Looking for the Rest of The Pryors of Buckingham County, VA

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buckingham-co

In my last post I brought up David Pryor and his wife a Miss Cunningham. That relationship was news to me so I’m detouring to Buckingham County in this post.

I thought a letter to President Thomas Jefferson opened up a question in the family tree of the Buckingham County Pryors [see Thomas Jefferson Letter Leads to Questions in the Pryor Family Tree], but really there seems to be people missing from the Buckingham County Pryor tree.

Susannah Ballow Pryor (wife of David) died in Nashville in 1832. An obit from the National Banner and Nashville Daily Advertiser said she was 89 years old [see thenashvillecitycemetery.org (Wayback Machine link)]. That means she was born about 1743. But in that darned The Pryor Family article published in 1899 in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 7, the author states Susannah died in 1831 at age 94 (that’s a birth year of 1737). The wide-spread differences in her reported age could simply mean she was an old woman and no one knew exactly when she was born. If she was really 94 she would have been 52 when Nicholas B. Pryor, her youngest son, was born. It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem likely.

And it gets messier. The first child attributed to Susannah is Mitchie Pryor who married President Jefferson’s brother John Randolph Jefferson. Mitchie was born about 1759. I don’t know who calculated her year of birth because it would have made Mitchie 56 when her son John Randolph Jefferson was born in 1816 and about 60 when she gave birth to another son, James Monroe Johnson, born to her second marriage to Josiah Johnson. IF Susannah was Mitchie’s mother she was about 16 years at old at that time which really isn’t that unusual. However, all the other children attributed to David and Susannah were born at least 14 years after Mitchie… beginning with Langston Pryor in 1774. That’s a heck of a gap.  I don’t feel everyone’s ages and dates of birth are sitting on solid ground. There were 8 known sons attributed to David and Susannah… possibly a 9th hinted at in the letter to Thomas Jefferson. Were there daughters who were born in the 14 years before Langston? Women seem to get lost to genealogy through marriages and name changes. Was Mitchie Pryor younger than the reported 1759 year of birth. I suspect so.

The questions keep coming after Nicholas moved his family to Nashville:

  • Is Benjamin W. Pryor b. 1788 in VA and counted in Nashville in 1830 related?
  • Who is Lain B. Pryor who witnessed the will of Alexander Donelson while Nicholas Pryor was appointed the executor of Donelson’s estate.
  • Who is Charles B. Pryor buried in Nashville City Cemetery?

Do we  have missing Pryors in this line? Looks like we might… An online post speaks of Elizabeth Pryor, wife of Charles Archer of Rockingham County, NC and Pittsylvania Co., VA was a daughter of David Pryor — but her mother was a Mary Cunningham. The marriage source is reported as History of St. Charles, Montgomery and Warren Counties, Missouri, reprinted 1969 by Paul V. Cochran, St. Louis, MO) pp. 1084-1085 — the biography of Judge Creed T. Archer states his mother was Elizabeth Pryor, a daughter of David Pryor of Buckingham County.

OK, I think I’m convinced that Elizabeth Pryor Archer is related to the Buckingham County Pryors. Alas, accepting Elizabeth Pryor Archer into the family tree opens up a ONLY MORE QUESTIONS!

Who is Mary Cunningham her mother? Squeezing in another wife for David Pryor doesn’t work well with Susannah’s age and the children’s ages.

Could there have been ANOTHER David Pryor in Buckingham County?

Cunningham is interesting because David’s brother, John Pryor, witnesses a deed for Murrell Cunningham in Campbell Co., VA in 1790. There’s a Revolutionary War pension application for Murrell that states he was born in Cumberland County, VA, served in the Revolution out of Buckingham County, and in 1800 moved to Sumner County, TN (same place that John Pryor’s suspected son moved to).

Elizabeth Pryor Archer was already a widow when she was counted as a head of household on the 1820 Census. The stunner is that she was recorded one line from Thomas Pryor on the Rockingham County, NC census. Yes, the same Thomas Pryor who looks to be a nephew of Major John Pryor of Richmond [see And There’s More on the Kin of Major John Pryor of Richmond]. Thomas was born in 1792 in NC, so I don’t believe he’s a son of David Pryor and Susannah Ballow (Susannah was over 50 and maybe nearing 60 in 1792).  So we’re still missing the brother of Major Pryor.

Lots of questions and some nifty Jefferson connections — David’s daughter married Thomas Jefferson’s brother, David’s sons corresponded with the President, and Major John Pryor had the President’s “cousin” living in his Richmond, VA household [see post]. Thomas seems to carry on the Jefferson connection by naming his son “John Randolph”.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,

Thomas Pryor, Nephew of Major John Pryor of Richmond

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Although Major John Pryor of Richmond never had children he’s still one of those Pryors who seems to point to other Pryor relationships, helping to solve some of the VA Pryor riddles.

The Major’s will:

PRYOR, John (of the City of Richmond). Will proved there March 1823. Names wife, Elizabeth Graves; nieces, Dorcas Bryan, Elizabeth Taylor, Rebecca Taylor, Charlotte Morrison (of Williamsburg, Va.), Elizabeth Hazelwood; nephews, Thomas Pryor and Archer, William, Romert, John, and Pryor Hankins. Friend, Lewis Burwell. Not an heir, but mentions first wife was named Ann.

I’ve identified most of the heirs in his will [see my post]. Now I think I can ID his nephew Thomas Pryor.  I suspect it’s the Thomas Pryor on the 1820 Census in Rockingham Co., NC.  When I looked at this Thomas I found an Mrs. Elizabeth Archer who is cited as formerly a Pryor in an online tree (http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pryor-380).  Elizabeth Archer is on the 1820 Census in NC on the line below Thomas Pryor.

I like that she married an Archer. Major Pryor was very well connected to prominent tidewater families – he married a Whiting and later a Graves.  His nephews mentioned in his will were from the tidewater Hankins family and were named after prominent families—Pryor and Archer.

Elizabeth Pryor Archer’s son Thomas D. Archer married in 1825 in Pittsylvania Co., VA, so I looked at the Pryors in that county.  In 1834 there was a John Randolph Pryor born in that county. Hmmm… Randolph… another prominent VA family, in fact they married into the Jeffersons (The President’s brother was named Randolph Jefferson). On the 1830 and 1840 Census in Pittsylvania County is Thomas Washington Pryor who was married to Nancy Graves Haynes—There’s the Graves surname again. My bets (and other researchers are drawing this conclusion) that Thomas Washington Pryor is the same Thomas who was in Rockingham County.

Both Thomas Washington Pryor and his son John Randolph Pryor migrated to Fayette County, IL. They are on the 1860 Census. Thomas states his place of birth as NC while his wife and children were born in VA.  There is also a Graves family and lots of Hankins families in Fayette County. The places of birth seem to indicate that the family had connections to both VA and NC.

I think these tidewater surnames that are associated with Major Pryor give us clues to these families even in Tennessee. In Knox County, TN there is a David Hankins, Eli Hankins, and George Graves recorded consecutively on the 1850 Census. Don’t think there’s a connection? Well, Eli Hankins named his son Pryor Hankins.  The Major’s sister, Elizabeth, married an older Pryor Hankins in VA and an online family tree notes that Eli was married to a Nancy Graves. Just so it doesn’t get lost in the text… Knox County. That’s going to become important in later posts!

The elephant is in the room. It’s the big question. If Major John Pryor is the uncle of Thomas Pryor, then who is the Major’s brother and father of Thomas?

Category: About TN Lines, Illinois Pryors, Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , ,

Connecting Major John Pryor of Richmond to More Pryors!

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I’m not sure what to call this chart… David Pryor? Major John Pryor of Richmond? Christopher Pryor? Not sure because it has all of these men in it. I’ve found that keeping this chart has been quite helpful because sometimes keeping track of everyone feels like a dancing in a bowl of Pryor spaghetti– a tangled, mushy mess!

chart - david pryor

I don’t yet know the father the David and I don’t yet know his brother. I suspect Nicholas Pryor of Henrico County is David’s father. David died 1747 in Henrico County and Nicholas died in 1746. I have a suspicion but not enough proof to speculate that Edward Pryor may be David’s missing brother. Edward was in Henrico County on land described at a similar location as land owned by Nicholas and Edward was in Pittsylvania County.

To tame the “spaghetti”– I’ve drawn in arrows and bubbles where people seem to intersect.

  • Major John Pryor married Ann Beverly Whiting. When Anne’s brother Henry Whiting died his estate was handled by John C. Pryor, who I believe to be the Major’s nephew. We know for sure that the “paperwork” says John C. Pryor was Christopher Pryor‘s son.
  • While Major Pryor lived in Richmond, many of his heirs and their aligned families lived in James City, Gloucester, Elizabeth City, and in Williamsburg. These locations are also true for Christopher Pryor and his descendants.
  • Major Pryor died childless but among  his heirs were Archer Hankins and Thomas Pryor. I believe he is the Thomas Pryor counted next to Elizabeth Pryor Archer on  the Rockingham Co., NC census. Elizabeth’s son, Creed Taylor Archer, state she was a daughter of David Pryor and Mary Cunningham of Buckingham County, VA (the David Pryor marriage to Miss Cunningham is new to me and will be explored in another post).
  • Thomas in Rockingham County named his son John Randolph Pryor— was he named for the President’s brother John Randolph Jefferson who married Mitchie Pryor?

I’m working on another chart of all the Pryors that lived in or passed through Pittsylvania County. Looks like that may answer some of our questions!

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Kin of Major John Pryor of Richmond, VA

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CHURCH HILL RICHMOND VA

I keep trying to piece together the family of Major John Pryor of Richmond. If you’ve heard any loud frustrated sighs, that’s probably me. The Major had no children so what I’m curious about is who were his siblings and who was his father. This week I’m taking another look at his family tree with some of the new information I’ve found.

First Wife: John Pryor married Anne Beverly Whiting, the daughter of Thomas Whiting and Ann Sewall. Anne was a socialite with dwindling fortunes. They married in 1796 when the Major was in his late forties, over-weight and in poor health and Anne was in her teens.  The marriage dissolved when Anne ran off with her French tutor, Mr. Fremon. In 1811 Major Pryor asked the Virginia Legislature for a divorce, however there is no evidence that they ever granted a divorce, in fact there is strong paper evidence they said “no.”

Second Wife: The Major was a creature of  habit– he married twice and each time married considerably younger women. In 1815 at the age of 65 Major Pryor married Elizabeth Quarles Graves, who was about 15 years old. They remained married until his death in 1823. There is a fat file of depositions which were collected in the 1850’s when Elizabeth applied for a Widow’s Revolutionary War Pension. A deposition from Sarah Hatcher of Richmond states she was the daughter of Methodist minister Edmund Lacy who married John Pryor and Elizabeth Graves. She said she remembered the ceremony because of the “disparity” of their ages. Sarah also remembered that John was related in some manner to Elizabeth. A letter in the file written and signed by Elizabeth herself states she was the grand-daughter of the “reputed” Major James Quarles. A while ago I figured out that Major James Quarles was married first to Major John Pryor’s sister, Mary Pryor, and Elizabeth was a daughter born to Major Quarles and his second wife Dorothy Waller. Therefore, Major Pryor and his wife were related, but not by blood.

There is some other connection between the Virginia Pryor families and the Wallers. I’m not exactly sure how it came about. Here are some more posts where the name Waller was discussed. So this is another connection that remains on the back-burner for now.
https://tennesseepryors.com/virginia-pryors/nancy-pryor-marriage-in-york-county-va-1796/

https://tennesseepryors.com/tennessee-pryors/williamson-county-pryors-connected-to-other-tn-pryor-lines/

Sister, Mary Pryor Quarles: The Major’s marriage to his brother-in-law’s daughter (It starts to sound like a soap opera!) is supported by the Revolutionary War Pension application made by Patsy Minor Quarles the wife of Robert Quarles and also the mother of Pryor Quarles. Patsy states that Robert’s mother was Mary. http://revwarapps.org/w9868.pdf. There is  still a question whether Mary was a sister or an aunt– Major Pryor named his nieces and nephews in  his will, however Robert Quarles was still alive at the time was not named in the will.

Sister, Elizabeth Pryor Hankins, born about 1755. Elizabeth probably pre-deceased the Major as she was not named in his will although her children were named:

  • Archer Hankins b. 1771 – 1780. He was the presiding justice in James City. He’s on the 1830 Census in James City.
  • Pryor Hankins b. 1782. In 1810 Pryor was counted in York County and in 1830 and 1850 he was counted in James City, VA.
  • Dorcas Hankins b. 1785-1790. Dorcas married John Bryan and is named as Dorcas Bryan in Major Pryor’s will. Researchers state her husband died in 1806 which I believe pushes her year of birth back to around 1785 – 1790. Dorcas is a head of household on the 1810 and 1820 Census in York Co., VA (probably Williamsburg area). There are several Hankins households near Dorcas on census records and Pryor Hankins administered the estate of her step-son Frederick Bryan.

A Hankins Mystery:

There are Hankins families on the 1850 Census in Knox County, TN. Eli Hankins was married to Nancy Graves and had a son they named Pryor Hankins. I suspect there is a connection to the Hankins, Graves, and Pryor families from Richmond, VA. Are other Pryors in Knox County related to the Richmond Pryors? Well, I may have the answer to this in my next post!

Nieces, Elizabeth Taylor and Rebecca Taylor – These nieces were probably daughters of the Major’s sister, Sally Pryor Taylor, who was deceased by 1800 per the Major’s will. I do not not know which Taylor married Sally Pryor.

Niece, Mrs. Charlotte Morrison (of Williamsburg, VA) was counted on the 1850 Census in York County. Charlotte was the widow of George F. Morrison.

Nephew, Thomas Pryor. I believe he is the Thomas Pryor on the 1820 Census in Rockingham County, NC. He was counted one line above Elizabeth Pryor Archer. They both have connections to Pryors in Pittsylvania County, VA. There’s a whole lot more on Thomas in one of my next posts!

 

 

 

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , ,

Who Are All the Kinchins and Pryors in NC and SC?

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This may seem like an odd assortment of names but I’m sensing that these people are connected.

  • In 1750 Henning Ferette of Nansemond County, VA deeded to Seth Pryor of Edgecombe County, NC land on the Morattock River. Witnesses were John Pope and William Kinchen Jr. (Note: I think John Pope is related to Jacob Pope, first husband of Patience Lewis who married Robert Pryor, son of John Henry Pryor. I don’t have a family for Seth Pryor, but  he appears related to the John Pryor married Lucretia and was in Halifax Co., NC. John was the father of a Luke– possibly the Luke Pryor who went to Williamson Co., TN– and a Elizabeth Pryor).
  • In 1757 William Kinchen Jr. deeded land to Blake Baker in Edgecombe Co., NC. Montfort Eelbeck witnessed the deed.  In 1762 Montford Eilbeck shows up again this time he witnessed a deed that mentions property in Halifax adjoining John and Robert Pryor and Charles Smith. (Note: I think this is John Henry Pryor, his son in law Charles Smith, and his son Robert Pryor)

One of the few Pryors left that I have very little information on is Thornton Pryor, son of Samuel Pryor and his wife Prudence. Is Seth from the line of Thornton Pryor? There’s a Seth Thornton Pryor who died 1830 in Colleton Co., SC. His death notice was published in the Charleston Observer, stating he was 49 years old (born 1781).

I wondering about the other Kinchin names in other Pryor records.

1788 John Pryor purchased property in Campbell Co.,VA from John Kinchin.

1824 Mary Pryor married Kinchin Rambo in Barnwell Co., SC

Richard Pryor b. 1805 in SC named his son Kinchin Robert Pryor b.1843 in Edgefield Co., SC

Category: North Carolina Pryors, South Carolina Pryors | Tags: , , , ,
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