“Matthew Pryor (b. 3/15/1759 in Granville County, d. 1834 in Marion County, Tennessee) married Mary Neely in 1786. In the 1784 tax list for Caswell County, Haden is shown in the Nash District with 200 acres, a mill, and a household of 1 white and 2 blacks. Anne Pryor and Matthew Pryor are in the St. James District. Anne Pryor had 400 acres on the Flat River a household of 0 whites and 2 blacks. Matthew had 200 acres on the Flat River in a household of 1 whites and 0 blacks. Further Matthew Pryor was granted other deeds in Granville County: (1) on November 8, 1790 he purchased land belonging to Edmund Carnes and (2) in 1787 he purchased 212 acres from Micajah Bullock.586 In Elizabeth Pryor Harper’s Twenty-One Southern Families, Matthew is mentioned as a grandson of Robert Pryor. John Pryor, Philip’s brother, did not have a son named Matthew. The chain carriers for the March 3, 1779, deed of Ann Pryor for 400 acres on the Flat River in Caswell County were Matthew and Philip Pryor. From these facts, it appears that Matthew Pryor was Philip’s son. Furthermore, the witnesses to Matthew’s November 8, 1790, deed were Micajah Bullock and Philip Pryor.”

Ms. Hughes developed a chart (page 181) from her research that lists the children of Philip Pryor and Anne Haden as Haden, Tabitha, Frances, Philip, Sally, John, Matthew, William, Samuel and Susannah.

The naming traditions within Matthew’s family also indicate a connection to the Haden family. His son John H. Pryor (b. 1791) named a son Haden (b. 1820) and Matthew’s son William b. 1788 named a son Hayden (b. 1808). If Philip is indeed Matthew’s father, it makes sense that he named a son Philip².

Recent DNA testing indicated that an heir of Matthew Pryor matches on 24 of 25 markers with the line of Pryors from Philip and Anne. Some Pryors known to be from the line of Philip and Anne, matched on 23 or 25 markers.

The research done by Jean Hughes and recent genetic testing leads me to believe that we now have the correct parents of Matthew Pryor.

1. Robert Prior (Pryor) and Related Families by Jean Pryor Hughes, pub. 2003, p. 174
2. Philip Pryor born 1791 in Granville, NC. He was recorded on the 1830 Census in Marion Co. and recorded in 1840 and 1850 in McNairy Co.