Southern Pryor Family Genealogy
The descendants of David Pryor of Buckingham County, VA have claimed him as the father of Mitchie Pryor who married Thomas Jefferson’s brother. I think I’m swayed to that idea… well maybe. His descendants have used him as their “Patriot” ancestor to gain admission to Continue reading
When I read this obit of a Richard Pryor of Clarksville I wondered who he was. Searching for him in Ancestry and through Google didn’t turn over easy answers, but answers I found.
THE RECORD OF DEATH
Daily Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle (October 27, 1892)
(accessed 9/12/14) https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88061072/1892-10-27/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1892&index=2&rows=20&words=Pryor&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Tennessee&date2=1892&proxtext=pryor&y=8&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Richard Pryor Dies Suddenly at York, Alabama.
There are many people in Clarksville who will be pained to learn of the death of Richard Pryor, formerly of this city. He died Saturday last at York, Ala., and was buried Sunday. The Pryor family, it will be remembered, lived in Clarksville for several years and were well liked here.Richard Pryor, by the death of his father, had the care of a family thrown on him when he was a mere boy. He went to work, however, and supported his mother and sisters well. At the time of his death he was a popular paper drummer, travelling for Louis Snider & Sons, of Cincinnati. He was popular with the trade and his death will be very much regretted. He died of an attack of cramp colic.
Hopkinsville Kentuckian, October 28, 1892
Death of Richard Pryor.
(accessed on 9/12/14) http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069395/1892-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/
The Chattanooga Times of Sunday, contained the sad news of the sudden death of Mr. Richard Gaines Pryor, which occurred at York, Ala., on Saturday Oct. 22. Mr. Pryor was for a long time a resident of this city and enjoyed a wide personal acquaintance here. He was a commerical traveler for the well known Cincinnati paper house of Louis Snider’s Sons Co. He made this city on his regular sixty days’ trip just before going south early in October. He was regarded as one of the best paper drummers on the road and commanded a very handsome salary. He was a nephew of Capt. Sam M. Gaines, of Lexington. He was the chief support of a widowed mother and several younger [rest of text missing]
I found this Pryor family on the 1870 Census in KY. If Richard and his mother and siblings lived in Clarksville, TN it was perhaps after 1870. I found his uncle Samuel Morton Gaines was living in Hopkinsville, Christian County, KY in 1880.
1870 Census Todd Co., KY
Trenton Twp. Page 461A. Samuel D. PRYOR 35 farmer VA, Elizabeth 32 VA, Richard G. 11 VA, Elizabeth V. 9 VA, Mary C. 6 VA, Samuel 4 VA, Pattie 2 VA, Samuel Gains 28 lawyer VA, Ada S. 22 VA, Frances 1 VA**
Then I located these Pryors in Charlotte Co., VA in 1860. This location makes sense because I also located the death record for Richard’s uncle, Samuel Morton Gaines– He died in 1928 in Washington, DC and the record states his parents were Richard J. Gaines and Martha W. Venable and he was born 1843 at Charlotte Court House, VA
1860 Census Charlotte Co., VA
Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 422 Richard J Gaines 60 farmer Charlotte VA, Eliza W. 58 Charlotte VA, Mary C 28 Charlotte VA, Robt. H. 26 Charlotte VA, Robt. C. Bouldin 27 lawyer Charlotte VA, Mary R. 27 Charlotte VA, M. M. Bouldin (f) 8 Prince Edward Co. VA, Eliza L Bouldin 1 Charlotte VA, Sallie H. Morton 12 Charlotte VA, Wm J Roach 20 overseer Charlotte VA
Charlotte Court House, page 247 house 423 Sam E. PRYOR 26 Dinwiddie Co VA, Bettie F. 22 Charlotte Co. VA, R. G. Pryor (m) 2 Charlotte Co. VA
Remember Richard’s uncle was Samuel Morton Gaines, two Chancery Court Cases help to explain the relationships– Samuel E. Pryor was married to Elizabeth F. Gaines and Samuel Morton Gaines was her brother.
1861 Chancery Court Case – Richard N Venable and the heirs of E W Morton Vs. the Executor of Elizabeth W Morton. One of the heirs was Elizabeth “Betty” Gaines the wife of Samuel Pryor, daughter of Martha W. Gaines, a daughter of Elizabeth W Morton. 1864 Chancery Court Case for the estate of William Gaines includes his daughter Elizabeth F Gaines Pryor and her husband Samuel E. Pryor.
I suspect Richard’s father, Sam E. Pryor, is same the Samuel who was counted in a school on the 1850 Census.
1850 Census Augusta County, VA
Dist. 2, page 309b, house 1393, Pike Powers’ academy, living in school with other young men… Samuel PRYOR 15 VA
I know, I know… all those gosh-darn Samuel Pryors in Virginia! I have in my notes that Samuel E. Pryor was Samuel Edward Pryor, the son of Samuel Pryor and Mary Ann Withers.
Hope this helps someone searching this line.
** 1867 Samuel M. Gaines married Ada S. Leake in Albemarle Co., VA.
I’m wondering if we can I.D. the Pryor mentioned in this post-Mexican war report (the war ended 2 February 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).
Unclaimed Corpses. — If it is a joke, it is a melancholy one, that a number of boxes, with dead bodies in them–the remains of gallant men–American soldiers who fell in Mexico–have been stored at New Orleans for a long time past with nobody to claim them. One of them, marked “L. M. Pryor,” contains it seems, the body of Dr. Phaill of Tennessee, and was broght (sic) to N. Orleans two years ago! (pub. St. Louis Organ)
–printed in The Greensboro Patriot, Greensboro, NC
22 Sept. 1849
I wonder if L. M. Pryor is one of the Williamson County Pryors. Luke Pryor’s sister married Angus McPhail. The Boston Liberator carried the same report and stated the doctor’s name as McPhail (it helps to have 2 sources!). There’s no indications that Angus was a doctor and it appears he was alive after the Mexican War in 1850. Perhaps this is a relative?
I obtained a copy of the article on the racetrack death of Beverly Pryor which was published 17 May 1836 in The Democrat (Huntsville). It doesn’t add anything to ID this Pryor (see earlier post), however there is an extra paragraph of commentary– Almost 180 years ago “gun control” had entered the dialog in the US.
Comment upon this melancholy rencoutre is not, we presume, called for from us. One remark, however, we cannot refrain from making. The practice which is becoming so common, of carrying pistols and knives, cannot be too much condemned. If public sentiment does not restrain the strong arm of the law ought to be brought in to put it down.
History is interesting. It’s interesting that the commentary was run in the Alabama paper and by the time the story had made it’s way to the Gettysburg, PA newspaper, the commentary was discarded. I don’t know the history of the time so I don’t know if there was a difference of sentiment in the North vs the South (it was 25 years before the Civil War). Or did the PA paper have limited space and they cut the only paragraph that didn’t give details of the murder?
While this may be something for historians to ponder, genealogy researchers should always look for the difference in news articles… one paper may print a more complete article while another many carry an edited version. Read each article…. you never know what you may be missing.
I came across this 1907 lawsuit and I’m passing it on NC researchers. It may be useful to your research because it names lots of Pryor heirs. Yea, you’ll have to keep scrolling to get through this long list of names. This is a suit published 3 Dec 1907 in the Gastonia Gazette.
Notice of Summons
North Carolina
Gaston County
Superiour Court Before the Clerk
O.C. Pryor and J. M. McIntosh, administrator of the estate of Euphemia Pryor, deceased.
vs.
Mrs. Sophia Shuford (I think this is the sister of Euphemia Pryor)
Albert Sifford
Wiley Sifford
Mrs. Ellen Sifford
Mrs. Maggie Pryor
Lula Sifford
Julia Sifford
Lucy Sifford
George Sifford
John Sifford
Pinkney Sifford
Mrs. W. Edwards
Mrs. Martha J. Hart and her husband
Wiley Pryor
Asbury Pryor
Robert Pryor
Luther Pryor
Will Pryor
Hilton Thomas
Wiley Nance
Frank Nance
Mrs. Julia Dugerhart and her husband
Mrs. Euphemia Goodson and her husband
John Nance
Bill Nance
Mrs. Fanny Dugerhart and her husband
J. C. Pryor
Douglas Harris
J. E. Pryor
Mrs. Anna Wilkins and her husband
Janie Epton and her husband
Haynes Harris
Mrs Beulah Nelson and her husband
S W Pryor