Austin County Texas

Submitted 11/13/2022 by

Betty Vaughn <txold300@aol.com> 

I am a descendant of Martin Allen and William Pryor, both part of the Old 300.  I have copied from Belleville Courthouse many years ago.  Working from copied  documents was the only way to prove your research back in the 70s and 80s.   I have of course scanned all to my computer now.  Would you like any of this.  it is probates, wills, deeds and anything I found..  

I also would like to correct some of the info on William Pryor.  There has been at least two books written giving his wife as Betsy Green Trammell, daughter of Thomas Trammell. His wife filed a pension application and names all their children and date of birth. She says Betsy Green Trammell was born 11 December 1892. William Pryor and his wife Betsy Trammell has one daughter, Stacy Pryor Barton, who is listed as 31 years old in 1828 by Stephen F Austin in his Registry.  The birth of Stacy and William's children reinforce her age.  I have tried to help some on Ancestry to see the mistakes but have been told that they believe what is written in the books even though it is just stated, no documentation. 

William Pryor & Betsy Trammell 

In tracing our family, we should be very thankful for William Pryor and his desire to identify himself so fully and have his wishes fulfilled. William Pryor stated in his will, his place of birth as Botetourt County Virginia and that his wife and mother of his children was Betsy Trammell, that they “procreated” eleven children, five who died unmarried and six living at the time of his death.  He named his only son. Trammell and his daughters; Stacy, Rosy (Rosanna), Polly (Mary) Harriett and Betsy (Elizabeth, his only maiden daughter) and the husbands of the married daughters.   He appointed William Barton, husband of Stacy Pryor, curator of his estate.  He stated, “my wife, by the providence of God, being dead.”

Other than William Pryor’s will, I have not found Betsy’s name anywhere, so in tracing her, we must look at her husband, children and any other kin we can find. From the 1850 Federal Census we know that her daughter, Harriet Pryor, was born in Tennessee in 1809 and youngest daughter, Elizabeth, was born in Alabama in 1821. This gives us two states to begin the search for records concerning Betsy Trammell and William Pryor. It was from Austin’s Register of Families that I just recently obtained that I found that daughters Stacy was born in 1797 and Mary was born in 1804. This is what caused me to look at the Trammell family research we had all assumed correct so many years ago.

I believe the oldest living child was Stacy Pryor who married William Barton.  Austin’s Registry of Families list William Barton age 47, wife Stacy age 31, 2 sons, 3 daughters, 5 other dependants, from Alabama in 1828, land on the west bank of Colorado above Bahia road above Barton,  12 total in party. That would make Stacy born 1797. Other records and the age of her children confirm this to be correct. I have not found any record of her name being Althea.  I honestly believe that many years ago research was so much harder because to see more we had to go to Courthouses and Libraries in the area we were researching.  I have found a lady with surname Barton whose first name was spelled differently on every record ….. Alcena, Alceria, Allcena, Allcera, Alticeny, Alticerry, Alsara and Alta Sarah.  I will tell you more about her later. I believe this is where Stacy’s name was misstated many years ago and so many have not corrected it.

Mary (Polly) Pryor was born about 1804. Her age was also given in Austin’s Register, listed with her second husband John M Hensley.  She married the first time in Clarke Co., Alabama to Nathaniel Ayers and had one son William P. Ayers. In 1854, Joseph Greer who was the husband of Mary E. Hensley, daughter of John M Hensley and Mary Pryor, swore that Mary Pryor was mother of only two children, William P Ayers and Mary E Hensley and he had known the Ayers and Hensley family since 1833. His affidavit and others dealing with the estate of William P Ayers proves that Mary Pryor that married Nathaniel Ayers in Clarke Co, Alabama was Mary Pryor daughter of our William. Tax and land records for Clarke Co, Alabama list also name William Pryor.

The ages of these two daughters and marriage of Mary are very important to proving both Trammell and Pryor lines.  Over fifteen years ago, another researcher, claimed that our ancestor, Betsy Trammell Pryor, was Betsy Green Trammell, daughter of the Thomas Trammell who was born about 1747 in Virginia and died 22 October 1823 in Pike County Georgia.  I know from pension papers and obituary of his widow Mary Turner Trammell, that they lived in Greenville County, SC during the war years. This Thomas, son of Daniel and Elinor Burke Trammell of Union County, SC was a Revolutionary War soldier. Mary Trammell’s application for her widow’s pension gave marriage information and the birth of their children. Their daughter, Betsy Green Trammell’s date of birth was given as 11 December 1792.  As I have found Stacy born 1797/8 and Mary born 1804, Betsy Green Trammell could not be William Pryor’s wife and mother of the children named in his will.  She would be too young.  William Pryor state that he and Betsy, his wife “procreated eleven children”

When I found this mistake in the bios of William, I began looking for our William elsewhere.  There are many William Pryors (Prior) listed.  I knew that Harriet Pryor was born in Tennessee.  In Stewart County TN, Sampson Trammell died in 1812. He named William Pryor to be guardian of his minor children.  I found several deeds where William bought and later sold land. On two of the last deeds in 1816, William was named as William Pryor of Clarke County Mississippi Territory. (Alabama was formed in 1819, it became Clarke County Alabama.)

I found that Wm Pryor bought land in Clarke County from William Barton in 1818.  I do not know if this is Stacy’s husband.  I know that Elizabeth Pryor, the youngest daughter, was born in Clarke Co. AL in 1821 and Mary Pryor married Nathaniel Ayers in Clarke Co. AL in April of 1820. Also in 1820, William Pryor was elected a Justice of the Peace and his son, Trammell Pryor was elected a constable.  

All the documents I found in Clarke County confirms the William Pryor and his family were in Stewart County, Tennessee, Clarke County Alabama and on to Texas in 1824.  Records and all 3 locations seem to relate that William Pryor was a good and honest citizen. It is always shocking to find a father that disowns his son, but William Pryor disowned Trammell in his will.  His will says:

Wherefore, my son TRAMELL, despising the divine commandments, and violating in repeated instances the laws both of God and man, has wounded my feelings, stained my honor and seized without my leave and dissipated my property & for these execrator excuses he is unworthy to be my son, from this moment forward, in order that he may not remain unpunished and serve as an example to others in the use of the authority which the law concedes to me, I withdraw him and disinherit him from his legitimate, which after my days otherwise might come to him, I deprive him of all right which he may alledge to it, whether on account of alimony or what ever other title, and will that he shall not esteem as my son, the same as if had never been born, and I protest that I do not name him in this testament for my heir or legatee, and that this preterition and disinheriting shall not in any time annul it.

As Trammell was elected a constable in Clarke County, Alabama in 1820, he would have to have been born before 1800.  This seems to show that he could not be the James Pryor in Mississippi.  I am trying to trace that James Pryor to find his parentage. He is probably a nephew or cousin.

Alta Sarah Barton

Now let me explain Alta Sarah Barton. She was a part of Noel Francis Roberts and William Pryor’s Old 300 families.  Yet she never seemed to be around except when a family member died.  Alticeny married Joel Hensley on 6 Jan 1848 in Fort Bend County TX. Their son Edward was born 5 Jan 1849.  The 1850 Census shows them living in Austin County, TX. Sons and in-laws of James Hensley are neighbors.  Joel is thought to be a son of James Hensley who was a brother to John M Hensley who was married to Polly (Mary) Pryor Hensley. Joel died in 1851/2. On 19 Sept 1852, Allcena Hensley married Henry Decker. Henry died within 18 months and on 8 Aug 1854, Mrs. Alcena Decker married Thomas H Hinds. In March of 1860, Laura B Hinds was born to Alcena and Thomas Hinds.  Alcena was dead by the time census was taken.  (The 1860 Mortality Schedule for Texas in which it is reported that Ala S. Hinds died in March 1860. The. reason for her death was given as "confinement", and the length of her illness was 6 days.)

Thomas H Hinds was listed ago 45 with two children, Edward and Laura. The ages were reversed or messed up. Edward was listed as 11/12 – which means 11 months. He was 8 yrs old. Laura was listed at 8 and she was 4/12.

Harriet’s son, Hiram Roberts died in Nov 1852 when he was 18 or 19 years old.  Josiah Roberts, Noel F Roberts oldest living son, petitioned the courts for Hiram’s estate to be settled as Hiram estate was a heir of Noel F Roberts estate of 1075 acres of land in Austin and Fort Bend Counties.  He then names all who would be heirs of Hiram’s estate: Harriet Kemp (was widow of Noel) John Roberts- a minor, Mary Roberts – a minor, Thomas Roberts – a minor, George infant son of Elisha Roberts, dec., Churchill Roberts, James Roberts, Elizabeth Roberts and William Roberts Jr. all infant children of William Roberts, dec., Alta Sarah Decker and Susan Ellen Kemp.  As Hiram was unmarried his heirs would be his parents and brothers and sisters or their heirs.  Therefore, Alta Sarah Decker (by any spelling) had to be a sister. (actually, half-sister – same mother, Harriet)

The probate concludes as follows: The estate to be divided is the estate of Hiram Roberts dec. consisting of 1075 acres of land being in the County of Ft. Bend and a part of the headright of Noel F. Roberts dec.………………  Harriet Kemp, being the mother of said deceased; she is entitled to one half of said estate.  The other one half will be divided and subdivided between the other heirs as follows: to wit John Roberts, Mary Roberts, Thomas Roberts, George Roberts, infant son of Elisha Roberts dec., they being of full blood, they will and are entitled to full and equal shares in the one half of said estate.  And Alta Sarah Decker being of half-blood is entitled to one half share in the one half of said estate.  And Josiah Roberts, being of the half-blood he is entitled to one half share in the one half part of said estate.  Susan Ellen Kemp, being of the half-blood is also entitled to one half share in the one half part of said estate.  And Churchill, James, Elizabeth, and William Roberts, children of William Roberts, Sr. dec. being of the half-blood, they are also entitled to one-half share between them.

            Harriet Pryor Roberts Kemp died in 1854. Her probate records name Alcy as a heir.  She inherited equally with Harriet’s other children. 

In 1861, Harriet’s husband, Edward H Kemp, petitioned the Courts for guardianship of Edward Hensley and Laura Hinds. He described his relationship as “grandfather by marriage”. This points to Harriet being Alicy mother. 

Marcus L H Harry, husband of Elizabeth Pryor Roberts Harry also petitioned the courts for guardianship as Elizabeth was the children’s aunt. (actually great aunt). 

All the above proves that Alta Sarah (by any spelling) is the daughter of Harriet.  As her first marriage license is Joel Hensley to Miss Alticerry Barton, we see she is single with surname of Barton. On the other two licenses she is listed as Mrs.   Harriet married Noel F Roberts with the name of Pryor. This does not mean she was not married to Mr. Barton, the father of Alticerry. We know there were Bartons in Clarke Co, Alabama because William bought land from a William Barton in 1818.  We do not know if that was Stacy’s husband. Harriet seems to have taken back her maiden name as she was with her father. Her sister Mary married in Clarke Co. Alabama to Nathaniel Ayers and had his son, William P Ayers.  Nathaniel died and she came to Texas with her father.  When she married John M. Hensley, she married under her maiden name, Mary Pryor.


Documentation by Betty Vaugh