HISTORY of PRYOR FAMILIES in OVERTON COUNTY, TN

• William Pryor and Spicy Taylor
• William and Spicy: Their Children
• William and Spicy's Missing Children?
• Pryors in Overton County: Mid 1800's
• James and Nancy Pryor
• Pryors in Overton County: Late 1800's

William and Spicy Pryor.  Spicy was the daughter of Edmund and Elizabeth Taylor of VA.  Spicy married William Pryor in Campbell Co., VA in 18 August 1809¹.  Spicy's sister, Massa Taylor, married a John Pryor and settled in White Co., TN before moving to Overton and Sumner Co., TN².  The relationship between Spicy and her Taylor siblings was documented in her father's 1824 will³ and in a 1831 lawsuit⁴ filed in Sumner Co. that names all of the Taylor siblings and the Pryor spouses.  Spicy's children are not as clearly documented as her siblings.  If the census records are correct, Spicy and William were the parents of at least twelve children: six males and six females.  Unfortunately, we can not rely on the census records before 1850 to identify William and Spicy's children:  some of the male and female children who have not been located on later year census returns.  There is also the possibility that Spicy's younger Taylor siblings were living in the household in 1830 and 1840. 

Where was William and Spicy Pryor in 1810? There are no Pryors on the 1810 Census of Campbell Co., VA. A William Prier was in Bedford County, the parent county of Campbell⁵ : William and Spicy were married in 1809, their daughter Mary J. was born in 1810, so it is speculated that the older female and other household members were perhaps Spicy's mother and sisters assisting with the new baby.

Spicy's father, Edmund Taylor and her brother Hezekiah were recorded next to each other on the 1820 Campbell Co., VA Census⁶.  William Pryor is not a head of household on the Campbell Co. Census return.  He is found in Overton Co.⁷  William and Spicy moved to Tennessee between 1814/16, their son Overton stated he was born in VA⁸, and the 1820 Census.  A clue lies in Edmund Taylor's will: "all my estate during her natural life after my just debts are paid, after that to be equally divided between all my children except Spicy and Massia, the wives of William and John Pryor."  Spicy may have been excluded from the will because she was already living in Tennessee by 1824.

William was again counted as a head of household on the 1830 Census⁹. He was counted on the same page with his son in law Loderick Garrett and William Chilton who sold land to his Taylor in-laws and was the plaintiff on the 1831 Sumner Co. lawsuit.  It is believed that William died intestate before the 1840 Census¹⁰.

The circumstances of Spicy's death are also vague. She was last counted the 1850 Census in Overton Co¹¹.  Phereba, either her daughter or daughter in law, was living in Sumner Co., TN in 1860¹², close to Spicy's sister Massa Taylor Pryor.  In 1860 Spicy's son Jonathan was in the State Penitentiary in Nashville, convicted of a "malicious stabbing." His 1860 prison record¹³ states his mother and a sister were living in Sumner Co.  Jonathan was convicted on March 12, 1860. The official enumeration day of the 1860 census was 1 June 1860.  Spicy may have died during this small window in 1860.  There is even the possibility that she remarried and can not be found the census record.

Mary J. Pryor.  Mary was born about 1810 in VA¹⁴.  Mary Pryor married Loderick Garrett  who came from Virginia to Tennessee with the Pryor family. Mary and Loderick were on the 1830 and 1840 Census in Overton Co., recorded next to William Pryor in 1830 and Spicy Pryor in 1840.¹⁵ Their known children (gleaned from census records) were Calvin, William, Marion, Sarah/Sally, Jackson, Louvina, Creed, Juda, Martha and Clementine¹⁶.

Solving who were the male children of William and Spicy has been assisted by researcher Barbara Shelton.  She received a letter from her great aunt, Overton's granddaughter Julia Pryor, "Grandpa had a brother name Ches Pryor and one named Ned pryor and one named Bill Pryor.  Uncle Ned was blind and stayed with Uncle Sim part time and one of Uncle Chess' boys." ¹⁷ Overton, Chesley, and Edward "Ned" and possibly a William Pryor were brothers.   

Overton Pryor.  Overton was born about 1814-1816 in VA. ¹⁸  It appears contrived that he was born in VA and named Overton before moving to Overton Co. Perhaps his name was William or something as common, and he was later called Overton in order to avoid confusion.  He was first counted as a head of household in 1840¹⁹ on the same page as his mother Spicy Pryor.   Overton is recorded in the Overton Co. Court Minutes²⁰ working on a road crew with Edward Pryor in 1844.  No marriage record has been found, so it is family history that states Overton married Martha "Patsy" Flowers.  Overton was the father of Anthony Allen, Catharine, Henry Jackson, Samuel, Lucinda, Juda "Judy", Simeon Overton (referred to as Uncle Sim in the above letter), Sarah Spencer, Alvin Collum and Albert Wells who were twins, and Julia. Overton Pryor was last recorded on the 1900 Census.²¹

Jonathan Pryor.  Jonathan's identity was discovered in a round about manner.  In 1860 a John Pryor was incarcerated in the State Penitentiary in Nashville.²²  The prison records give the best information to tie Jonathan Pryor to Spicy and William Pryor: "Born and raised in Overton Co. Father dead. Mother and one sister, wife and three children live in Sumner Co. One sister and three brothers in Overton Co."¹³ This record was first weighed against the data of John and Massa Pryor's family, the only other known Pryor line in Sumner Co. in 1860.  In 1860 John Pryor was deceased, Massa was living in Sumner Co., her daughter Louisa McCulley was also living in Sumner Co.²³, but there is no record of Massa's sons Allen, George, or Samuel living in Overton Co. or any other daughter that might be in Overton Co. In fact, Massa's sons were in Sumner Co.²⁴, except for William who had disappeared by 1860.  Allen and George were heads of households and Samuel was living with his mother. 

William and Spicy's children fit the model of Jonathan's family  described in the prison record.  Mary J. Garrett, Edward, Overton and Chesley were recorded in Overton Co. in 1860.  Phereba/Fereby Pryor who was recorded in Spicy's household in 1850, was living near Massa Pryor in Sumner Co.  If Spicy Pryor was living in Sumner Co. at the time of the record, she was not found there three months later at the time of the Census. 

A 1865 divorce was discovered in Sumner Co.²⁵ in which Eliza Beasley divorced her husband Jonathan Pryor who was incarcerated for a "malicious stabbing."  Jonathan and Eliza married in Smith Co. in 1859.²⁶  The divorce record disclosed that the couple had one child.

Eliza and his one child, Lune or Luke, were found on the 1860 Census in Sumner Co.²⁷  Jonathan's prison record stated he had three children.  It is now known that his other two children were from a previous marriage.  His children William E. and Mary were found in Sumner Co. living with Major May and family on the 1860 Census.²⁸  Taking a step back to the 1850 Census, Jonathan and his son William were found living in Sumner Co.²⁹  In 1850 Jonathan was living with his wife Ellen, Ellen Lee, whom he had married in 1847 in Sumner Co.

The final confirmation that Jonathan is indeed connected to the Pryors of Overton Co, is the Sept. 1849 gift deed in which Jonathan deeded his possessions to his 16 month old son William E. Pryor.  There is no stated purpose of this transaction, but the event speaks of someone attempting to hide assets from the Law.

Jonathan states his place of birth as Overton Co., TN in 1820 or 1830.  No record of Jonathan Pryor has been found after his release from Nashville Penitentiary.

Edward "Ned" Pryor. Edward was born about 1822-1829 in TN.  He was ordered to work a road crew with Overton Pryor in 1844 (see above).  Edward was first recorded as a head of household on the 1850 Census, living in Clinton Co., KY.²²  It appears from census records that Edward had a difficult marriage.  In 1860 Edward was recorded separated from his wife Eliza.²³  Edward served in the Union Army during the Civil War, spending most of the war out of state in military hospitals.²⁴  His military pension states his wife was Eliza Knight, naming their children Shedrick, Melissa Ellen, and Samantha Elizabeth.  The marital discord in this Pryor appears to have resulted in children born to Eliza out side the union.  William Anderson Pryor b. Mar. 1865²⁴, claimed Edward and Eliza Knight as his parents. However, William's birth date is before Edward was discharged in Quincy, IL in May 1865.  Edward is linked to Chesley Allen Pryor, another mysterious Pryor. Chesley's whereabouts before1900 are unknown.  He appears that year on the  Pickett Co., TN Census.²⁴  Ed Pryor is stated as the father of this Chesley on his death record.²⁵  In that Chesley was born in 1847 he may be from a previous marriage or may even be Edward's son Shedrick who only appears named on the 1850 Census and the 1890 military census of Pickett Co.²⁶  Edward Pryor was last counted on the 1900 Census living with his daughter Samantha Elizabeth Smith.²⁷

Chesley Pryor.  Chesley was probably named after Spicy's brother, Chesley Taylor. His date of birth has been clouded in the census records. He was b. 1827 on the 1850 Census when he was living with his mother, and born anywhere between 1822 to 1830 on subsequent records. The 1870 Census, on which he appeared as 57 years old (born in 1813) is probably incorrect since it varies so widely from the other returns. Justice of the Peace John Garrett married Chesley Pryor to Susan Young on August 7, 1851.  Chesley served in the Union Army, D Company 3rd Kentucky Infantry, during the Civil War. Cheley was the father of Parker Young, Charles Levander, John and Nancy Clementine.  Chesley Pryor died Aug. 4, 1910 and is buried in Cope Cemetery in Boom, TN.

Phereba "Fereby" Pryor.  It is still unclear whether positive identification as a daughter of William and Spicy can be made.   Phereba was born in about 1828 in TN.  In 1850 she was living with Spicy Pryor in Overton Co.  In 1860 she was living near Massa Pryor in Sumner Co.  She may be the sister living in Sumner Co. that Jonathan Pryor reports in his prison record.  Phereba is not found on a census after 1860. 

Missing children?  There are 5 additional children who were counted in William and Spicy's household in 1820 and 1830 (before names of spouses and children were included on the census records).  William may have had a son born as early as 1809 and as late as 1820 and another son born between 1826-1830.  Three additional daughters may have existed: one born between 1809-1810 and one between 1811-1815, and one born between 1831-1835.