Charles Ballow Connected to John Pryor of Campbell County, VA

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charles-ballowI know I come back to the same documents over and over, but I love finding new ways to crunch the information. In 1785 John Pryor witnessed James Karr’s will in Campbell County, VA. Karr was holding a judgement against Charles Ballow:

1785 Will: “I, James Karr of Campbell, of sound and disposing mind and memory First, all my debts and funeral expenses to be paid. To my trusty friend, Charles Rork – 55 (pounds), “which the bonds is in the hands of George Hearon, being the price of my land on Pigg River”. Also, 25 (pounds) which I obtained [in a] judgment against Charles Bellue (Ballew/Ballow/Ballou). To my wife – one half of my still, which is now at my brother, Robert Carr’s. To the said Charles Rork – the other half of the still, and half the accounts “of papers and Thomas James now in the hands of David Ross“. To my wife – the other half of said accounts, that is, the accounts in said Ross’ hands. To Charles Rork – all accounts and debts due me that were not before mentioned. Also to Charles Rork Jr, my bay horse. At Campbell Court of Dec 7, 1786, the will of James Karr dec’d was proved by the oaths of witnesses Wright and Pryor, and OR.” – wits. John Pryor along with Robert Wright and James Rock (or Rork)

I’ve found more information on Charles Bellue. Charles Ballow is named in a 1780 Chancery Court case (Thomas Ballow vs heirs of Charles Ballow, Edward Haskins executor) in Cumberland County, VA. The suit names Charles Ballow (Jr.)* as an heir of Charles Ballow (Sr.), deceased and also names “infant” sons and daughters Jesse Ballow, Mary Ballow, John Ballow, Thomas Ballow. The suit was filed on behalf of the minors by their “friend” Frederick Hatcher. The suit made a division of slaves named Patt, Abba, Bob, Harry, Amos, Fanny, Judy, Greenoch, Sarah, Lucy, Skelton, and Arthur. The suit also refers to the elder Charles Ballow’s will dated 18 May 1767. It states that Charles has a considerable estate and he had appointed in his will Charles Ballow, Thomas Proper, Edward Haskins and Alexander Trent as executors, but only Edward Haskins took on the “burden” in probate.

Another suit filed in the Chancery Court in Cumberland County in 1793 is titled William Taylor and Rebecca his wife vs. Thomas Ballew, administrator of Charles Ballew, deceased and the children of Charles Ballew: Elizabeth, William H, Sarah, Charles, William Ballew their guardian. It states Charles died intestate and doesn’t name his wife, so she may have died before him.  The case file contains a division of Charles’ real estate and describes parcels bordered by Nelson Patterson, William Ballow, and slaves Jack and Candass.

An online family tree has a Charles Ballow married to Mary Crews. Remember Wrenny Crews from Campbell County went to Sumner County, TN and witnessed the will of Thomas Taylor formerly of Cumberland County, VA (see post). Also David Pryor of Cumberland County and later Buckingham County was married to Susannah Ballow (Ballew?).

So Charles Ballow is an interesting guy to look at for connections between Campbell County and Cumberland County.

* Note: I’ve used Jr. and Sr. to identify the older and younger Charles Ballows. This designation is not used in the original document.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , ,

John Pryor and Mrs. Sarah Pryor Teachers in Lynchburg VA

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va-pryors
I came across two references to a Mrs. Sarah Pryor and John Pryor (son, husband, father, brother?) who taught in the early 1800’s in Lynchburg.

1814 Lynchburg – John and Sarah Pryor, Lynchburg Female Academy [Lynchburg Press, 5 May and 15 September 1814]. In addition to needlework, Mrs. Pryor taught “the arts of drawing, painting…”
— Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts. Pub. 1990

“John and Sarah Pryor had a female school”
— Lynchburg and Its People by William Asbury Christian

Category: Tennessee Pryors

Steamboat Captain Pryor

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The children of Moses Tandy Pryor (probably born in Henry County, KY) and Barbara Giltner were on the 1850 and 1860 Census in Carroll County, KY. Noble Pryor died a few months of his brother in June 1909.

Two Captains Die.

Two steamboatmen, well known in the Paducah port, have answered the last call. Captain N. Parker Pryor of Louisville, and Captain William Baxter, of St. Louis. There is an old saying among river men and it has often proved true, that when two river men die about the same time there will be a third river man in a short time to die.

Captain N. Parker Pryor was one of the best known steamboatmen on the Ohio river. He died at the Pope Sanitorium, Louisville, after an illness of nine weeks with apoplexy. Captain Pryor was 42 years of age and had been running on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers since he was a boy. During his experience he had been captain on the government boat Cherokee and the tug Hanover, also pilot on the Falls City, the Park City and Major Slack. It was while taking a trip up the Kentucky river in December on the Major Slack that he was stricken while at the wheel. Although he fell over in great pain, Captain Pryor managed to bring the boat to landing and then an investigation by the engineer resulted in his being found unconscious at the wheel.

Captain Pryor was a member of a family of well known river men and has two surviving brothers, both of whom are steamboat men.

Captain Noble Pryor, of the Falls City, The Kentucky river packet, is seriously ill at an infirmary in Philadelphia, while Michael Pryor, captain of a towboat, is suffereing with yellow jaundice at Frankfort, Ky.

— Paducah Evening Sun, 6 February 1909

Steamboat

Wikipedia

Category: Kentucky Pryors | Tags: , , , ,

Francis Prior of Hertfordshire, England

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uk-flagI’m diverting from our US Pryors to UK Pryors for this post… If you’re interested in the Pryor/Prior name from Herfordshire, England I stumbled across an interesting tidbit of information. I’m passing it also because I suspect someone will find it useful.

From The Gentleman’s Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, Volume 82, Part 1, Published 1812.

pryor-flamstead-hertfordshire

Over one of the arches a framed board, with arms, and the following inscription: “At the upper ende of this midle ile lyeth intered body of GEORGE CORDELL, esquire, who served QUEEN ELIZABETH, and was sergeant of the Ewry to KING JAMES and the late KING CHARLES, in all sixty yeeres, who married DOROTHY, the only daughter and heyre of FRANCIS PRIOR, of this parish, with whom she lived 52 yeares, and deceased the 26th May, 1653, being aged 84 yeeres.”

One ANN PRIOR lived in this parish to the age of 120.

Such a short inscription but such remarkable lives. Cordell served 3 monarchs in such turbulent times — Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and she beheaded her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, James was Mary’s son, and Charles I (James’ son) ascended the throne only to be beheaded in 1649. From 1649 to 1660 England was without a king and functioned as a Republic. I found a definition of his court position:

The ewry was responsible for the provision and storage of linen for the royal tables `and serve up water in the silver ewers after dinner, whence the office has its name.
— from British History Online

Oh, what Mr. Cordell and his Prior wife must have lived through. What he must have heard at queen’s tables and the successive kings. The historical characters he may have seen. It’s remarkable that he kept his position through such turmoil.

Perhaps this inscription may help to take a Prior line into the 16th century.

Category: England | Tags: ,

Joseph Pryor Born 1805 in SC, Resided in Tallapoosa County AL

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We may be able to match Joseph Pryor b. 1805 in SC to his ancestors. He’s on the 1850 Census in Tallapoosa County, AL

1850 Census Tallapoosa Co., AL
Page 125A House 1845 Joseph PRYOR 45 SC, Sarah 30 SC, William 19 SC, Ann 17 GA, Robert 16 GA, Elizabeth 14 GA, Eliza 12 GA, Francis 7, GA, Louisa 6 GA, Jasper 4 AL, Christopher 2 AL.

This record has lingered — no clear record of this family on the 1840 Census or the 1860 Census. An 1857 marriage in Tallapoosa County helped to provide a lead.

David Z Clark married Elizabeth B PRIOR on 30 Dec 1857. This marriage is in the Tallapoosa County records AND filed under another dated (4 Dec 1857) in Edgefield Co., SC.

There was a David Clark living in household of Charlotte PRIOR on 1850 Census in Edgefield county. David was born 1811 and was working as a wheelwright. The household above is Richard PRIOR born 1805 who was also working as a wheelwright. In 1860 and 1870 David Clark (also counted as D. Z. Clark) was still living near Richard Prior and his household included his wife Elizabeth born 1836. Elizabeth’s year of birth is a close match to the Elizabeth Pryor who was in Joseph’s household in Tallapoosa in 1850.

Category: South Carolina Pryors | Tags: , , ,
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