Records from Barstable Co., Massachussetts
1850 Census, Barnstable Co., MA Page 301b, house 269/300 Alvin Bodfish 59 farmer MA, Roady (nee PRYOR) 59 MA, Mehitable D 27 female MA, Elizabeth G. 28 MA, William N 26 potter MA, Henry W. 22 sailor MA, Alvin F. 19 sailor MA (Rhoda Bodfish is named as the sister of Asa Pryor in his will filed in Mobile, AL)
Records from Bristol Co., Massachussetts
1762 Christening – Norton, MA. Nathaniel Pryor, son of Nathaniel Pryor and Mary
(New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Norton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850)
1764 Christening – Norton, MA. John Pryor, son of Nathaniel Pryor and Mary
(New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Norton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850)
1767 Christening – Norton, MA. Elias Pryor, son of Nathaniel Pryor and Mary
(His death was recorded in 1778. New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Norton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850)
1769 Christening – Norton, MA. Benjamin Pryor, son of Nathaniel Pryor and Mary
(New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Norton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850)
Record from Essex Co., Massachussetts
1684 Deposition – Richard PRYOR, age 40
1697 Probate – Died intestate, George PRYOR mariner. Resident of Salem. 6 Sep 1697
1813 Probate – Died intestate, John PRYER mariner. Resident of Newburyport. 9 Dec 1813
Record from Franklin Co., Massachussetts
1801 Marriage – Jabez Parsons married Lovicy PRIOR, daughter of Isaac PRIOR (A History of the Town of Northfield… by J. H. Temple and George Sheldon, 1875. In 1840 there’s a Jabez Parsons living in Enfield, CT)
1811 Birth – Warren Prior born to Isaac PRIOR and Roxanna Stebbins in Northfield, MA (Fayetteville Weekly Observer, 14 Jan 1909. My calculations are that Warren Prior was about 98 years old in 1909. Warren setteled in Fayetteville, NC)
1812 Deed – A homestead lot sold to Isaac PRIOR in 1812 (A History of the Town of Northfield… by J. H. Temple and George Sheldon, 1875)
1820 Census, Franklin Co., MA (alpha order)
page 5, line 2, Isaac PRIOR 10001 – 0111 (oldest male 26 to 45 years)
1829 Member of Congregational Church – Isaac PRIOR (A History of the Town of Northfield… by J. H. Temple and George Sheldon, 1875)
1830 Census, Franklin Co., MA
page 177, line 2 Isaac PRIOR 00000001 – 00100001
1831 and 1832 – Representative of the General Court, Isaac PRIOR
1832 Death – Isaac PRIOR died 11 Sept 1832 age 58, his wife Roxanna died 24 Mar 1840 age 64 (A History of the Town of Northfield… by J. H. Temple and George Sheldon, 1875)
Records from Hampden Co., Massachussetts
1754 Birth – Simeon Pryor born in Hampden Co. He Served in the American Revolution and then migrated to Summit Co., OH (The Summit County Beacon, 20 Apr 1887.)
1785 Christening – Daniel PRIOR, son of William Prior and Elizabeth
(Possibly the William and Mary Prior who married in 1782 in Chester Co. New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Chester, Massachusetts to the Year 1850)
1800 Birth – Frederick PRIOR born in Hampden Co and raised in Pittsfield, MA. Died in 1844 and is buried in Oakland County, MI (Memorial on Find A Grave)
Records from Middlesex Co., Massachussetts
1860 Census, Middlesex Co., MA
Medford Twp., sheet 84, house 599 Elizabeth Lake 60 VA. (Elizabeth Quarles Graves widow of John Pryor of Richmond, VA and widow of Alva Lake)
1870 Census, Middlesex Co., MA
Medford Twp., page 614b, Living in the home of Henry Wittington, a baker and wife Mary E. 37 MA…Elizabeth Q. Lake 70 no occupation, VA. (Elizabeth Quarles Graves widow of John Pryor of Richmond, VA. She may be living with her daughter Mary Lake and son in law. Elizabeth died in 1877 in Middlesex County, MA — her parents are ID’d as James (Graves) and Mary (Quarles)).
Records from Plymouth County and New Plymouth County, Massachussetts
1634 Immigration – Thomas Prior immigrated from Watford, Hertforshire, England. Settled in Scituate, now in Plymouth County. (see film available in FamilySearch.org catalog. See also www. packrat-pro.com for lists of pilgrim ships and passengers: Jo. Prier 15 and Thomas were from Watford and headding to Scituate.
1692 Deed – John Pryer to Benjamin Pryer To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come John Pryer of Duxborough in the county of New Plimouth in New England eldest son of Joseph Pryor of Duxborough deceased …. In witness hereof I have set to my hand and seal this thirtieth of December in ye year of our Lord one thousand six hundred ninety two John Pryer *seal* Signed sealed and in ye presence of us witnesses Ruth Thacker Rhodolphus Thacker entered and recorded January ye 6th 1692/3
1697 Marriage – Benjamin PRIOR married Bethia Pratt. 9 Dec 1697 in Duxbury.
1735 Guardianship of children of Nathaniel Delano of Duxborough. John PRIOR of Duxborough appointed guardian of Lydia Delano
1735 Guardianship of Nathaniel Delano. Ebenezer Delano appointed. John PRIOR surety.
1740 Birth – Benjamin PRYOR, Revolutionary War Soldier. (Online family trees state he died 1821)
1745 Guardian Record –
Warrant to divide real estate, 4 Sept. 1749, to Samuel Seabury, Samuel Weston, George Partridge, Ebenezer Bartlett, and John Wadsworth Jr. all of Duxborough; to following heirs, viz: to Isarael Silvester, guardeian to Mary Delanoe, a person non compos mentis, one share of homestead farm bounded by land of William Brewster and Rev. Samuel Veazie and one half of fourteen acre woodland in Duxborough; to Nathaniel Delanoe his share; to Rev. Samuel Veazie and Benjamin PRIOR, as assignees or legal representatives of Mercy PRIOR wife of John, Lydia Delanoe wife of Ebenezer and Serviah Briggs wife of Joshua, their prarts which were their shares.
1802 Marriage – Samuel Sumner married Mercy PRIOR abt. 1802, daughter of John PRIOR of Scituate. (Record of the Descendants of William Sumner, of Dorchester, Mass., 1636. Front Cover, William Sumner Appleton, D. Clapp & Son, 1879)
1806 Death – Eliphaz PRIOR, about 73 years old (Possibly buried in Mayflower Cemetery, Duxbury per Find A grave Memorial)
1830 Birth – William PRIOR reported born in South Duxbury. (Boston Post, 11 Aug 1896)
1835 Death – Sylvanus PRIOR died 20 October 1835, about 72 years old (Possibly buried in Mayflower Cemetery, Duxbury per Find A grave Memorial)
1890, Benjamin Prior Tells Where Pilgrim John Standish is Buried —
“The tradition was substantially as follows: Benjamin Prior, a once wealthy ship builder, of Duxbury, died in the almshouse between the years 1867 and 1873–the almshouse records of that time being missing. In 1867 his age was 90 years, and he probably lived only a short time after that year. He came to the almshouse in the fifties. While a comparatively young man, with an unimpaired memory, he one day told Mrs. Ruth Hall, a daughter of Olive Standish–of the fifth generation from the doughty Captain–that Standish was buried in the old graveyard near by, with two three-cornered stones to mark the spot… She related that the conversation occurred in her present home at Hall’s Corner, and that Mr. Prior said at the time he informed her mother that he ahd the tale from his father, whose father–or Prior’s granfather–had told him he attended the internment, being then about 10 years old. The nearest graveyard at Hall Corner is the one on the road to Pembroke, the homestead of the Priors being nearly opposite, and the remains of the house being still visible…
This is borne out by an old receipt for 180L (180 pounds) given by Samuel Soule, February 25, 1707, in full “for building ye meeting house in Duxbury.” A portion of the land of this second burying ground was secured by the town, which voted April 8, 1734, “to exchange a small lot of land with Benjamin Prior, for a lot of his which lyeth joining the burying ground, for the enlargement of said burying ground.” Benjamin Prior was the father of the one previously referred to. (The Weekly Kansas City Chief, 18 Dec 1890. This article was also published under the title “Miles Standish. Where the Old Pilgrim Lies” in The New York Daily, 11 May 1887)
Records from Suffolk County, Massachussetts
1850 Census, Suffolk Co., MA
Boston, page 403, house 869, Alex Lake 50 stone cutter VT, Elizabeth 49 VA, Josephus 20 clerk MA, Mary 17 MA. (Elizabeth Quarles Graves is the widow of John Pryor of Richmond, VA. Alva Lake and Elizabeth are on the 1840 Census in Richmond, Henrico Co., VA)