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Richard and Mourning Pryor: A Georgia Connection, A Tatum, and Edward Pryor

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Vanessa Wood

It’s time to re-visit Howell Tatum who was involved in several deeds with Richard Pryor and his widow Mourning Pryor White in Middle Tennessee. I think I’ve found a connection to another Pryor family. When I looked at Howell Tatum in the past and discussed him with other researchers I was told the he was just a guy who had received a boodle of land in TN after the Revolution. But what if there is another connection to the Pryors? Here we go…

A Pryor researcher has provided a survey (see above) of land in Wilkes County, GA. The survey was done in 1788 for plot number 679 for Edward Prier (sic). Edward’s 300 acres bordered “Tatum’s Land” (see bottom of the survey map). The 1791 Tax List for Wilkes County, GA provides the next clues. It includes Edward Prier, Howell Tatum, and Peter Tatum.

I’ve looked at several online family trees that show Howell Tatum as a son of Peter Tatum and Rebecca Howell. In these trees researchers also show Peter as also the father of Epps Tatum who married Sukie Pryor. Last week I posted about Benjamin Catching who was on a 1785 deed in Wilkes County, GA with an Edward Pryor and Peter Tatum. Well, that’s interesting!

So I’ve separated out records involving Pryors and Howell Tatum. It should be noted that the Howelll Tatum who’s the primary man of interest is of an age to have served in the Revolutionary War. His brother, James, served in 1775 (see application https://revwarapps.org/s39102.pdf) — Howell Tatum also applied for a pension, so he may have been born in the 1750’s or 1760’s. There is a younger Howell Tatum (“Holewell Tatum”) in Rutherford County in 1820, so perhaps some of the records pertain to one or the other. Online family trees show Sukie Pryor Tatum as the mother of a Howell Tatum, so perhaps the younger Howell is a nephew. Figuring out who is whom may take some sifting.

NOTES OF RECORDS

1791, Sumner Co., TN – William Pryor bought land from William Fort and Howell Tatum (land bordered John Pryor and John Hannah. John Pryor in Jan. 1791 was bonded in a Sumner Co. court case involving John Cotton and Howell Tatum.

1802- Smith Co., TN – Thomas White & Mourning White (formerly Mourning Prior[sic]) Administrator & Administratrix of Richard Pryor decd. of Logan County & State of Kentucky of the one part and James Ewing of Smith County & State of Tennessee of the other part Witnesseth, that whereas in the life time of the said Richard Pryor Decd. he bound himself by his Writing Obligatory in the penal Sum of two hundred pounds to Execute a Deed valid in Law to William Pryor four [sic] hundred Acres of Land his choice of twelve hundred & Eighty Acres, part of Tract of three thousand acres lying on the Caney fork of Cumberland River, formerly the property of Howel Tatum…

1803, Wilson Co., TN – Howell Tatum is on the 1803 Tax List for Wilson Co., TN (no ages notes on tax list)

1806, Logan Co., KY – John Prier Jr. of Logan Co deeded 376 acres on the Caney Fork of the Cumberland (in TN) to Stephen Cantrell of Smith County, TN on 27 Mar 1806. Deed states land previously belonged to Howell Tatum. Wit. James Ewing.

1812 Davidson Co., TN – Howell Tatum married Rosannah Wendel (see his Revolutionary War Pension https://revwarapps.org/r2027.pdf).

1818 Davidson Co., TN – Howell Tatum made an oath in Davidson County as a witness to James Tatum’s application for a Revolutionary War Pension. Howell Tatum not only received land but also applied for a Revolutionary War pension (see https://revwarapps.org/r2027.pdf).

1820 Rutherford Co., TN — On the census, Allen Prior 210110 – 10010 (oldest male 26 to 45 years, born between 1775-1794). On the same page with Allen Pryor is a James S. Hannah. Also in Rutherford Co. was a Howell Tatum (he was no older than 44, so he does not appear to be old enough to be a Revolutionary War vet). This may be Allen Pryor, son of Edward Pryor of Wilkes Co., GA. Allen Pryor was in Obion Co., TN by the 1830 Census.

1822 – Howell Tatum died (per witness in his Revolutionary War pension application file).

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? — Is Richard Pryor of Greene County, TN and Logan Co., KY related to these Pryors in GA? There’s a possibility with this connection through Howell Tatum. Tatum served through NC. Greene County, TN is known as an entry point to TN for men who served through NC.

Hope this fuels your Pryor research!

Connecting Richard Pryor to Dick Pryor’s Racetrack in Nashville

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Vanessa Wood

A runaway slave offers our next clue in the identity of Richard Pryor who had a horse track in Nashville.

In 1832 a $100 reward was offered for the return of a runaway slave, a mulatto young man by the name of Warren, aka John. He was 17 or 18 years old and about 4ft. 6in (dang, that’s small by today’s standards!). He spoke English, French, and Spanish which makes me wonder if he was from the Caribbean or had traveled. The ad placed for his return stated, “He was in Clarksville, on Cumberland river, Montgomery county, Tenn., and was when a boy owned by Richard Pryor, who employed him as a race-rider in Lexington, Bowling Green, Nashville and other places. He was afterwards sold to Livingston Lewis Leavell of Trenton Christian Co., KY. who brought him to new Orleans, about 4 years and a half ago.”
Wayback Machine link

Yes there’s a Livingston Levell living in Christian County on the 1830 Census, but more importantly it gives us more insight into Richard “Dick” Pryor and his racing activities. One glaring thing is that he was using child slaves as jockeys. The ad also indicates he was traveling between the Kentucky towns named, Nashville and perhaps also in Clarksville.

There was William Pryor, the young naval mid-shipman from Clarksville, who had been gambling in Nashville when killed (read post). I’ve speculated that he was the son of Samuel counted on the census records in Montgomery Co., TN. I’ve also speculated that Samuel was the brother of Thornton Pryor and one of the Bourbon County, KY Pryors who were horse-trading in Nashville. We also know from the truncated will of Joseph Pryor of Bourbon county that he had sons named Samuel, Thornton, and Richard. This is looking like a solid lead toward identifying Richard Pryor and his racetrack.

Category: About TN Lines, Kentucky Pryors | Tags: Bourbon County, horses, Montgomery County, Nashville, Racing

1842 – Benjamin W. Pryor of Robertson County, TN

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Vanessa Wood

If you’re looking for Benjamin W. Pryor who may have been in Nashville and later in Tipton County, and definitely on the 1850 Census in Ellis Co., TX – I may have found another record of him. There’s a Benjamin W. Pryor recorded in 1842 on a document titled “Report of Unconditional Certificates Issued by The Board of Land Comrs. (Commissioners?) for Robertson County.” The certificate was issued in August 1842 and the amount of acres was left blank.
https://familysearch.org/photos/documents/3962510?p=1580303 The witnesses on the transaction were John West and James Lane.

Originally published in the Waxahachie Enterprise, on May 31, 1889 are the Reminiscences of Robert Mayfield. https://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txellis/mayfld.htm
Mayfield states that Benjamin W. Pryor was one of the early settlers of Ellis County. He also recounted a story that When a Mr. Sterrett married, “In order to claim his bride, he had to go to Franklin, in Robertson County, to procure a license.” I mention this in order to avoid confusion—he’s talking about Robertson County, TX.

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: Nashville, robertson county, Texas

More on the Murder of William Pryor (Nashville 1833)

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Vanessa Wood

Remember the account of William Pryor who was murdered in Nashville in 1833? (see post) I can’t resist working on a 180 year old murder mystery. This probably goes beyond a cold case. It’s downright frozen!

I found another report of the murder. There aren’t any more details, but it’s interesting to know where it was reported: The Military and Naval Magazine of the United States, Vol. 1, from March to August 1833. It was reported under Deaths in the General Intelligence section.

At Nashville, Tenn. Mid. WILLIAM PRYOR, murdered.

If William was in the Navy, what was he doing in Nashville? I found in another version of The Military and Naval Magazine of the United States, Volumes 1-2, William Pryor was listed as a midshipman as of 11 Feb 1832 and murdered April 1833. His rank confirms he was in the Navy and the dates firm up that this is the same Pryor I wrote of earlier.

The initial report said he was from Clarksville, TN (Montgomery County). All the twists and turns. It does get to be interesting.

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: crime, Deaths, Elizabeth City, Montgomery County, Nashville, Navy, Virginia

Finding Dick Pryor’s Nashville Race Track & Tracking Pryors

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Vanessa Wood

Part I: Dick Pryor’s Race Track

The Normal College, later known as the Peabody Normal College was located at 614 Broad St., Nashville. In my previous post (see post) Miss Jane H Thomas stated this was where Dick Pryor and Patton Anderson used to run their race track.

We know the track was a VERY long time ago because Patton Anderson was murdered in 1811. How long the racing went on after his death — I don’t know.

I attempted to find the College using Google Maps, however the address doesn’t appear to exist anymore. I tried street view to see if I could spot this building on the current site the Peabody buildings associated with Vanderbilt University. No Luck.

Any suggestions for an old map that shows the location?

There’s a Richard Pryor in Capt James Bennings Company on the 1811 Tax List for Davidson County. Nicholas B. Pryor was in another Company clearly designated as the town of Nashville, although the Captain’s name is illegible. That’s about the right time-frame for the Dick Pryor we’re looking for.

In Wallace’s Monthly, a horse magazine published in February 1878, there’s a memoir that recounts meeting General Jackson and Patton Anderson in 1805 while Jackson was racing Truxton. You know you’ve been doing too much Pryor research when you remember the names of their horses!– Jackson bought Truxton from Thornton and Samuel Pryor of Bourbon County, KY (read post about Truxton).

If I were a betting woman… my wager would be that Dick is Richard Pryor a relation of the Bourbon County Pryors.

Part II: Tracking Pryors

I got curious about Miss Jane H. Thomas. Where the heck was she living in 1850 — was she living near any of the Pryors or their kin? I about fell off my seat when I found her on the census. Miss Jane was aged 50, born in VA, living in house 669 with the family of John M. Bass. Bass was the “Prest. U. B. Tenn” with an estate valued at $100,000. Next to them was house 668— James W. McCullough age 25, a carpenter, born in TN with an Elizabeth Pryor age 13 in the household!

This may be a stretch, but it may also be a lead. James W. McCullough married Mildred Yandle in 1846. There’s a Miles Yandle family in house 744 in Rusk County, TX in 1850. In house 766 is Solomon Coates and family who were on the same page with John Bernard and wife Laura Pryor in 1840 in Tipton Co., TN. I’ve always suspected that Laura Pryor was connected to Benjamin W. Pryor b. 1788 in VA and on the 1850 Census in Ellis Co., TX.

I wonder if John Bass was living in the spot in 1840? J. M. Bass is on the census in Ward 4 of Nashville, however there isn’t a woman the age of Miss Jane in the household. A few lines down is the Nashville Female Academy with 225 students. Is this the school that Miss Jane discussed in her memoir?

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: Davidson County, kentucky, Map, Nashville, Racing