Southern Pryor Family Genealogy
Thanks to one of our Pryor cousins we now have a signature of judge John C. Pryor speculated to be a son of David Pryor and Susannah Ballow of Buckingham County, VA. After searching through numerous court records, in Desoto County, MS, he thinks this is an actual specimen of Pryor’s signature.
Luke B Pryor is recorded at L B Prior on the 1860 Census in White County, AR. He was born about 1834 in Virginia. The probate file from the same county in 1867 names his wife Mary Frances and son Thomas Jefferson Pryor. The above note on a debt has his signature for comparison.
I didn’t think I’d revisit John Pryor and Ruth Sherrill so quickly. I recently posted about their son William (see post). It looks like we now have information of what happened to their son Sherrill Pryor. His will was found in Polk County, Missouri. It mentions his wife Rebecca* (he married Rebecca* Hitcherouth in Sangamon County, Illinois in 1832 Continue reading
On 9/25/15 I un-volunteered as the administrator of the Family Tree DNA Pryor project. The project started as a fascinating experience — many great Pryors who were interested in their genetic genealogy and I had results that helped to define my own Pryor line. So why did I decide to leave?
There are loopholes in how the FTDNA projects are structured and secured. I was not provided the tools, assistance, and cooperation to fix these issues. Also, these issues have caused me to remove the test kits I purchased.
My understanding is that FTDNA will appoint a new administrator shortly. If you have any queries about a test kit or if you are interested in testing, please contact the project administrator (a FTDNA staff member is the temporary contact) listed on the FTDNA Pryor “website” https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/pryor/about. Please do not contact me as I have no affiliation with the project nor will I recommend testing.
It’s time to consider some stray Pryors and see if we can match them up.
In 1884 Samuel B Pryor’s will was filed in Vandenburgh County, IN. He left a house in Evansville, IN and a city lot in Cadiz, Trigg County, KY to his brother Bernard H. Pryor. The will states Samuel B Pryor was from McCracken County, KY.
Samuel B. (b. 1835) was on the 1880 Census in Vandenburgh County and Bernard (b. 1825) in McCracken County. Gotta love the census records: Samuel B.’s father was recorded as born in MS and Bernard’s father was recorded as born in VA. At least Samuel B. and Bernard both agree they were born in KY (between 1825 – 1835?).
December 14, 1860 the Clarksville, TN newspaper “Weekly Tobacco Leaf” reported that a Bernard Pryor once a resident of Clarksville and by then living in Paducah (that’s in McCracken County) had gone on a drunken spree and killed a man named Pigg.
There’s a Probate record dated 7 Aug 1837 from Clarksville, Montgomery County, TN. It names Burnard, Allaway and Bolen Pryor as infant heirs of Saml. PRYOR. Ann F. PRYOR was appointed their guardian. Its signed by Felix H. Badger and his attorney Chas. Bailey. Harriet Patteson (or Pallson) and her attorney G A Henry. I betting that Burnard is Bernard H. Pryor and Bolen Pryor is Samuel B. Pryor. Their ages on the 1880 census certainly fit with their births before 1837 and being minor children in 1837.
