Tag Archives: overton county

Clifton O. Pryor Buried in Overton County, TN

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I recently received a link to the casualties of the Detroit Riots in the 1960’s from a family history researcher. They had stumbled upon a Tennessee Pryor and thought he may be one of our TN Pryors.  He’s listed on the Rutgers University website as Clifton Pryor, a white male from Tennessee. http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_victims.htm (Wayback Machine Link).

This poor guy was working in Detroit when he was mistaken for a sniper and shot by the National Guard. I found that he’s buried in Overton County in the Stover Cemetery. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56850519

I don’t have the families of Overton County Pryors researched into the 60’s. Does anyone know which line of the Pryors he was related to? Was he buried in Overton County or related to a family in Overton County?

If you want to read more about this event Google “Clifton pryor sniper.”

Category: About TN Lines, In Context of History | Tags: , ,

Allen L. Pryor’s Notebook – A Clue to a Sumner County Pryor

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Edward Pryor of Sumner County This little book is a jewel in Pryor family research. It’s the kind of thing that could easily have been swept into the trash when long-ago clearing out a house. It’s also the kind of thing that many of us have tucked away and haven’t thought to share. This is a note book that Allen L. Pryor of Sumner County began to keep in about 1841. Thanks to a cousin I’ve met on Ancestry.com we have an important clue to our Pryors.

In Gallatin Cemetery there’s a cenotaph (not a tombstone, but a monument– no bodies buried there) to Sumner County soldiers who were killed Monterey during the battle of the Mexican War. The monument names Edward Pryor who Allen L’s family has long claimed to be one of Allen’s brothers. Without birth records nor even a Bible entry, we haven’t had much proof of their relationship.

The Battle of Monterey was fought in 1846 (five years after Allen L. Pryor began entries in this book. The monument can be viewed on Find A Grave, which states it was installed in Gallatin in 1850.  There are some notable people buried in Gallatin City Cemetery.

I haven’t been able to find John Pryor, father of Allen L. and probably Edward on the 1820 Census. It’s interesting to know that in about 1850 the family believed  he was born in Sumner County in 1823. That helps to place the family in Sumner County BEFORE the death of John’s father in law, Edmund Taylor, in 1824. It also puts John Pryor in TN about the time his probable brother William Pryor show up on the 1820 Census in Overton County– but still before his Taylor kin migrated to Tennessee after Edmund Taylor’s death.

Allen L. Pryor claimed on census records and in his Goodspeed biography to have been born 1816 in White County, TN. That’s even earlier than we can find this Pryor line in the paper records.

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: , , ,

Family Group Sheet for Edward Pryor of Overton Co., TN

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I recently was able to put together what happened to the last of the children of Edward Pryor of Overton County, TN. It seems like time to share his family group sheet.  First a little about Edward.

No proof has been found to determine that Edward or Edmund Pryor was a son of William and Spicy Pryor. However, Edmund was ordered to road work several times with Overton Pryor and lived near Overton Pryor per census records. It is believed that Edmund was named for Spicy’s father Edmund Taylor.

There are so many confusing things about this Edward Pryor. Yes, his parents are a bit in question, but there are bigger mysteries.

  • Edward is on the 1850 Census with a son named Shadrack whose name only shows up in the registration for the Civil War and on the 1890 Census, but who probably went by the name Chesley Allen Pryor.
  • I haven’t seen it yet, there’s an 1860 divorce in Overton Co. for Edward and Eliza — yet the children after the divorce and while he was in an Illinois hospital during the war are attributed to Edward. Both Edward and Eliza state they were divorced on the 1880 Census.
  • It is not clear how many children Edmund and Eliza Pryor had. Edward’s Civil War records state he was in a military hospital in Illinois through most of the war to 1865, yet there are 2 children born during that time who identify themselves as children of Edward Pryor and Eliza Knight. And didn’t they divorce in 1860? A total of 4 children were born after 1860.
  • When was Edward born?  Edward’s tombstone states he was born in August 1829 and died in February 1905 in Overton County while census records have varying birth years. Check out findagrave.com — there’s a photo of his gravemarker in Byrdstown, TN.

Family Group Sheet

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Husband: Edward Pryor

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Born: 15 Aug 1822 in TN (see note 1)
Died: 18 Feb. 1905 in Overton Co.
Buried: in Bethsaida Cemetery

Overton Co. Court Minutes Feb. 1844 to Nov. 1849.
Edmund Pryor was ordered several times to serve on road crews to make or repair county roads, usually with Overton Pryor.
pg.34: Ordered by the Court that Joseph RILEY be appointed overseer of a first class road commencing at Obids River at Stephen GARRETT’s to the old Fentress County Line and that Joseph RILEY, James RILEY, Thos. RILEY, Amos RILEY, Jeremiah EVANS, Henry YAIG?, John PARRIS, Dianah PARRIS hands. Overton PRYOR, Edmund PRYOR, Stephen GARRETT, Robt. WALKER, Thos. GARRETT, Isaac GARRETT, Elijah GARRETT hands and WIlliam WALKER and Joseph HIBBERT work under him as hands.

1850 Census Clinton Co., KY — Dist 2
House 8 Roland Flowers 26 TN, Fanny 21 TN
House 9 Edward PRYOR 26 TN, Eliza 26 AL, Shedrick 1 (male)
<Roland Flowers and Edward Pryor are living near each other on 1860 Census
Overton Co., TN>

1860 Overton Co., TN Census Dist 12, p. 281B
House 549 Edmond PRIOR 46 TN
1860 Census Fentress Co., TN, Dist 1
House 149 William Gunter 50, Cynthia 50, George W. 20, Lucinda 17, John 16,
William 14, Mary 8, Eliza PRIER 28, Samantha E.PRIER 5, Melissa E. PRIER 4.
Eliza and Cynthia were sisters.

1860 Divorce: Edward Pryor vs Elizabeth Pryor (Sept 1860)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnoverto/OCHS/Divorce/Divorce1852to1861.html
Edward Pryor was recorded on the 1860 Census on 16 June 1860. He and Eliza were living in separate dwellings which makes sense if they were divorce a few months later.

1861-1865 Civil War Pension Application obtained by Catherine Gunter.
Edward’s wife was Eliza Knight.
Eliza and Edward were married in 1845 by J.C. Parris in Overton. County, TN.
They had 3 children. Shadrick born in 1847, Elizabeth born in 1852, and Ellen born in 1857. At the time of Edward’s pension application, Eliza was listed as deceased.
He applied for the pension in 1890.
In 1890, he states his age as 68 which would have made him born about 1822.
In 1864, he states his age as 42 which would also signify the year 1822 as his birth year.

1870 Overton Co., TN Census Dist 15
House 51 Edward PRYOR 50 TN, Eliza 45, Elizabeth 15, Melissa E. 13
Ten years after they divorced Edward and Eliza were counted in the same household. Missing are the 3 children born after 1862, but before 1870: Mary Lucinda, William Anderson, Hannah Tennessee. But the same year Eliza was counted a second time in another dwelling–
1870 Census Fentress Co., TN – Dist 6
page 561, House 85: Eliza PRYOR 34 TN, Lucinda 7 TN, William 5 TN, Hannah F. 2 TN

1880 Overton Co., TN Census, Dist 11, The village of Monroe
House 127 Edward PRYRE 56 TN VA VA, Ellen 22 dau TN, William F. Lacy 1
grandson TN

While Edward was living  with his daughter Melissa Ellen, and Eliza was living in a separate dwelling near her sister:
1880 Census Overton Co., TN – Dist 12
House 218 L. PRIOR 47 (female) Divorced TN TN TN , Mary 18 dau, William 14 son, Tennessee 10 dau, M. 8 dau.
House 219 Wilson Gunter 70 NC NC NC, S. wife 70 NC NC NC

1900 Census, Overton Co., TN
Dist. 11. ED#55, page 307B
House 20 Samuel Smith 5/1854 TN VA KY, Elizabeth 5/1854 TN VA VA, Jake F.
2/1881 TN, Robert E. L. 2/1883 TN, Millard V. 2/1883 TN, Dillard T. 1/1887 TN,
Sarah E. 2/1889 TN, Rosetta C. 3/1891 TN, Flosie J. 7/1893 TN, Mary E. 12/1895
TN, Edward PRIOR 5/1829 TN VA VA

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Wife: Eliza Knight #8323
Married: 1845 in Overton Co., TN
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Born: Abt. 1832 in ALABAMA
Died: Aft. 1880
Father: Mr. Knight #9034
Death record of Samantha Pryor Smith says her father was Eddie Pryor and
mother was Louisa Gunter.

Children:

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M Child 1: Chesley Allen Pryor 
Born: Nov. 1847 in Byrdstown, Pickett Co., TN
Died: 14 Mar 1924 in Scott Co., TN
Death Certificate… PRYOR C.A. 73 1924 Scott #13
Born 9-16-1850
Death 3-14-1924
Occupation. Farmer
POB Tenn.
Father Edd Pryor
Maiden Name of mother “Don’t know”
Cause of Death “don’t know. Found dead in bed. there was no marks
of violence.”
Person who completed the certificate was J. R. Pryor.
Place of Burial: Cross Roads

1880 Census Allen Priar – Mullentown ED#107, Wayne, Kentucky. page 515D.
1890 Veteran’s Schedule – Prior, Shade C. Pri D 01 TN Inf Apr 1865 Chansite Pickett
(In 1850 Edward Pryor had a son named Shadrack Pryor living in his household. Are Chesley and Shadrack the same person?)
1900 Census – Chesley Pryor – 7th Dist. of Pickett Co., TN.
1910 Census – Chesley Prior – Scott Co., TN – Dist. 3
1920 Census – Chesey A Pryor – Scott Co., TN – Dist. 2

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F Child 2: Samantha Elizabeth Pryor
Born: May 1854 in TN
Died: 02-15-1937 in Monroe, Overton Co., TN
1880 Census, District 12, Overton, Tennessee, page 323B
R. S. SMITH Self M Male W 28 TN Laborer TN TN (b. 1852)
S. E. SMITH Wife M Female W 26 TN Keeping House TN TN (b. 1854)
J. A. SMITH Dau S Female W 9 TN TN TN (b. 1871)
Wm. J. SMITH Son S Male W 3 TN TN TN (b. 1877)
Ellen SMITH Dau S Female W 1 TN TN TN (b. 1879)

1900 Overton Co., TN Census, Dist. 11. ED#55, page 307B
House 20 Samuel Smith 5/1854 TN VA KY, Elizabeth (PRYOR) 5/1854 TN VA VA, Jake F. 2/1881 TN, Robert E. L. 2/1883 TN, Millard V. 2/1883 TN, Dillard T. 1/1887 TN,
Sarah E. 2/1889 TN, Rosetta C. 3/1891 TN, Flosie J. 7/1893 TN, Mary E. 12/1895
TN, Edward PRIOR 5/1829 TN VA VA

1910 Census, ED#71, 11th Dist., Overton Co., TN. Page 9B, Ancestry image 18
#175 Sam Smith 52, md 1, 9/6 children, TN US US
Elizabeth (PRYOR) wife, 50, md 1, TN US US
Sarah E. dau, 21 TN
Flora J. dau 16 TN
Mary O. dau 14 TN.

1920 U.S. Census • Tennessee • Overton • District 11 • ED# 67 Sheet 17B
house 315
Robert E Smith 38, Samantha E (PRYOR) mother 62 Divorced

1930 Census Overton Co., TN. Dist. 11
House 115 R.E. Smith 48 (27) TN TN TN, Nova wife 34 (18) TN TN TN, Proctor son
8 TN, Estelle dau 6 TN, Samantha E. (PRYOR) mother 70 TN TN TN.
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F Child 3: Melissa Ellen Pryor 
Born: Abt. 1856 in TN
Died: Aft. 1910 in
Married 1 Andrew J Lacey
Married 2 Thomas “Honey Tom” Garrett
1900 Census Ellen Garrett – Pickett Co., TN
1910 Census, Malissie E Garrett – Pickett Co., TN. 2nd Civil Dist. Sheet 10 B.

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F Child 4: Mary Lucinda Pryor 
Born: Abt. 1862 in TN
Died: Aft. 1880 in
Delayed TN Birth Record for her son Hoffman states she was Mary Lucinda
Pryor

Married: John White

1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1900 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1910 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1920 Census, Mary White is on the Whitley Co., KY Census

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M Child 5: William Anderson Pryor
Born: 14 Mar 1865 in TN
Died: 30 Jan 1950 in PULASKI CO., KY

1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
William Prior to Permelia A Black on 27 Nov. 1890 in
Pulaksi Co.
1900 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1910 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1920 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
1930 Census, Pulaski Co., KY
Death records for the William
and Permelia who lived in Pulaski Co.
William A. Pryor d. 30/Jan/1950, age 84, vol. 8, certificate 3633
Permelia A. Pryor d. 24/Nov/1950, age 81, vol 53, certificate 26324

Obit of William A. Pryor
W. A. Pryor, 84, of Science Hill, died at the home of a relative in West
Somerset Monday. He was born in Tennessee March 14, 1865 being the son of the
late Edwin and Eliza Knight Pryor. He and his family moved here in 1921, and
he had engaged in farming since residing in the county.
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F Child 7: Hannah Tennessee Pryor
Born: Abt. 1868 in TN
Died: 20 Jun 1951 in Whitley Co., KY

1870 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
1880 Census, Overton Co., TN – Living with mother
Married: George Hoover
1894 First child Nora Hoover born in TN
Married: William E Young
1899 First child with Wm Young was George Lester Young born in KY
1900 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1910 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census
1920 Census, Tennessee Young is on the Whitley Co., KY Census

20 Jun 1951 – Died in Whitley Co., KY

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F Child 8: M. Pryor
Born: Abt. 1872 in TN
Died: Aft. 1880 in

This daughter only appears in Eliza’s household in 1880.
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Category: About TN Lines | Tags: ,

Logan Pryor of Overton County, TN and Perry County, IL

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I’m passing along a small find in case it helps to advance someone else’s genealogy research. Logan Pryor was the son of James and Nancy Pryor of Overton County, TN. On the 1870 Census in Perry Co., IL Elmana Swallows age 9 was living in his household. I think she’s Ellen A Swallows buried in the Mueller Hill Cemetery, Pinkneyville, Perry Co. She died 3 Dec 1871, and she was the daughter of E A Swallows and L M. I betting the L M inscribed on her gravemaker is incorrect, there is no actual photo of the gravemarker online so I can’t tell if I’m right. I suspect possibly someone transcribed in it incorrectly and it’s actually I M Swallows. I found Isaac M Swallows (IM?) also buried in Pinkneyville, IOOF Cemetery. He died 15 Feb 1862 in the Battle of Fort Donelson (that was a Civil War battle in TN). On the 1860 Census Isaac Swallows is in Jackson Co., TN. He was 28 (born 1832) married to Elizabeth Swallows 24, with a daughter Sarah 3. I found another interesting Swallows: Alfred P Swallows b. 1855 in TN. On the 1860 Census in District 10 of Overton Co. living with his parents Reuben and Bethenia Swallows. Ruben and son Alfred were in District 13 of Jackson Co., in 1870. Alfred P Swallows was in Tyrone, Franklin Co., IL in 1880. He was married and just a couple houses from Isaac Copeland. Children of Allen and Cinderella Pryor of Jackson Co., TN were in Franklin Co. in 1880 and living very close to Alfred Swallows. I’m not saying there’s a connection… just making an observation. I checked the 1850 Census and found that Rueben Swallows had a son named Isaac, but he was 10 years too young to be the Isaac in Pinkneyville. But I found Isaac born 1832 in Dist 1 of Overton Co., he was the son of Andrew Swallows. I suspect that the two Swallows, Alfred and Isaac, were cousins. Hmmmm I wonder if Alfred’s middle name was Pryor. Sorry I don’t have anything definite, but on the way (perhaps) to explaining who Miss Swallows was who was living with Logan Pryor.

Category: Tennessee Pryors | Tags: , , , ,

More Pryors and the War of 1812

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Another Pryor marriage from the War of 1812 Pensions: John Bohannon married Sarah PRIOR on 6 Jan 1812 in White County, TN. They were married by Thomas Bounds Esq., a justice of the peace.  The marriage information is a big find because there’s a note in the pension file from the county clerk in 1871 searched for the marriage record and deemed it lost or destroyed. The Bohannons were living in Putnam County in 1850 and at the time they were applying for pensions. John Bohannon used attorney Winburn W. Goodpasture in Livingston, TN to apply for his pension in 1850. It’s been speculated that Sarah Pryor was the daughter of William Pryor of White County. Witnesses who swore on the character and knowledge of their marriage were J. D. Hyder, John Barnes, Curtis Mills, William Bohannon, Vivrett Henry, Susan Roberson (speculated by researchers to be a sister of Sarah Pryor Bohannon), H Denton, B. D. Hunter. There’s an additional application for William Bohannon, John’s brother.  For Bohannon researchers — William Bohannon married Polly Job on 9 January 1816 at Winchester, TN (that’s in Franklin County). Both men claimed to have served at the Battle of New Orleans.

In a recent post I referred to an older post about William G. Pryor of Overton County who served in the War of 1812.  William married Spicy Taylor in 1809 in Campbell County, VA and it appears that he was in Tennessee before the death of his father-in-law, Edmund Taylor (after Edmund’s death in 1824 Spicy’s siblings moved from Virginia to Tennessee).  Here’s the complete list of the company in which William Pryor served.

CAPT. JOEL PARRISH, JR.’S CO. OF ARTILLERISTS, TENNESSEE MILITIA

John Allen
William Allen
John Armstrong
James Atkins
William N Barham
John Batts
George Black
Lewis C Bryant
Alexander H Clifton
John Cobler (or Cobbler)
John Collins
William C Drew
William H Elam
E Folks
Abel Fulks
Daniel Fultrill
John Garrett
Samuel Gealnet
Corace Harding
Isaac Henry
Thomas P Henson
Joseph Herton
James B Hindman
Anderson Howell
Herbert J Lee
James Lewis
John Marchant
James Markum
William McCandless
John McClure
John Merchant
James Nail
John L Nail
Joel Parrish, Capt.
John Pintard
William G Pryor
Wright A Reeder
Ebelleam Reaves
Henry Redley
John Ross
William Russell
Jerres Rust
Gabriel Taylor
William Thompson
Grain Townsend
John Waggoner
Richard B. Walthall
Eser Whytus (Whitis?)
Jesse Wilkinson
Benjamin Williams
James Williams
Etheldridge Williams

Category: Tennessee Pryors | Tags: , , , ,
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