I’ve enjoyed reading through the Virginia Chancery Court records. Unfortunately there are 5 cases that involve Pryors that are in the index but aren’t online. I decided to Google the names to see if I could tell which Pryors were involved in the cases.
1. Thomas Booth vs. John Pryor, filed 1793 in Henrico County. I believe this is Major John Pryor of Richmond who died without issue. In 1837 Elizabeth Dandridge the widow of John Dandridge swore out an application for his Revolutionary War pension. She was the daughter of Thomas Booth. They married in 1782 and in attendance were the groomsmen Chief Justice John Marshall** and Major John Pryor (he was about 32 years old in 1782). She also states Colonel Edward Carrington and Mrs. Elizabeth Carrington of Richmond were also in attendance.
http://revwarapps.org/w6993.pdf
** John Marshall was the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.
2. John Pryor vs. John Beckley, filed 1792 in Henrico County. John Beckley was connected to the Pryors in Albemarle County and Amherst County, VA. Susannah Harding born around 1720 married first Charles Ellis who died around 1760 in Albemarle County. Her second husband was John Beckley. Capt. Charles Ellis was associated with the Pryors: (1) 1756 Military Orders – Peter Jefferson, county lieutenant of Albemarle militia, Albemarle county, June 6, 1756, order to Captains Charles Ellis, Nicholas Pryor, James Sanders, James Budar, Joshua Fowler, and Richard Trout. D. S. E, 51, (2) 1758 Militia – Albemarle County, Sept. 1758, Richard Prior, Nicholas Pryor and William Pryor. Other names: Capt. Charles Ellis (see 1756 Military Orders above), (Virginia Colonial Militia, page 66.) Of note, Charles Ellis was the father of Susannah Ellis who married Isaac Wright, Ellis’ grand-daughter Elizabeth Wright married Capt. William Pryor whose account of military service was recorded in 1832, (3) And possibly connected to will of John Clayton (copy made by Christopher Pryor), 1774, of John Clayton (1694-1773) probated in Gloucester County, Virginia and witnessed by John James Beckley. Who is this John Pryor? Without reading the case it’s hard to tell, but I suspect he’s related to headright Nicholas Pryor who’s descendants settled in Albemarle and Amherst Counties.
3. Major Pryor vs. Joseph Watkins, filed 1764 in Chesterfield County. I suspect this is not Major John Pryor of Richmond as he was born in 1750, so he was likely too young to have filed a suit in 1764.
The last two… sorry I haven’t figured out who they are.
4. John Pryor vs. Henry Lee, filed 1799 in Henrico County
5. James Bennett vs. Samuel Pryor, filed 1785 in Henrico County. Additional surnames in the record are Duke and Holland.