Tag Archives: Alabama

Positive ID on Richard Pryor and Son Beverly Pryor

I found a newspaper article that will help to turn up the ID to “positive” for Richard Pryor and son Beverly Pryor in this recent post.

https://2018/04/richard-pryor-richmond-madison-co-al/

When the tale of their Virginia adventure made it’s way into an Alabama newspaper, the editor chose to ID the Pryor men.

From The Selma Daily Reporter, September 19, 1835

I can’t let go of Richard Pryor of Madison County without some more pondering of his possible connections.

Richard was born in 1798, but I’ve seen the surnames involved in the Richmond “ruckus” that took place in the 1830’s connected to a Pryor line. In 1774 a notice was published in Rind’s Virginia Gazette; it mentioned business conducted by Matthew Anderson of King and Queen County and Christopher Pryor of Gloucester Courthouse. There’s the Anderson surname again.

Hmmm… Christopher Pryor? His Son married Betty Armistead Tyler and his daughter was named Elizabeth Whiting Pryor. Both Armistead and Whiting are names that come up with Richard Pryor of Madison County.

I’m putting Richard and his line again on the the back burner, but considering he may be connected to the Pryors in Gloucester County.

Richard Pryor of Richmond and Madison Co, AL

Back in 2014 I posted about Pryor men from Alabama who returned to their home state of Virginia and were accused of causing a ruckus in their relatives’ household. The complaint was lodged by Brown and it sounds like sexual advances were made against the elder Pryor’s wife’s female Anderson kin.

https://2014/04/two-gamblin-alabama-pryors-in-trouble-in-the-old-virginia-1835/

Then in 2016 I wrote about Richard Pryor of Madison County and wife Dolly who were named in a notice regarding a Richmond, VA suit. Named in the same notice were John Brown, —-Anderson and Octavia his wife. The notice was regarding a Chancery Court case the estate of John D Brown. Perhaps that was the case of John Brown, etc vs. Nancy Brown, widow filed in the Richmond Chancery Court in 1849 (see LVA index).

https://2016/07/richard-pryor-in-richmond-va-and-in-madison-county-al/

After doing some searches I found that there’s a William Armistead Anderson who married a Catherine Octavia Ruela Brown. The 1850 notice was addressed to Richard Pryor and his wife and also Mr. Anderson and his wife, stating that they were not residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

So if the Anderson and Brown relations are the same families named in both sources, then the father and son team who were accused of causing havoc in Richmond are probably Richard Pryor and his son Beverly Pryor.

When I was searching out the names in the 1850 notice I found an Ursula Ragland age 82 who was born in VA– she was counted in the household of Samuel Ragland age 44 in Franklin County, AL. Researchers have her as the mother of the Ragland males in the household: Samuel 44 (head of household), John 57, William A 52 and Nathaniel 47. I have to include a TN connection– Ursula D Ragland was on the 1820 Census in Smith County, TN. What really piqued my interest was that Samuel had a son living in the household named Beverly Ragland– a nice tie-in perhaps to Richard and Dolly Pryor’s son named Beverly.Ra

In December of 1850 Dolly Pryor died at the home of S J (Samuel) Ragland. Was Dolly a Ragland?

Mrs. Dolly Pryor of Huntsville on the 15, age 62 years. She died at the residence of S J Ragland. (Tuskegee Republican 5 Dec 1850)

Thomas Pryor Of Guilford County, NC – Deed For A Saw Mill

Thomas Pryor was mentioned in an 1828 notice in an Alabama newspaper.

POCKET BOOK LOST
On Saturday evening last, between Huntsville and Triana, the subscriber lost a Red Morocco Pocket Book, containing sundry papers– amongst them a conveyance from Thos. Pryor, of Guilford County, NC for a patent right for a Saw Mill, for a sawing circular lumber, &c. Also several receipts, accounts, and some notes. The finder will be rewarded for his trouble by leaving the same at the Democrat Office, or delivering it to me at Triana
Wm B Johnson
Nov. 21, 1828
The Democrat (Newspaper), Huntsville, AL

I wonder if Pryor’s mill was in NC or did he own land in Alabama. In 1822 a Thomas M Pryor served on a jury in Madison County (Huntsville is in Madison County). Did the same Thomas Pryor venture from NC to Alabama?

Another Pryor from the Huntsville area was named in another lost wallet notice:

Pocket Book Lost
Lost on Tuesday evening last in the vicinity of Huntsville, a pocket book containing a fifty dollar note on the Branch Bank at Mobile, and some change tickets. Also the following notes of hand, viz: One on F. ?. Newmann for $60, one on C D Kavannaugh for $???, three notes on Beatman and Cox– one for $700 and for $200, and one for $125. Also the following
Also the following — in favor of different persons drawn by Richard Pryor, viz: One for $73– one for $50– one for $150–one for $49–one for $33–one for $?? and one for $25: all of which were paid by –. Any person who may have found said pocket book and contents shall be entitled to $25 by returning the same or for such information that I recover the —-. The drawers of the above described notes and forfeiture from paying the same to any person except myself, as they belong alone to me.
B. Jolley
The Democrat, January 4, 1840

 

Luke Pryor of Limestone County, AL

I stumbled upon an obit for Senator Luke Pryor of Limestone County, AL. Most of published obits contain a lot of the same data we see in every online family tree. This obit was a bit different. It was published March 30, 1901 in the Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Point, WI.

It’s actually more of a little story than an obit full of data points. It tells the tale of the wealthy Mrs. Gable inviting Luke Pryor to a dance through his widowed mother. In the story it refers to Luke as Mrs. Pryor’s “read-headed boy.” This may be of interest to Pryor researchers following the trail of red-heads in their Pryor line.

Another part of the story was that Luke Pryor was an accomplished fiddle player. Who knew.

Just passing it along for those who are interested.

Category: Alabama Pryors | Tags: ,

More on Dolly Pryor, daughter of Beverly Pryor of AL

Back in July I wrote about Dolly Pryor, the illegitimate daughter of Beverly Pryor in Madison County, AL (read more). I think I’ve found her marriage.

Her marriage was announced in Tuskegee Republican, 17 June 1852: Hilliard C Harmon married Dolly Pryor on 23 May 1852 in Lawrenceburg, TN. The paper reported that they were both from Florence, Lauderdale County, AL.

There’s a marriage record in Lawrence County, TN that identifies the bride as D B B Pryor which corresponds with her name change in 1836. The AL state legislature changed her name from Dolly Beverly B Harrell to Dolly Beverly B Pryor.

Dolly was living with her mother in 1850, but seems to have disappeared by the 1860 Census. Hilliard C Harmon was recorded in his parents’ household in Lauderdale county — no Dolly.