Tennessee Pryors

I’m sharing excerpts of the online records I reviewed of people who seem to be connected through the line of John Henry Pryor, Catharine Pryor Lansford, and Luke Pryor in Williamson County, TN. Maybe you have more documentation to figure out these lines back to their Virginia roots.

My apologies. I didn’t put these people in alpha-order or in order by the date of the will. They are strictly in the order I reviewed these documents in my notes.

NICHOLAS PERKINS

[Husband of Leah Pryor, daughter of John Henry Pryor of Orange Co., NC]
Will signed 10 March 1792 and proven in court January 1801 om Davidson County. Wife: Leah. Children: Peter, Hardin, Daniel, John Pryor. Wits: James Walker, Thomas Smith, John Pryor.

HENDLEY STONE

[Second husband of Eliza Perkins who first married John Pryor, a grandson of John Henry Pryor of Orange Co., NC]
Will signed 6 June 1829. Wife Mary. Children: Elizabeth Stone, John Hendley Stone, Jane Hungerfoot Stone, Virginia Stone, Agnes  Jenkins, Polly Reynolds, Alfred Stone, “oldest son” Nicholas Stone, and daughter Sary Ann Stone which he described as a “cryple.” Executors: wife Mary, son-in-law Walter Jenkins. Wits: Nicholas P Stone, William H. Crews. The will was amended in 1831 with same witnesses. Estate sale dated 1834.

JOHN DABNEY SR.

[John Dabney, husband of Margaretta Smith, grand-daughter of John Henry Pryor of Orange Co., NC]
Will signed 16 Jan 1824. Wife not mentioned. Children: John, William, Charles Anderson, Elizabeth Warren, Anna Bennett, Nancy H Bond, Peggy S. McLemore, Bethenia S. McLemore. Daughter-in-law: Elizabeth Dabney wife of William. Grandchildren: (children of deceased daughter Polly Minor House) Robert McLemore House, Lemuel Smith House, Elizabeth Jenkins House. Wits: Nicholas Perkins Jr. , John P Smith, Ezekial …..? 1831 Esate inventory completed. 1833 final settlement signed by William Bond, administrator.

GEORGE REYNOLDS

[Husband of Susannah Lansford, daughter of Catherine Pryor and Henry Lansford of Pittsylvania County, VA]
Will signed 21 May 1813. Wife Susannah. Children: Richard, Pryor, George, Thomas, Elizabeth Hughes, Susannah Hughes, Joncey Bennett, Nancy, Polly, Sarah, Bethany. Son-in-law Richard Hughes. Mentions tract of land near William Stone and Pryor Reynolds. Mentions that he has right to a tract of land in Virginia known as the Charles Baker (or Parker?) old place. Wits: John Witherspoon, Hendley Stone, Edmond Warren, John T Bennett.

SUSANNAH (LANSFORD) REYNOLDS

[Daughter of Catherine Pryor and Henry Lansford of Pittsylvania County, VA]
The inventory of her estate is dated 1821. It was completed by Thomas Reynolds. Items in the estate were sold to Hendley Stone, Richard Reynolds, Nicholas T. Perkins, John House, and others.

DAVID SQUIRE

[Husband of Sarah Pryor, sister of Luke, Catherine, Susannah and John C. Pryor]
Will signed 9 November 1818. Wife Sarah. Daughter Elizabeth Lowry. Wits: Thomas Hardman, ??? Cameron, Robert Davis. Inventory dated 11 January 1819 and signed by Sarah Squire, executrix.

SUSANNAH (PRYOR) STEPHENSON

[Sister of Luke, Catherine, Sarah, and John C Pryor]
Will signed 21 April 1854. Husband Jeremiah Stephenson. Nephews: William P. Smith, Henry B. Pryor. Niece: Mary Taylor. Grandnieces and Grandnephews: William Smith, Luke Smith, Susan Smith, Elizabeth Smith. Executor: William Harrison Sr. Wits: Isaac G Neely, P.M.W. McConnell

SAMUEL WINSTEAD

[Husband of Susannah Pryor, sister of Luke, Catherine, Sarah, and John C. Pryor]
Will signed 24 March 1845. Wife: Susannah. Brother: John Winstead (his children were heirs). Sister: Mason Wilson. Nephew: John Caing? Wits: A. B. Ewing, Isaac G Neely. Of interest in the will– Winstead willed that his slaves be set free after his death and taken to the free country of Liberia. There is another loose record (1872) where Samuel Neely (“colored”) and wife Sarah Winstead, a former slave of Samuel Winstead, brought a case for money left left to the slaves in Samuel Winstead’s will.

SARAH (PRYOR) McPHAIL

[Sister of Luke, Catherine, Susannah, and John C Pryor]
Will signed 2 May 1851. Heirs: Luke L. Smith, Mary Taylor wife of William Taylor. Executor: “friend” Gilbert Marshall. Wits: M. L. Andrews, Samuel S. House. A second will in the file names William Pryor Smith, Mary A Pryor, Rhoda A Pryor, grandchildren “of my brother John Pryor.” The estate was disputed in Chancery Court: William G. Smith and wife sued Susanna Winstead, et al. The court records state Sarah died 1851 at the house of E. G. Clouston.

DANIEL CARTER

[Husband of Sarah Pryor, sister of Luke, Catherine, Sarah, and John C Pryor]
Will signed 6 January 1841. Wife: Sarah. Children: Anderson Carter, Milton Carter, Benjamin Carter, Harriet Roland, Eliza Smith. Grandson: Daniel Carter. Wit: Robert Davis, G. W. Trimble.

JOHN TAPLEY

[Son of Lucy Pryor and Hosea Tapley, grandson of John Henry Pryor]
Account of Estate Sale dated April 1809. Only child: Polly Tapley. Debts to Robert McLemore, Thomas H. Perkins. Administrators: Thomas H Perkins, Thomas Edmonton. People who purchased items from the estate: David Squire, Peter Perkins, John Witherspoon, Robert McLemore, Nicholas T. Perkins, Amos Bullock. Also included in the file, but not easily read, a document dated 1812 from Wilkinson Co., GA.

ROBERT McLEMORE

Will signed 1822. Wife: Peggy. Children: Robert McLemore, Atkins J. McLemore, John D. McLemore, Bethenia Anne Green McLemore, John Dabney McLemore, Polly Minor McLemore, Robert Weakly McLemore, Peggy Smith McLemore. Mentions land bordering Nicholas T Perkins. “I desire that my worthy friend Daniel Perkins should be guardian to my daughter Bethenia who is also his granddaughter.” Executors: Wife Peggy, son Atkins J. McLemore, friends Charles A Dabney, Nicholas P. Smith . Wits: N. Perkins Jr., James Wrenn, John G—? (both Nicholas Perkins and Daniel Perkins are mentioned in the case of Eliza C. Perkins v. Joshua Hadley. It indicates the Perkins had purchased land near Nashville as early as the 1790’s (see case) and see Nicholas Perkins will above filed in Davidson County)

JOHN COCHRAN

Will signed 11 February 1821. Wife: Susannah. Children: Elizabeth Brown, James Cochran, Nancy Mences. The heirs of William Cochran: Sally Garner, Polly Mullen, Peggy Ireland, Nelly Cochran, John Cochran, Jane Cochran, Ammon Cochran. Acknowledges a first wife and last wife. Execs: William H. Nance, William Anthony. Wits: Luke Pryor, Elandor Pryor, Keziah Jones (she is noted on other records as Keziah P. Jones).  Estate settlement dated 30 June 1827.

LUKE PRYOR

[Brother of Sarah, Catherine, Susannah, and John C Pryor]
Will date 19 August 1844. Wife: Nelly (also stated as Eleanor). Henry B Pryor, William P Smith, Pasty Smith King, Mary Taylor, Luke L Smith, Martha J King, James Talyor (Joseph Taylor’s son) . Sister: Sarah Carter. Wits: David Campbell, M L Anderson, John B McEwen. There are codicils allowing for property Luke gave away in his lifetime. The will was proved in 1848.

HENRY CHILDRESS

Estate sale dated 2 February 1814. Administrators: John Childress, William Smith. People who purchased from the estate: Edward Reynolds, Martin Smith, Pryor Reynolds, Elizabeth Childress, Nicholas Perkins, Richard Hughes, Samuel Cox, Harrison Boyd, William Shute, Angus McPhail. Wife: Elizabeth C Childress. Children: Eliza A., Margery S., Thomas M., Sally C. . Guardian Bond: Edwin H. Childress.