I stumbled upon an obit for Senator Luke Pryor of Limestone County, AL. Most of published obits contain a lot of the same data we see in every online family tree. This obit was a bit different. It was published March 30, 1901 in the Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Point, WI.
It’s actually more of a little story than an obit full of data points. It tells the tale of the wealthy Mrs. Gable inviting Luke Pryor to a dance through his widowed mother. In the story it refers to Luke as Mrs. Pryor’s “read-headed boy.” This may be of interest to Pryor researchers following the trail of red-heads in their Pryor line.
Another part of the story was that Luke Pryor was an accomplished fiddle player. Who knew.
Just passing it along for those who are interested.
I found only one Pryor signature in Campbell County legislative petitions. On December 1, 1785 the “sundry inhabitants” of Campbell County, VA signed a petition for removing the courthouse to Moormans or any other place may be rejected. It’s interesting but so frustrating because this appears to be a list of names rather than actual signatures.
Some names linked with the Pryors of Campbell County also appear on the document: Obadiah Pattison, Richard Oglesby, Littleberry Pattison, Barth. Stovall (Bartholomew Stovall), Silvanus Massey/Maxey, Edmund Franklin, Samuel Davidson, John Thurmond, John Thurmond Jr., Landers Pattison (Landis Pattison?), Renny Crews (Wrenny Crews)
Edmund Franklin
1737 Will In Goochland County. Thomas Frankling of Henrico Co, To son Thomas, 1 shilling, To daughter Ann Lax, 1 shilling, To son Edmund, items, All rest to son John, to him all lands and to be executor., Dated 31 March 1727, Wit: Will’m Burke, John Stephens, Bartholomew Stovall, James Lax, Signed: Thomas Franking Recorded 17 May 1737 from Goochland Co VA Wills & Deeds, Book 3, 1736-1742
1794 Marriage in Bedford County. Edmund Franklin (Thomas Franklin’s grandson) married married Betsy Pryor with permission of Harris Pryor.
1819 Chancery Court Case in Bedford County. William Dickinson vs. HARRIS PRYOR. A 1819 summons issued to Edmund Franklin and wife Betsy, William Holliday and late wife Polly, Polly Pryor, Nancy Pryor, Harris Pryor, Richard Mays and Juggy his late wife, heirs of Harris Pryor deceased. Document in filed dated 14 Dec 1820, signed by Harris Pryor in Louisville, KY. States he was formerly of Bedford County, but was then a resident of Louisville.
Landis Pattison
We have two very good samples of Landis Pattison’s handwriting. A quick explanation to make the connection to why he’s important to tracing Pryors in VA. First, Harris Pryor and Landis Pattison witnessed John Wright’s will (John the husband of Mary New) 1775 in Prince Edward County. We have an early example of Landis Pattison’s signature on a deed dated 1773 in the documents of a Chancery Court case in Prince Edward County (see below). We also have his signature on a 1801 Legislative Petition filed in Campbell County (see below). Same signer? I’m undecided.
1773: Landis Pattison signature
1801: Landis Pattison signature
Richard Oglesby
Richard was the father of Mary Oglesby who married first Hezekiah Taylor in Campbell County (1807) and after his death married Isaac Crews (possible connection to Wrenny Crews?). Richard’s other daughter Keziah Oglesby married Henry Butler (or Boteler) — she is on the 1850 Census near Thomas B Hutson (or Hudson) the son in law of Samuel and Frances Ferguson Pryor (Samuel and Fanny also had a son named Harris Pryor!).
Wrenny Crews
Wrenny is an interesting guy because there’s lots of great documentation of who he was and where he lived. He was born about 1767 — we can calculate his year of birth because he was actually alive and counted on the 1850 Census in Sumner County, TN! In 1836 Wrenny witnessed the will of Thomas Taylor of Sumner County and who I’ve looked at for possible ties to the Taylors who married Pryors in Campbell County, VA and later moved to Sumner County, TN. Thomas Taylor is possibly the same Thomas Taylor who was on the 1810 Census in Buckingham County, VA as his known brother, Garrett Taylor was on the 1820 Census in that same county.
I think it’s worth considering if the signature is John Pryor, brother of David Pryor in Buckingham County. Why? David married Susannah Ballow. John Pryor was a witness to James Kerr’s will in Campbell County with Charles Ballow. Charles Ballow married Mary Crews. I know– convoluted. However, I think it’s important to note that both Kerr’s will and the legislative petition were dated 1785.
The first Pryor I spotted was “David Pryer”. His signature is on a 1778 Inhabitants Legislative Petition in Buckingham County, VA. He’s on the same page with Anthony Dibrell. (2 of David Pryor’s grandaughters married Dibrells in AR).
Also on the same petition… Edward Prior. He’s on the same page with Peter Fore (Foree), John Garrott, William Flowers, Edmund Glover, Samuel Glover, Thomas Ballow. Is this the Edward Prior who went to GA? Not so sure. When Edward in GA signed his will in 1796 he made his mark with an “X”. Could he have been too old or sick to sign his name? Or are they completely different Edward Priors?
Over the past couple months I’ve delved into some of the Susannah Pryors who were noted around the time of the American Revolution. It was quite the popular name.
I stumbled upon a signature on a 1777 Henrico County, VA Legislative Petition. It looks a lot like someone trying to write Susannah Pryor with it perhaps coming out looking like Susaner Pyrer.
The petition was filed to protest against running the dividing line between Henrico & Hanover Counties through the Chickahominy Swamp. Well, that’s an interesting location. Nicholas Pryor had land on the Chickahominy in Henrico County (see post). When Nicholas died in 1746 Susannah Pryor came into court to request the right to administer his estate. Could this signature be her signature?
The Chickahominy comes up again — on a 1751 deed filed in Henrico County mentions William Pryor of Albemarle County (see post). The deed also states the land in Henrico county was from William Laffoon’s patent and it was located on the Chickahominy river.
March 5, 1849: Amherst County, VA Legislative Petition asking for the repeal of the charter of the Lynchburg & Buffalo Springs Turnpike Company. The first Pryor signature on the petition was Hartwell T Pryor. His VA death record states he was born in 1807 in Amherst County to William Pryor and Sarah (was this Sarah Tucker?). He died 2 Aug 1881 in Bedford County, VA. His presence in Amherst county was also confirmed on the 1850 Census.
1850 Census, Amherst Co., VA
Page 78a, The Eastern Dist., house 75 H. T. PRYOR 45, Susannah 50, John W. 18, M. A. 13, Margaret 11
The second Pryor on the petition (on another page) was Thomas Pryor. It is clearly written next to the signature “son of Hartwell.” Sweet! I don’t know why it was necessary to write that. Did it prove residency to be able to sign the petition? Was clarification needed to determine WHICH Thomas Pryor had signed the petition?
Can we ID Thomas Pryor on other records?
There is a Thomas M. Pryor who was appointed post master of Pryors Vale, Amherst County in 1844.
There is a Thomas M. Pryor who was counted on the 1860 Census in Chariton County, MO. Thomas, his wife and children were all born in VA (except the youngest child).
Thomas M. Pryor and his family were counted in 1870 still in Mo.
In 1880 Thomas M. Pryor was counted in Amherst County. Living in his household was a child born in MO. This child, William, was also counted on Chariton County, MO census records.
There was no Thomas Pryor or Thomas M Pryor recorded in Amherst County in Hartwell’s household in 1850, nor in Amherst County. Perhaps he was missed from the count or he was elsewhere? However, the evidence is strong that there was a Thomas M. Pryor in the county in 1844, who went to MO, and returned to VA by 1880. I just wished he had locked down his ID by adding his middle initial to his signature on the petition..
1860 Census, Chariton Co., MO
Clark Twp., page 289, House 862 Thomas M. PRYOR 42 farmer VA, Elizabeth H. 39 VA, Mary E. 15 VA, Thomas 13 VA, Junius C. 9 VA, Samuel 6 VA, Sarah 3 VA, John H. 1/2 MO
1880 Census Amherst Co., VA
Elon Dist, Page 2 Thomas M. PRYOR 63 VA VA VA, Samuel B. son 21 VA VA VA, William S. son 17 MO VA VA.
Have we answered “Who’s your daddy?” I don’t think so. On all census records Thomas M Pryor stated an age that place his year of birth at about 1818. Hartwell’s age on census records placed his year of birth at about 1805-1808. He was 10 years old when Thomas M. Pryor was born? It’s even worse when using Susannah’s age at his birth… about age 7 or 8? If Thomas M is the same man who signed the petition, then it’s almost impossible for Hartwell and Susannah to have been his birth parents. UGH! So, did Hartwell have a son named Thomas adding ANOTHER Thomas to the Amherst County mix?
This website is meant as a guide to finding Pryor records. Information may not be up-to-date and lacks complete genealogical citations. Always do your own research.
