Tag Archives: Sumner County

Map of Pryor Land Grants

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map-pryors-sumner2

I had to get out the map again. I can understand that Sumner County was one of the first counties in TN and that it was divided to make other counties and then those counties were divided into other counties. What I wasn’t understanding was where the Pryors were in relationship to each other.

Thank goodness many of the old deeds have a water source noted. I would never have found locations by the old white oak or a hickory tree noted on many deeds (Google Maps for some reason doesn’t pick up trees as land marks LOL!).

So, the map above shows a yellow border that represents “roughly” the original boundary of Sumner County.  I’ve marked in purple the water sources mentioned in Pryor deeds. The Pryors are grouped below.

Drake’s Creek

In 1793 William Pryor was assigned land from Jesse Goldsmith. He received 640 acres on Drake’s creek. It’s believed he is the same William Pryor who appeared on 1794 Tax list “on Drake’s  Creek.  He was counted with William Bird and Benjamin Downs who were closely associated with William Pryor who was in Stewart County, TN by 1804. If this is the William Pryor who went to Stewart County, then he may be the William on the 1793 Tax list near Philip Trammel — William of Stewart County married Betsy Trammel. More on this William in my next post.

Blackburn Fork, Roaring River

In 1802 Jacob Ward (or Work?) was granted land in Jackson County on the Roaring River near a path that led between William Pryor and John Pryor, so it’s believed William and John were there before 1802.  The 1803 Tax List of Jackson County states  Joseph Pryor and John Pryor were in the county and Joseph was living among men who were deeded land on the Roaring River.  In 1850 there were still Pryors on Blackburn Fork: Nancy Pryor, William and Alsey (more on Blackburn’s Fork…)

Caney Creek

An 1802 indenture indicates the men connected to this property and also a connection to Richard and Mourning Pryor.

1802 Smith County, TN Court Order – Tuesday, March 18, 1802 – Smith Co., TN. Ordered that Richard Lancaster, Tom Lancaster, William Pryor, James Pryor, Will Walker, John Goad and David Morrison view, mark and lay off a road from Lancaster’s Ferry on the Caney Fork River to intersect Walton’s Road at the most convenient (place) going toward Knoxville.

1802 Smith County, TN Land Record. Deed Book B, Pages 94-95. Indenture made 10 May 1802. Names 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. Describes property part of Tract of three thousand acres lying on the Caney fork of Cumberland River, formerly the property of Howel Tatum (this may be the land purchased from Tatum in Sumner County).

Mansker Creek

The Pryor’s on Mansker Creek were late-comer’s to Sumner County. The 1827 TN Land Grant to Emily Prior and Preston Kennedy states they were granted 225 acres on the “head” of Mansker Creek. I did my best to find Mansker Creek in current-day Sumner County, but could only find it on a map slightly out of the county line.

South Tunnel

I marked South Tunnel on the map because my ancestor Allen L. Pryor reported in the Goodspeed History of Sumner County that his father moved to Sumner County in 1828 or so and purchased a farm near South Tunnel.

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: , , , ,

Can We Clean Up the Mess In the Jackson Co., TN Records?

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First I found Joseph Pryor on the 1803 Jackson Co., TN Tax List, THEN I found him on the 1805 Tax list in Blount County, TN.  However, when I looked at the 1805 document it’s clear that it’s the 1803 list. Who knows when this happened— the pages could have been photographed twice when the National Archives photographed the records for microfilm.

There IS a John and a Joseph Pryor on the 1803 Jackson Co., TN Tax List.

John Pryor is in Captain Smith Hutcherson’s Dist, recorded near Elijah Ewing, Caleb Job, Daniel Job, Elijah Ray.

My Notes: Elijah Ewing shadows the “heirs” Richard Pryor (husband of Mourning) through the records and helps to point at other Pryors who are related to Richard’s line– more on Elijah Ewing in my next post! Caleb Job, Daniel Job, and Elijah Job were all recorded as Richard’s “heirs” on a 1811 document in Logan Co., TN.  I don’t think this John Pryor is the Jonathan Pryor born 1788 in Logan County, he was 15 in 1803 and this John is likely to be older if he is the same man who was on the 1793 list (born 1772 or earlier). A possible fit is John Pryor who married Ruth Sherrill in Greene Co., TN and lived in White Co., TN. I kind of like this John Pryor for this John because we know that he was in Greene County and likely followed the other Pryors to Sumner, Jackson and later White Co., TN.

Still on the 1803 Tax List, Joseph Pryor is in Captain Russell’s Dist, recorded with William Russell, James Taylor, William Walden

My Notes: Based on deeds in Jackson Co. these men lived on Roaring River. Joseph Pryor was surety for James Taylor’s marriage in Greene Co., TN. Joseph Pryor, William Russell, and William Walden all signed a petition in 1789 in Greene Co. There are no age indicators on the tax list, however he could be the Joseph Pryor on the 1820 Census in Jackson County as residents on the Roaring River, even after earlier county divisions, remained in later Jackson County records.

Another question came up regarding 1803 Tax List —

I found an old edition of Ansearchin’ News online with the transcribed 1803 list.tngs.org/ansearchin/pdf/1995-3.pdf. The entire tax list was transcribed, so I was able to compare the old list to the Ancestry film. That’s when I found another there’s another Joseph Pryor on the Ancestry film of the list, but he’s not on the Ansearchin’ transcipt… and there is a Thomas Pryor

I suspect the transcript in the Ansearchin’ News is correct and that the pages in the Ancestry film are mixed up. Are these earlier or later records? Were they from Jackson County or another county? Anyone got an idea when these following record were from?

On the mixed-in page the district is not shown at the top. Thomas Pryor recorded with Elijah Ewing, Luke Mayfield, Stephen Dill, Arter Dill, David Dill, Seth Mayberry, William Crocker, John and William Dill.

My Notes: Based on deeds in Jackson Co., these are the Pryors on Roaring River in Jackson Co., TN. Elijah “Ewine” on the 1801 petition not to join Smith Co with Wilson Co. Elijah Ewing was on early tax lists in 1790’s in Sumner County, TN and with the “heirs” of Richard Pryor on the 1803 Tax List. The Dills and the Crockers married in to the Pryors of Jackson County– Serena Dill married Alfred Pryor b. 1808, Sary Pryor b. 1764 was living with John Y Crocker in 1850, Mary Ann and Rhoda Pryor who were living with William Pryor in 1850 married Crocker brothers. 

Also on the Ancestry list… Joseph Pryor recorded with James Whitson, John Hunter, Joseph Copeland, James Bartlett, William Haws, William Whitaker

My Notes: Based on deeds in White Co. these are the Pryors on Caney Creek in Dry Valley, White Co. Joseph Pryor b. 1792 married Mary Bartlett and in 1828 was deeded property that bordered by the Hunters in White County. Seth Maberry and Joseph Pryor are on the 1820 Census in Jackson Co., TN. 

Category: About TN Lines | Tags: , , , , ,

John and William Pryor on Sumner County Tax List

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tax-listI’m not ready to scrap my question of the ID early Pryors in Sumner County. I see that William is connected to Richard Pryor, but still wondering if he was a son or other relative.

  • I read through the early Tax Lists of Sumner County and found that Philip Trammel Sr. and Jr were in the county by 1789 and were recorded near William Pryor in 1793. The Trammells are kin to William Pryor of Stewart County (William of Stewart County was married to Betsy Trammell).
  • Richard and Mourning Pryor were in Logan County, KY where Richard bought land in 1796. Philip Trammel went to Logan Co.
  • I see that the land transactions in Sumner Co. are for land that was later in Smith County, TN. John Pryor was bonded to (borrowed money from?) Howell Tatum in 1791 and William Pryor bought land from Tatum in 1794, William’s tract was recorded as bordered by land owned by John Pryor and John Hannah (a Mary Pryor had married John Hannah). In 1802 Richard’s widow sold land “formerly the property of Howel Tatum.” to James Ewing and the deed was recorded in Smith County.
  • Researchers have speculated that the Jonathan Pryor born 1788 living in Logan County was the son of Richard and Mourning Pryor. I think he’s too young to have been the John who was bonded to Howell Tatum in Sumner County in 1791. Do they let 3 year-olds enter into legal arrangements? Yet because of the proximity of John’s Sumner County land to William Pryor and William’s land mentioned in the 1802 deed, it’s likely that John was kin to William who was kin to Richard and Mourning Pryor
  • Going through the TN Tax Lists is vexing.  There are obviously years missing and the images show frayed edges and missing portions of sheets.  John Pryor was recorded in Sumner County in 1791, yet he doesn’t appear on a tax list until 1793. I know I ask this all the time… Where’s John Pryor?! He could be the John Pryor recorded with Richard Pryor on the 1783 Tax List in Greene County, TN. Could be.
Category: Tennessee Pryors | Tags: , , ,

Pryors on the Tennessee Tax Lists

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TaxesApril 15th has passed and now we can look at taxes for fun (hopefully). The Tennessee Tax Lists are up on Ancestry.com and I’ve had some fun going through them. There are a couple of connections that I’d like to share – just in case they will help out another Pryor researcher.

First I found on the 1794 Sumner County Tax List William Pryor. I’ve had several researchers tell me that this William was a son of Richard Pryor and Mourning Thompson. I looked at his neighbors on the list and found Elijah Ewing and Benjamin Downs are close by. In the early 1800’s Benjamin Downs is on several records in Stewart County with the William Pryor who later migrated to Austin’s Colony in Texas. So is William in Sumner County the same man?

I love these kind of questions because it’s like a domino effect… ask one question and how we look at other data comes into question.  Was he the same William who was surety for the Sumner Co. marriages of Mary Pryor to John Hannah, and Jenny Pryor to George Fairly (or Farely). Was he the William Pryor who in 1796 signed a bond for Richard Pryor for 200 pounds VA money for a tract of 2565 acres on the Cainey Fork of the Cumberland? Wouldn’t it make more sense in that kind of transaction that William might be Richard’s brother and not his son?

I mentioned Elijah Ewing. He is on the 1805 Tax List for Blount County—on the same page as a Thomas Pryor.  Let’s throw another name into the mix for Blount County — There’s a Joseph Pryor in that county on the 1805 Census.  I suspect that he was the same Joseph Pryor who was on the 1803 Tax List for Jackson County because both men were recorded near John Whitson.  The Whitsons were connected to the Pryors of White County. Researchers report Jeremiah Whitson married Susannah Pryor in about 1804, and Elizabeth Pryor married James Whitson.

It’s been speculated that Thomas is Thompson Pryor, who was a son of Richard and Mourning Pryor, and that Joseph, Susannah, and Elizabeth are additional children of Richard and Mourning Pryor.

Puzzle solvers welcome!

Category: Tennessee Pryors | Tags: , , , , ,

Initial DNA Results on Sumner, Overton, and Virginia Pryors

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I used to start blog posts alerting Sumner County Pryors to new finds in my family tree.  After creating my theory of how my Sumner County (and Overton County Pryors) connect with Pryors in Amherst,  Henrico, Goochland, and other Virginia Counties… I need to find something more encompassing. Perhaps alerting folks to an update to Nicholas the Headright family tree?

So anyone related to Nicholas Pryor who entered Virginia in 1688 I have some NEWS.

Recently one of my relatives took a DNA test.  We got some interesting results.

First, we found that our tree connects with a cousin Nancy L. Childress.  Nancy L. was the niece of Abraham Childress.  Therefore she was also a cousin of the Miss Childress who married David Pryor a son of Nicholas Pryor.  This is big news because it helps to support my theory that our Pryor line is descended from Nicholas, David and Miss Childress.

I went back and looked at relationships in the family tree.  Let’s consider this… when John Pryor and his wife Massie and his brother William and  his wife Spicy came to Sumner and Overton Counties in TN, they were living near their relatives who were settled in Nashville.  David Pryor and wife Susannah  Ballow of Nashville were the Uncle and Aunt of John and William Pryor.

I think that’s pretty stunning.  David and Susannah’s daughter Mitchie married President Thomas Jefferson’s brother.  Mitchie’s son John Randolph Jefferson (1816-1845) is buried in Nashville City Cemetery (view his tombstone).

I’m not letting this Jefferson connection go. There’s also a family tree I’ve reviewed that suggests our Pryor line has a DNA connection to Peter Jefferson.  Now I’m wondering where the “other” Jefferson marriage is in our family tree! Perhaps Nicholas’ wife Susannah was a Jefferson or his grandson John (father of the Sumner/Overton  John and William) married a Jeffereson?

Always another Pryor mystery to solve!

Category: Virginia Pryors | Tags: , , ,
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