David Ross and the Pryors – Part 4 (Sullivan County, TN)

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Back to what I’ve found on David Ross. There’s a David Ross and a John Pryor mentioned as neighbors in Sullivan County, TN.

1787, John PRYOR was living on land James Gaines had sold to James Anderson in 1780. “The large Cloud plantation adjoined the John Pryor plantation, and land owned by David Ross opposite the mouth of the North Fork Holston River. Together these plantations covered today’s Ridgefields area. The Clouds and Pryors, in addition to managing their plantations, worked as flatboard builders and boatmen. and both…”

We know the John Pryor in Sullivan County was born in 1757 because he lived to be counted on the 1850 Census. In 1850 he was quite elderly, living with his son, and his place of birth was recorded as England. The same son he lived with in 1850 lived to 1880 and stated on that census that his father was born in England. Like all things “Pryor” I take John’s place of birth with a smidgen of skepticism.

The David Ross I’ve followed through my searches died in Virginia in 1817/19 and I can’t find anything of him being in Tennessee. David Ross of VA had a son named David who lived to 1857, but that David is on the 1850 Census in Shenandoah Co., VA, not in Tennessee. So, I was ready to write-off this Sullivan County connection as just a coincidence.

Not so fast.

In 1927 the history of Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport was printed in the Kingsport Times-News (read Famous Rotherwood Is Veiled In Romantic History (Wayback Machine link)). There is a brief history of Frederick Augustus Ross who happens to be the son of David Ross — yes, the same David Ross who keeps popping up with the Virginia Pryors. (Frederick was also mentioned in the Fluvanna deed in my last post- see post)

In the spring of 1818, his father having died in the previous year, 1817, Mr. Ross made his first visit to the large landed estate left to him in Sullivan and Hawkins counties, East Tennessee. There on the North Fork of the Holston, he built “Rotherwood.”

It sounds like his father is the David Ross in Sullivan County who died and left him the land. Once you know who David Ross of VA was then there are several clues on discoverkingsport.com/searchmap/spoden.shtml which help to confirm his identity and what he was doing in Tennessee. He probably wasn’t there himself, but he had his businesses in Sullivan County.

  • 1789, David Ross’ Log Agency and Tavern was occupied and operated by Ross’ agents (Capt. John Hunt by 1792; Thomas Hopkins by 1811; Perley Fairbanks by 1816, among others).
  • 1792, George Roulstone, offered a handsome reward for his high spirited brown mare, lost near Ross Ironworks. (David Ross made his fortune in the Revolution with his foundries in VA and NC.  TN was part of NC until 1796).
  • 1793, David Ross purchased 5 acres of King’s iron bank.
  • 1790, David Ross’ Iron Forge was operated by his agents.
  • 1818, F. A. Ross settled on land inherited from his father (David Ross) and built the first bridge (ruins SS) over North Fork Holston River.

OK, we’ve got David Ross figured out but who’s the John Pryor in Sullivan County? Is it Major John Pryor of Richmond? — Nope, he died in 1823. Is he John Pryor who married Mary Dennis?– Nope, he died in 1785. Is he the John Pryor of Campbell County whose sons John and William settled his property in 1812? — Nope, he was deceased. The list of who he ISN’T seems rather long.

Was John in Sullivan County really from England or are we still missing some Virginia Pryors from the family tree?

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: , ,

David Ross and the Pryors – Part 3 (Dennis Family, Fluvanna, and Amelia Co.)

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va-pryorsI encountered David Ross  once again. This time on a 1813 deed of trust in Fluvanna County, VA.

(copy made by John Timberlake), 1815, of David Ross to Jacob Myers, William Pasteur, and Frederick Augustus Ross for the benefit of Elizabeth Maria (Bancroft) Ross Barrett and Anna Maria (Ross) Johnson for 1,500 acres in Fluvanna County, Virginia.  Witnessed by William Roper and James Shepherd and bears affidavits of James Currin, John Johnson, John PRYOR, and Thomas Ritchie, and a schedule of slaves belonging to David Ross.

The deed was dated a few years before Ross died in 1819, so perhaps he was cleaning up his estate.  John Timberlake, the man who made a copy of this deed, was married to Elizabeth Pryor, daughter of John Pryor and Mary Dennis.

I found in the Virginia chancery court suits that David Ross was sued in Amelia County in 1794.  He was sued by Jane Dennis widow of Henry Dennis and their son Richard Dennis. The suit discusses that in 1774 and 1775 Ross was engaged in a trading company (Eilbeck, Ross & Co.) that Henry supplied with tobacco in trade for sundry merchandise. In Seagrave’s Dinwiddie County, Virginia: A Brief History it sounds like Ross’ trading company disrupted in the early days of the Revolution by an embargo of British goods.

However, I don’t think that the John Pryor who witnessed the deed was Timberlake’s father in law because that John Pryor died in 1785. John and Mary didn’t have any grandchildren named John Pryor who were old enough to witness a legal document. Perhaps once again this was Major John Pryor of Richmond.

Well, I may not be able to identify John Pryor in this post, but I found an interesting historical letter directed to Ross’ company written by the British Home Office six months after the Revolution began:

22 Oct 1775
Walter Chambre, Whitehaven
to Mssrs. Eilbeck, Ross and Co., Norfolk, Virginia

Dear Friends,
If you can by any means, be not so much attached to that side (the Provincials). I do not blame them so much as many on this side, who have deceived their friends or yours in persuading to belief that there was such a faction in England would easily force the Government into a compliance with such requests as America choose to make. The contrary is now evinced, and such a preparation going forward as makes me shudder to think of. Government must finally conquer, — first ruining America, and then surely making examples of such as too zealously abet her cause.

Calendar of Home Office Papers of the Reign of George III: 1760 …, Volume 4
By Great Britain. Public Record Office, Richard Arthur Roberts

Poor Mr. Ross who was just trying to run a business — The colonists were sending his cargo back to England and the English were asking him not to get so friendly with the rebeling colonists.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,

David Ross and the Pryors – Part 2 (The Ballews and Pittsylvania Co.)

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va-pryorsI’ve thought that a 1785 will in Campbell County, VA was witnessed by John Pryor, brother of David Pryor who married Susannah Ballow. Now, I’m not so sure. I’ve been exploring these Pryors and now believe that Major John Pryor of Richmond is connected to John and David. We’re missing some people in the family tree so I can’t make a definite comment on the relationship. The John Pryor who was the witness could be either of these 2 men.

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.” – John PRYOR along with Robert Wright and James Rock (or Rork) witnesses.

I’m trying to figure out if this information comes from the book Belieu, A History, however here’s what I found online

Nicholas Davies, who had land dealings with Albemarle Ballews, found iron mountain in Bedford Co., and this was purchased by Robert Harper, Thomas James, son of Wm., brother of Frances James Ballew, and Benjamin Elledge of Bedford Co. They established Oxford Bloomery which was purchased by David Ross of Pittsylvania Co., in 1776
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=kenrob39&id=I5540

Both a Ballew and Thomas James were named in the 1785 will  above and the Ballew information above.

A brief biography of Nicholas Davies (see online) drops all the landed-gentry family names that were connected with Major John Pryor: Fleming, Whiting, Beverly, Clayton. Nicholas Davies was a justice of the peace of Goochland County and later a sheriff in Cumberland County. And of course he corresponded with President Thomas Jefferson.

The same website that posted about Nicholas Davies (see above) also indicates the Ballews and David Ross were in Pittsylvania Co, VA and Ashe County, North Carolina. Interesting since David Pryor’s kin were in Rockingham County, North Carolina and Pittsylvania County, VA (see post about David Pryor’s kin)

So it could be John Pryor brother of David who witnessed the 1785 will or it could be Major John Pryor. No decision yet. The only thing I’m certain of is that I’m glad I’m searching for Pryors and not Ballews or any of the other hundred variations of that surname!

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

Goochland Pryors: The Children of Samuel and Prudence Pryor

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After the research that went into my last post I have new confidence in The Pryor Family (pub. 1900). I hate to rely on old books and second-hand information (memories and anecdotes) without any first-hand data (wills, deeds, court records) available. Show me a document that says Thornton Pryor was a son of Samuel Pryor and Prudence Thornton?! Continue reading →

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

Goochland County Pryors in Botetourt County

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Back to The Pryor Family published in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol.7 (1900). I have a persistent distrust of this century-old publication.  However, this article may be the best source for determining there really was a Samuel Pryor and wife Prudence Thornton in Goochland County, VA and of course, the names of their children.

The author purports to have obtained information from a Judge James T. Mitchell in PA. The judge had the Mitchell family Bible with notes written in it by his great-grandfather, another James Mitchell (1785-1869). The old  notes were created by relying on “recollection and conversations, correpsondence, &c., with older members of the family.”

“Grandmother’s father, Colonel Samuel Pryor’s parents were from England, and had settled in Caroline county, Va. He married a Miss Thornton, whose parents were also from England, and settled in Caroline, Hanover and Spotsylvania counties. They had ten children, eight sons, and two daughters: William, Samuel, John Thornton, Robert, Luke, Frank and Joseph: the youngest of the brother and least of them weighed 220 pounds. Nancy Pryor married Colonel Samuel Wells, judge of the County Court of Amelia.  Molly Pryor was born 15th November 1730, and married Major William Berry, of Gloucester, Va., who died, leaving two daughters, Nancy and Prudence.” (read more on Google Books)

I decided to test the information in the article — the author lays out his Mitchell line starting with Molly Pryor’s marriage to William Berry and then her second marriage to James Mitchell. Using Ancestry.com and Googleing– I found some interesting stuff.

The Mitchell Line

The bold fonts in the information below are from
the The Virginia Magazine article –I’ve added my notes below.

1. Samuel Pryor and Prudence Thornton
|
2. Molly Pryor and William Berry, then to James Mitchell
||
3. Edward Mitchell b. 1760- d.1837, married “Haley”

  • Walton Mitchell’s (see below) applied in 1899 for Sons of the American Revolution — it states Edward Mitchell married Nancy Haley.
  • A marriage record: Edward Mitchell and Ann Haley md. 26 Aug 1784 in Cecil Co., MD.
  • 1830 Census in St. Clair Co., IL
  • Gravemarker on Find A Grave. Buried in St Clair Co., IL D. 1837. Says “Rev”
  • Applied for Rev War Pension: born in Hanover co., VA. His father moved to Botetourt in 1778 and Edward Mitchell served under Col. George Skillern in the attack on Fort Donnally in Greenbrier. (read Edward’s Pension Application)
  • Wikipedia state that the Central portion of St. Clair County sits upon the Mississippi River. This may relate to his grandson who was a MS River boat captain.

3. James  b. 1762, died 1781
3. Samuel b. 1764, died 1855

  • 1850 Census in Grant Co., Wisconsin
  • Occupation in 1850 “clergyman”
  • Find A Grave with marker dated 1855. Buried in WI. Rev on his gravemarker.
  • Applied for Rev War pension from St. Clair, IL. Says in 1778 his father moved to Botetourt Co., VA. (Samuel was age 91 living in Saline Co., MO. His son James T. was in Urbana OH.)

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4. James Mitchell b. 1785, died 1869 md. Ann George Walton
(James prepared the account of Samuel Pryor in the family Bible recounted in 1899 VA Magazine article)

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5. Edward Phillips Mitchell b. 1812, md. Ann Tyndall

  • Philadelphia death record: died 27 feb 1880
  • Find A Grave has obit from Philadelphia Enquirer. Mentions son judge James T. Mitchell. Also says Edward was a Mississippi steamboat captain. See St. Clair, IL connection above.
  • 1850 Census Philadelphia: Edward P Mitchell 37 VA, son James age 14 PA

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6. James T Mitchell b. 1834, PA Supreme Court Judge (contributed the family Bible account to the VA Magazine article in 1899)

I was fairly surprised that the names and dates in the The Pryor Family article actually match up to the records. It gives me a bit more confidence that there was a family Bible and that it had an inscription of the line back to Samuel and Prudence.

The Mitchells’ Revolutionary War Applications really piqued my interest when I saw that they went to Botetourt County. I did some Googling to see if there were any records from Botetourt County that would reveal which Pryors were associating with the Mitchells.

1780 – Jury was formed that consisted of Edmund Sturns, Hugh Muldrough, Jonathan Newman, Joseph Carroll, William Miller, Henry White, James Elliott, James Gufford, Joseph Damrel, James Mitchell, Samuel Pryor, and Uriah Humphries.

1786 – James Robinson and Samuel Mitchell took oaths of a Justice of the Peace.

1786 – Ordered that a road be established agreeable to report of Samuel Mitchell, Wm. Bilbro, and Michael Ocheltree round the field of John Kennedy.

1786 – Henry Pryor in Capt. May’s Co.; Samuel Mitchell in Capt. Cartmill’s Co.; Geo. Skillern in Capt. Pryor’s Company.

1787 – John Kenny (Kennedy?) placed under bond for his good behavior, Joseph Pryor and Samuel Mitchell securities

Oh yes, one more thing. So Molly Pryor Mitchell’s son Edward Mitchell was at Fort Donnally? Remember… William Pryor from Albemarle and Amherst Counties was also there under Col. Skillern (read William’s Revolutionary War Pension application). I don’t know if that proves a relationship between the Pryors or just shows that a large number of young men from the area were mustered up to defend the forts.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,
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