Tag Archives: Samuel Pryor and Prudence Thornton

Sorting Out Samuel Pryor – Yes, There’s More than One!

Posted on by

I’ve done a lot of back-tracking through my research as I’ve worked on the Pryors. I’ve had to do a extreme turn. For years I’ve assumed there was one Samuel Thornton Pryor in Goochland Co., VA. Good grief, there’s actually a whole lot more. So, I think it’s time to share all the Samuels. As usual, open to ideas to make sure everyone is matched up to their correct family.

Col. Samuel Pryor, born about 1698-1699. Married to Prudence Thornton. Recorded in the 1735 Goochland Co. Vestry Records as a processioner. He died about or before 1763, a 1763 deed of Thornton Pryor stated that his father, Samuel, was already deceased.

Samuel Pryor, born about 1700. I see other researchers online have used “A Pryor Family Narrative,” by J. Gatewood Pryor, 1995, to show Col. Samuel Pryor had a son named Samuel. I suspect he did, but not the Samuel Pryor who married Frances Morton Meriwether as derived from this book. A 1777 Will of Samuel Pryor in Goochland County names wife Sarah, sons Samuel, William and John, daughters Sally Payne (Sarah?), Patty (Martha?), and Mary.

Samuel Pryor, born about 1740. Married Frances Morton Meriwether in 1760. He was the son of William Pryor and grandson of Col. Samuel Pryor. There’s a record of an estate of Samuel Pryor inventoried in 1766—I would like to see this record because I suspect it was Col. Samuel Pryor’s estate. A 1768 Chancery Court Case involves Samuel Pryor, executor and administrator of William Pryor’s estate. I think he’s the same Pryor counted on the 1789 Tax List and named in a 1792 Chancery Court Case, Samuel Pryor vs. Henry and Lucy Wood.

Samuel Thornton Pryor. born about 1775. He married Sally Drumright. Their children were Peggy (wife of Richard Clarke), Rebecca (wife of William A Underwood), Samuel Thornton Pryor, Martha W (wife of John M Drumright), Nancy (wife of Degrasse Drumright), and Fanny. This Samuel was named the executor of his father-in-law’s estate (Thomas Drumright) in a 1815 Chancery Court Case. Samuel died before 1835 when another Chancery Court case was filed that named all his children as heirs. I suspect this Samuel.

Is there another Samuel Pryor or is this Samuel Thornton Pryor born about 1775? I’m working with the concept that perhaps Samuel Thornton Pryor b. 1775 was the son of John Pryor and Mary Dennis. John died in Amelia County in 1785 and there is a son named Samuel in his will. John’s daughter, Mary, married Alexander Bolling. There’s a 1797 Chancery Court Case that names both a Samuel Pryor and a Bolling in Goochland County: “Samuel Pryor vs Stephen Southall.” I’m wondering if there were 2 Samuel’s because there’s a will for a Samuel Pryor proved in Amelia Co., May 27, 1790, nameing brothers Richard, Luke and Philip Pryor who were also named in John Pryor’s 1785 will.

Samuel Pryor baptized at St. James Northam in 1762 married Mary Curd and was in Kentucky by 1800. He died around 1812-1813 in Kentucky. Of course he had a son named Samuel (the father of noted judged William S. Pryor).

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , ,

Croxton Pryor of Williamsburg and His Fascinating Shoes

Posted on by

Callimanco Shoes.  Thank you shoe-icons.com

I stumbled upon the estate inventory of Croxton Pryor. His will was filed in York County, VA in 1776, and there’s an estate inventory from Williamsburg.  He had some pretty nice things, an indication that he may have been one of the well-off citizens of the colony: a cloak, silver teaspoons, a silver buckle, a gold ring, furniture that included a tea stand, 2 coffee pots.

What really caught my eye was “4 pair Callimanco Shoes.”  When I started looking online I found that they were pretty much the Manolo Blahnik (hot shoes) of Colonial times.  I found an interesting article that shows ads from Colonial times and a rare listing of a pair of Callimanco shoes on eBay http://thegoldenscissors.blogspot.com/2012/05/rare-pair.html

Croxton had really cool shoes, but who was he related to? Croxton Pryor was one of the children of John Pryor and Mary Cox.  John and Mary are mentioned in William Cox’ will, filed in Essex Co., VA. The will was proved in 1754 and mentions also John and Mary’s children: Mildred, Caty, Croxton, and Frankey.  Frankey Pryor was married in Cumberland Co., VA in 1773 to John Ford Jr. Perhaps Frankey was alive in 1810 as there was a John Ford recorded on the census in Cumberland County.

Col. William Pryor of Goochland Co. was married to Sarah Wood whose mother was Martha Cox.  I’m thinking there may be a connection between these Pryor/Cox families.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,

Pryor Brothers: Thornton and Samuel

Posted on by
Race Horses Crash Fence

I know… there are alot of Thornton and Samuel Pryors, so I should clarify which brothers.  Thornton born about 1781 and Samuel born between 1760 – 1785 were the sons of Joseph Pryor of Botetourt County, VA and his wife Mary Flemming. They were grandsons of Col. Samuel Pryor and Prudence Thornton.

Recently I spent some time searching and reading through Revolutionary War Pension applications. I didn’t find on filed for Joseph Pryor, however I found that serveral men who had filed for pensions claimed to have served under Capt. Joseph Pryor of Botetourt County. I’ve posted quotes that contain information of where they marched and fought while in his companty (read more).  The last record I found of Joseph Pryor in Virginia was when he sold 3 slaves in 1800. He was recorded that same year in Woodford County, KY.

Based upon the date  of his will, Joseph Pryor died in Bourbon County around 1813. His sons Samuel and Thornton were named in his will.  I’ve found traces of Samuel and Thornton in Tennessee and beyond, slowly piecing together their family trees.

I suspect that Samuel and Thornton traveled to Tennessee as part of their ventures in breading thrououghbread horses. In 1806 there was unclaimed mail for Samuel Pryor and Thornton Pryor at the Nashville Post Office. I found in “The Papers of Henry Clay” (yes, the same Henry Clay who was a politician and a statesman!) “Thornton was the brother of Samuel Pryor, trainer and part owner of the horse, Truxton, which raced under Andrew Jackson’s colors.” And, yes indeed this was the same Jackson who became the hero of New Orleans in the War of 1812, later the seventh president of the United States and the guy on the twenty dollar bill. I did some more searching to when General Andrew Jackson owned Truxton and found a 1832 statement that claimed Truxton was sold to Jackson twenty-five years earlier; in about 1807, by “Samuel Pryor of Kentucky.”

It’s facinating how it all comes together! Gen. Jackson was from Middle Tennessee. 1807 is about the time letters were held in Nashville for Thornton and Samuel.  In 1814 Thornton Pryor was accused in an assault case in Robertson County, TN;  I suspect this is the same Thornton Pryor.

The last known records I’ve found of Thornton Pryor was the petition he filed in 1828 concering his father’s estate and then the 1830 Census in Owen Co., KY.

I suspect that Samuel Pryor, the one who sold Truxton to Jackson, is the Samuel Pryor counted on the 1830 Census in Montgomery County, TN. In 1830 this Samuel was 50 to 59 years old (born between 1771-1780) which makes him the right age to be a son Joseph and Mary Pryor.

The Samuel in Montgomery County had only one known child, although there were several younger peopel recorded in his household on the 1830 census. Samuel’s known child was Edward L. Pryor who married Martha A Ryburn and then in 1845 he settled in Hemstead County, AR.  When Edward arrived in Arkansas there was already a Richard Pryor born in Virginia and living in Hempstead County.   Both men appear to have been literate and prominent in the county: Richard was a postmaster and Edward L. a census taker.  Richard Pryor was the trustee of the Spring Hill Male Academy. I haven’t ruled out that Richard and Edward were brothers, however there was only one male 20-29 years old in Samuel’s house in 1830 and that was most likely Edward L.

If you’ve been reasearching this line, please share by commenting!

SOURCES:

American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, Volume 4 by J S Skinner, publ.  September 1832.

The American Race Turf Register, Sportsman’s Herald and General… by Patrick Nisbett Edgar of Granville County, NC in 1833

Making the American Thoroughbred: Especially in Tennessee, 1800-1845, by James Douglas Anderson, Balie Peyton

Category: About TN Lines, Arkansas Pryors, Kentucky Pryors, Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Affluent Pryor Families in Virginia

Posted on by

Recently I found myself  grouping Pryors by affluence. The Pryor families in Colonial and early-American Virginia were similar to other well- known figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. In the 1700’s and early 1800’s land was a measure of wealth. Heads of families saw themselves as yeoman farmers, gentry. Education was prized and the affluent Pryor families patronized universities. The affluent Pryors served their country during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, holding the rank of Major, Colonel, and General.

Col. Samuel Pryor b. 1698 > John Pryor b. 1743 > Richard Pryor and Ann Bland> Theodorick  Pryor > Roger A Pryor. Nancy Bland who married Richard Pryor was the grand-daughter of a president of William and Mary College (William Yates).  Theodorick Pryor attended Hamden Sydney College.  One biography of Theodorick Pryor states that he met with Jefferson Davis several times.  Roger A Pryor, the son of Theodorick Pryor was a member of congress, Civil War general,  and a judge in NY state after the Civil War. Theodorick’s brother, Richard Pryor was a trustee of Spring Hill Male Academy.

Col. Samuel Pryor b. 1698 > John Pryor b. 1743 > Luke Pryor & Ann Batte Lane> Luke  Pryor  b. 1820 & John Benjamin Pryor. Luke Pryor was a US Senator and his brother John Benjamin Pryor was a noted race horse trainer for affluent Adam Lewis Bingaman (member of the MS house of representative and senate).

Col. Samuel Pryor b. 1698 > John Pryor b. 1743 > Richard Pryor and Ann Bland > Philip Pryor > Samuel B Pryor and Charles R. Pryor. Richard Bland was a member of the first Continental Congress. His daughter Ann Bland married John Pryor, a son of Col. Samuel Pryor of Goochland Co., VA.  Their son Philip settled in Brunswick Co., VA and was the father of Samuel B. Pryor who was a cadet in the first class at Virginia Military Institute (VMI), attended Hamden Sydney College and became the first mayor of Dallas, TX. Samuel’s brother, Charles R. Pryor, was the editor of the Dallas Herald, held a medical degree from the University of Virginia and was the Secretary of State for the Confederate State of Texas.

Christopher Pryor b. 1745 – d. 1803, John C. (Clayton) Pryor was a governor of William and Mary College; he sat on the Board of Visitors from 1816 to 1837.

Brazure  Williams Pryor b. 1775-1794 Served as a Brigadere General in the War of 1812. Member of the Virginia House of Delegates.  He also hosted General Lafayette on his return to the US in 1824. Customs Collector at the Port of Norfolk. Bazure was the grandson of Brazure Williams and possibly the son of a Samuel Pryor who was named as Williams’ son-in-law in his will.

David Pryor b. 1738 and Susan Ballow of Amherst Co.> Their daughter Mitchie Pryor married Randolph Jefferson the brother of President Thomas Jefferson.  Their son Nicholas B. Pryor wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1813 requesting a military appointment and later became a county commissioner in Nashville. Nicholas’ sons were lawyers and postmasters, and his daughters married well (Emily married James Dibrell who was a physician).

Major John Pryor who married Ann Beverly Whiting. He served in the American Revolution and resided in Richmond, Va from the time of his marriage in 1807. A Randolph cousin of Thomas Jefferson’s lived in their household. He was wealthy enough to own a pleasure park and owned race horses.

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , , , ,
← Newer Entries