1764-1771- John Henry Pryor and the Regulators

John Henry Pryor was the son of Robert Pryor (b 1663 England d 29 Oct 1757 Gloucester, Va) and Elizabeth Virginia Greene (b 1667 Gloucester Va d 1761 Gloucester Va) It is thought that Robert Pryor was in Virginia by 1674.

In 1775, John Henry Pryor was 60 years old and living in Orange County, NC.
His wife was Margaret Gaines. In 1777 they were in Caswell County NC.

We know a great deal about John Pryor from the will he wrote in  September 1771 in Orange County, NC.  He was a wealthy man. Besides lands beyond his plantation, totaling over 1,000 acres,  he leaves at least 26 slaves to his children and grandchildren. He lists furniture including numerous feather beds, and extensive livestock including horses and cows. To his wife Margaret he leaves the plantation, 12 slaves, two stills, and his stock. David Womack and William Stone (his son in laws) were named executors of his will.

The Womacks and Pryors lived in the frontier of western NC. There was friction between these frontiersmen and the eastern colonial government in NC led by Gov. Wm. Tryon. The western settlers felt they were excessively taxed and ruled by dishonest officials. They rebelled against the taxes and fees. Tryon, who had built himself an exhorbitant palace, and was seen as corrupt by the settlers, sent out over 1000 men in 1768 to meet a force of Regulators numbering nearly 4,000. Several leaders of the Regulators were arrested but released without bloodshed.

Herman Husbands (who was considered the chief agitator of the Regulators)  and John Pryor both represented Orange County in the NC House of Burgesses.https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr08-0068
http://www.sonsofdewittcolony.org/mckstmerreg2.htm


In 1769, John Pryor was a county representative in the colonial assembly in NC as well as a prominent Regulator. In September 1770, the court met at Hillsborough, and was disrupted by the Regulators which drove the crown's attorney, Edmund Fanning, out of town. Governor Tryon sent out a military expedition with 1000 men and met the Regulators at Alamance, where they fought. 15 Regulators were taken prisoner and 7 of these were executed at Hillsborough.

 Many of the frontiersmen fled from NC after this battle and would become patriots in the American Revolution several years later.
Herman Husbands and John Pryor were leaders of the movement, but Herman Husbands was expelled from the House of Burgesses in 1770 while John Pryor was allowed to remain.
John Pryor died while serving in the House of Burgesses in New Bern in 1771.




His daughter, Mildred, was married to David Womack, son of Richard Womack III. In 1777 and 1780 they were living in Caswell County, NC. where David's name was on a petition to the House of Burgesses in 1779., In 1800 they were living in Hillsborough, NC.

David migrated to Burke County Georgia, where in 1792 he had 100 acres and in 1793 he added an additional 200 acres of land. He and his brother John were chain carriers (surveyors.)

Mildred may have died in Beaufort, SC in 1804.

By 1804 the family had moved to Greensburg in St. Helena Parish, La., where David died.

Their children, born between 1764 and 1785 were Richard Mansel, Dorothy Pryor, David II, Abner, Abraham, Jacob Green and William Washington Womack. The children of David Womack II would migrate to Trinity County Texas.

Early Paths to the Carolinas

https://www.cyndislist.com/migration/miscellaneous/?page=2

Timeline for Jesse Womack's Extended Family in North Carolina and Georgia

date	Place	Event
1741 Apr 23	Amelia County, Va.	Richard Womack purchases land
1758	Lunenburg Co. Va.	Abraham Womack private in Va. Colonial Militia, French and Indian War (serves with John Mitchell-future brother in law)
1761	Orange Co. NC	Aug 1761, Orange Co, NC Court minutes, 57-252, "Ordered that Richard Womack, Jacob Womack, Abraham Womack, Josiah Aldey {sic, Richard Womack's son-in-law}, Robert McFarland, Andrew Evans, Frederick Kerlock, Robert Donaldson, Hugh Barnet, William Barnet, William Chambers Jr, Edward Chambers & John Hurley be appointed a jury to lay out and open a road to begin where the road from the County line crosses the road leading from where John Pryor, Esq lives to Orange County house, thence ... to .. Granville County line, and that Edward Chambers, Robert McFarland & Thomas Douglas be appointed overseers."
1763	Granville Co. NC	Abraham Womack marries Martha Mitchell
1765	Orange Co. NC	Abraham Womack buys 166 acres on Hico Creek adjoining land of John Pryor (patent book 14, p.385) dated 7 Jun 1761
1767	Orange Co NC	Abraham buys 205 acres Mayo Creek (formerly belonging to Philip Pryor)
1771	St. George Parish Ga. (later Burke Co. now Jefferson Co.)	3 Sep 1771, St. George Parish, GA {later Burke Co, GA; the area where the Womacks lived is modern Jefferson Co, GA}. Georgia Land Owner's Memorial 1758-1776. John Womack, 100 acres, St. George Parish, 2/100, 14 Dec 1771. Bounded on NW by John Emanuel, SW by Richd Womack and Peter Grant, other sides vacant. Granted to self 3 Sep 1771. Signed by Abraham Womack for John Womack.
1771	Rocky Comfort Creek, Burke, Ga.	Richard Womack and his wife were living here with four children and six negroes. Colonial Records of GeorgiaVol. X page 897.
1771 Sept.	Rocky Comfort Creek, Burke, Ga.	Capt. Jonathan Kemp moved from NC to St. George Parish (Burke Co) in abt 1768 and bought 100 acres of land on Rocky Creek. Here he met and married Sally “Patsy” Womack. Colonial Records of Georgia by Chandler Vol. XII page 52
1772	Orange Co NC	30 Mar 1772, Orange Co, NC, Orange Co, NC Deed Book 3, p.483, dated 30 Mar 1772, Abraham Womack of Orange to Alexander Davison of same, 205 acres, W side of May Creek {sic, Mayo Creek in modern north-east Person Co, NC}, on Thomas King's line, formerly Philip Pryor's. note that in 1777 the northern part of orange county became caswell county
1773 Nov 15	St. George (Burke Co.) Ga.	St. George Parish, GA - Richard Womack of St George to son Jesse Womack, slave Tom, witnessed by Abraham Womack and Martha (her M mark) Womack; proved by Abraham Womack 9 Dec 1773.
1781	NC	Jonathan Kemp was a Captain in Burke’s Regt, NC Militia during the Revolution. Then returned to Georgia
1783 Nov 3	Wilkes Co. Ga.	Wilkes Co, GA, Abraham Womack warrant for 500 acres, warrant dated 3 Nov 1783; surveyed 6 Nov 1783; on Gravils Creek, near Powels Creek of Ogechee, bounding on all sides by vacant land. (granted 1785)
1783 Nov 3	Wilkes Co. Ga.	Wilkes Co, GA, Abraham Womack warrant for 300 acres, warrant dated 3 Nov 1783; surveyed 6 Nov 1783; on the head of Harden's Creek of Little River, bounded by vacant land on all sides. (granted 1789)
1784	Burke Co. Ga.	Jonathan Kemp elected to the Georgia Legislature and serves as a Justice in Burke Co.
1784 Jan 28	Burke Co. Ga.	Francis Boykin (later migrates to Tombigbee) a “refugee soldier” of Burke Co. Appoints Jonathan Kemp, Esq. to obtain his bounty land.
1790	Burke Co. Ga.	Headrights include:Boykin, Francis and Jesse, Coleman, Francis, Fussell, William, Harvey, Blassingame, Kemp, Daniel, Pace, James, Prior, Robert, Warmack, Mary, Warmock, Jesse (plus Taylors, Walkers, and others)
1791 Jan 20		Death of Sally “Patsy” Womack Kemp Jonathan Kemp remarries Elizabeth Cox
1796	Hancock Co. Ga.	Abraham Womack deeds land and possessions to children, witnessed by David Womack
1797 May 25	Hancock Co. Ga.	Abraham and Martha Womack deed Francis Coleman, husband of dtr. Mary, 75 acres on Graybill’s Creek Hancock Co., GA Deed Book B, 1794-1802, pages 475, 545, 546
1797 June 2	Hancock Co. Ga.	Last Will and Testament of Abraham Womack, Book A page 219, Hancock Co., GA. Dated 2 June 1797, Court of Ordinary.
1801	St. Helena La.	Jonathan Kemp and his sons sign a petition for claim to West Florida titles Mississippi Territorial Papers of the United States Vol. V 1798-1817page 168