Sumner County, TN: Allen L. Pryor Appointed Estate Administrator (1867)

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Another nice Pryor record from Sumner County… the court order appointing Allen L. Pryor as the administrator of his mother’s estate. Since his mother’s name is spelled Massey on this legal document, I will be adopting this as the correct spelling of her name (giving up all variations from census records).

Ordered by the Court that Allen L Pryor be appointed administrator of all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of the estate of Massey Pryor, deceased. And thereupon the said Allen L Pryor and William P Guthrie and John B Neill his securities appeared in Open Court entered into and acknowledged their bond to the State of Tennessee in the p—? sum of Five Hundred dollars conditional according to law and said A L Pryor was duly qualified. [County Court minutes, page 9, 144, 1867]

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A Pryor Who Put A Hit Out On The President

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lincon-wikipediaSometimes I cringe at the antics of our Pryor ancestors. Impassioned by the start of the Civil War in April 1861, Richard Pryor in Mississippi put  a price on Lincoln’s head (see ad). I’d like to know if that was $10,000 US cash or Confederate funny-money. If that was in US dollars that was quite a sum 150 years ago!

Vicksburg, April 20th, 1861.
100,000 REWARD!
I WILL give the above reward for the head of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. If taken a live, or 50,000 if taken dead and delivered to me at Vicksburg , in time for me to hand it over to President Davis, by the 4th of July, next. All the papers please copy.
RICHARD PRYOR
(Vicksburg Evening Citizen)

Who was this Richard Pryor? Probably this was the Richard S. Pryor, son of William B Pryor, who lived in Madison County. LA (1850) and in Warren County, MS (1860). Vicksburg is in Warren County.

Enjoy your 4th of July!

American Flag

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Campbell County, VA Pryors: John Kitchen Found in TN

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My last post was the 1788 deed between John Kitchen and John Pryor in Campbell County, VA.  I took a look for John Kitchen to see if there were any clues that throw a light on John Pryor. I found that John Kitchen was a Revolutionary War vet and lived long enough to file for a pension. Gotta love those pension applications!

Not only do I love pension applications, but I love how specific John Kitchen was in the facts of his application. He was born April 25, 1757 in Bedford County. This is interesting because in 1788 he sold John Pryor his land in Campbell County (formed from Bedford County) and he was himself in Henry County. The application says Kitchen lived in Bedford County until the Revolution and then moved to Henry County where he was drafted in 1781. His story is like so many of the stories out of this region of VA– he marched to Guilford Courthouse in NC and to the Troublesome Iron Works. Kitchen moved to Anderson County, TN and after he died in 1845 his wife Mary, submitted a document stating her maiden name was Mary Whitten. (see the pension application)

I was rather curious about John Kitchen in Tennessee. Where did he live? Who was he living with? I found him on the 1805 Tax List in Anderson County. There were Pryors too in Anderson County: Samuel Pryor and wife Fanny Ferguson.  These are the Pryors who I suspect are related to Harris Pryor of  Bedford County, VA (they named a son Harris Pryor), and they lived near a Rector family (John Pryor witnessed will of Jacob Rector in Bedford County, VA). Samuel Pryor died in Anderson County around 1815 (year his wife was appointed adminstratrix of the estate).

Here are some of the families of interest on the Anderson County census records.

1830 Census, Anderson Co., TN

page 190 John Kitchen 1000000001 – 001011001 (Oldest male 70 to 80 years – John Kitchen sold land to John Pryor in Campbell Co., VA in 1788)
page 346 William PRYER 20001-20001 (Oldest male 20-29 y.o. born 1801-1810. William is probably the son of Frances Ferguson Pryor.)
page 346 Rebecca PRYOR 11-01101 (oldest female 20-29 y.o., born 1801-1810)
page 346 Benjamin Lockett 1010001 – 112102 (oldest male 40-49 y.o., botn 1781-1791. Benjamin was married to Acy/Alsey PRYOR, daughter of Samuel Pryor and Frances Fanny Ferguson. Alsey is on the 1840-1860 Census in Roane Co., TN)

1850 Census Anderson Co., TN

Subdivision 16, page 19b, house 274 Drury L. Bradley 39 farmer VA, Nancy 39 TN, William 16 TN, John T. 13 TN, Margaret E. 9 TN, Samuel 7 TN, Andrew 6 TN, Drury 3 TN, Timothy R. 4/12 TN, Martha Thompson 74 VA, Sir PRIOR 42 mu farmer male TN. (This family counted near many of the families who were near Rebecca PRIOR on the 1840 Census in Anderson Co.)
Subdivision 16, page 60, house Christopher Hitch 37 merchant KY, Katharine 35 TN, William 15 tN, Harriet 14 TN, Caroline 11 TN, John 10 TN, Sarah 8 TN, Lloyd 5 TN, Phellaney Whitten 21 TN, Barton Mynatt 25 doctor TN, PRIOR BOWLES 24 farmer TN (Possilby related to Pryor Mynatt in Grainger and Knox Co., TN. Prior Bowles was the son of Martin Bowles, he married in 1854 in Lee Co., VA. John Kitchen of Campbell/Bedford County, VA married Mary Whitten.)
Page 60a, house 833 William Howet 48 none (occupation) VA, Sarah Howit 35 TN, Nancy 29, Pryor L 21 TN, James M 18 TN, Emmaline J 16 TN
Page 60b, house 834 Susan Stuksberry 45 TN, John 28 TN, Nancy 20 TN, Elizabeth 18 TN, Aletha 16 TN, Polly Kitchens 90 NC deaf. ( Polly Kitchen was the widow of John Kitchen of Henry Co., VA. John Kitchen sold John Pryor land in Campbell Co., VA in 1788.)

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,

Campbell County, VA Deed to John Pryor from John Kitchen

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Campbell County IndentureI ordered a copy of the entire deed from Campbell County, VA for John Pryor’s land purchase in 1788.  I received an INDENTURE, a legal court recording of the transaction (there’s a good description of indentures on Wikipedia.org).

It states that John Pryor was “of Campbell County” which seems to say that he was already a resident of Campbell County at the time of this transaction. John Kitchen, the man who sold him the land was from Henry County, VA. I went to the good old Virginia county formation maps on Rootsweb and clicked around until I found that Campbell was from from Bedford County in 1781 (yes, there was a John Pryer in Bedford County who witnessed a will in 1779–that’s the county with records of Harris Pryor).

The transcription is as follows… Don’t worry that this is all there is… more tomorrow.

Kitchen
to deed
Pryor
__ __ __
THIS INDENTURE made this 25th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight. Between John Kitchen of Henery (sic) County of the one part and John Pryer of Campbell County of the other part witnesseth that he the said Kitchen for and in consideration of the sum of seventy five pounds current money of Virginia to him in hand paid the rect of which I do hereby acknowledge hath given granted, bargained and sold and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain, sell, al—n?, release, demise, convey, and confirm unto the said John Pryer his heirs and successors forever one certain parcel of Land containing one hundred and thirty five acres lying in the County of Campbell on the West Branches of Stonewall Creek and bounded as followeth to witt beginning at Stoval’s corner pine south twelve degrees west seventy six poles to a double pine south twenty four degrees west sixty eight  poles to Kitchen’s corner poplar on Catteal* Branch thence along his line north sixty degrees west one hundred and twelve poles to his corner pointers thence off north forty degrees west twenty seven poles to pointers on Wm Brides line thence along h is line North thirty degrees east fifty one pols to his corner pine thence off north forty degrees east eighty poles to his corner pine thence off north forty degrees east eighty poles to S(several?) white oak north seventy one degrees east one hundred and four poles to pointers on Stoval’s line thence along this line south eighteen degrees west seventy six poles to the first station to have and to hold the said land and premises with the appertainances appertaining thereunto clear of all encumbering to him the said John Pryer his Heirs and successors for ever and he the said John Kitchen for his part his Heirs executors, Administrators, and Assigns shall and will forever warrant and defend the aforesaid Bargained and sold land and premises with it appertanences to the said John Pryer his Heirs and successors in witness where of the said Kitchen hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and date above written. John Kitchen (seal)Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us — Thomas Dunn, William Page, William Bernett, Henry Truman, William Chenalt, Charles Rork. Memorandum. On the 25th day of November one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight possession of the within land and premises was given to John Pryer by John Kitchen according to law.John Kitchen In the presence of Thomas Dunn, William Page, Charles Rork, William Burnett, Henry Truman, William Chenalt. Received of John Pryer the within mentioned consideration money rece’d per me this 25th Nov. 1788.
John Kitchen
Tes. Thomas Dunn, William Page, William Burnett, Henry Truman, William Chenalt, Charles Rork.At a Court held for Campbell County, April 2d 1789– This indenture together with the memorandum of livery of succession and recipt thereon were proved by the oaths of Thomas Dunn, William Page, and William Chenalt witnesses thereto subscribed and ordered to be recorded.Test. R. Alexander, CCC*Cat Tail Branch of Stonewall Creek
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Knox County, TN – Here’s a Bourbon County, KY Pryor!

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knox-gl-pryor1

Knox County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
Record Date 7 July 1831
A Power of Attorney
Peter Nance and Polly Nance
to G. L. Pryor
of Kentucky
^^^^^^^^^
Authorizing him to collect money from the estate of Edward Pryor dec’d and for other purposes was —– by said Peter and the private — of said Polly having been to him by the court, — to the one action then of the same is enclosed to the certified H–

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If you click on the image of the document, it will enlarge.  If you can make out more words please let me know.  I believe Mary “Polly” Nance is the wife of Peter Nance and the daughter of Joseph Pryor of Botetourt County, VA.

See…

1843 Court Record Nicholas County, KY
GREEN L PRYOR deceased May 1843 in Circuit Court of U S District of Kentucky – suit in Chancery, etc. James M WHITMORE heirs, William Whittemore, deceased. vs CATHERINE A PRYOR, MARY PRYOR, JOHN PRYOR, and ELIZABETH PRYOR, tract of 30 acres at Lower Blue Lick in Nicholas County, lots 123, 421, 21, 22, 23 in Bartlettsburg … Tavern House erected by William WHITTEMORE and when mortgaged Dec 17 1836, occupied by said GREEN L PRYOR as a tavern … [from Elizabeth Pryor Harper’s “Twenty-Two Southern Families” ]

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