Henry County, KY - Bios:  Pryor, William S.
Posted by Sandi Gorin on Mon, 08 Feb 1999
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William S PRYOR 2827, Henry Co. 

Surname: Pryor, Samuel, Marshall, Harlan, McHenry, Wilson, Graves, Burnam, Cofer, Grace, 
Hardin, Bennett, Hargis, Lindsay, Peters, Elliott, Brinker, Beazley, Robertson

Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky, by H. Levin, editor, 1897. 
Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago. 
Reprinted by Southern Historical Press. p. 98.

WILLIAM S. PRYOR, ex-chief justice of the court of appeals. When the history of Kentucky 
and her public men shall have been written its pages will bear no more illustrious name 
and record no more distinguished career than that of Judge Pryor. If "biography is the 
home aspect of history," as Wilmott has expressed it, it is entirely within the province 
of true history to commemorate and perpetuate the lives and characters, the achievements 
and honor, of the illustrious sons of the nation. The name of Judge Pryor is inseparably 
associated with the history of jurisprudence in Kentucky, and no man has been more respected 
in the state and none more highly deserves the honors that have been bestowed upon him. 
W. S. Pryor was born in Henry county, near New Castle, Kentucky, about a mile from his present 
home, on the 1st of April, 1825. In the early days of the settlement of that county, his 
grandfather, John Pryor, removed from Virginia and took up his abode near the present site of 
New Castle. The family name has been interwoven with the annals of the Kentucky bar from the 
pioneer epoch. On the old Pryor homestead, located by the grandfather, was held the first 
court ever convened in Henry county, and tradition says that the bench on which "His Honor" 
sat was a stump, while the jurors were ranged on a log near by! Judge Pryor's father, Samuel 
Pryor, twice served as county sheriff at the time when that office went by law to the oldest 
magistrate in compensation for his services. If the magistrate did not care for the incumbency 
he could sell the office, and, exercising the privilege of purchase, Samuel Pryor twice became 
sheriff. The length of the term was fixed by law. He also held other honorable and profitable 
positions and was a worthy representative of an influential and numerous family of Virginia 
and Kentucky. Among the early settlers who came to this state from the Old Dominion were the 
Samuel family, to which belonged the mother of the Judge, Nancy (Samuel) Pryor, daughter of 
William Samuel, a prominent farmer and politician of Henry county. His maternal grandmother 
was a daughter of William Marshall, a member of the old Marshall family of this state and a 
relative of Chief Justice Marshall. The summer sun shone down upon many a field which Judge 
Pryor plowed during his boyhood, for his life was that of the farmer lad. Through the storm 
of winter he made his way to the little schoolhouse near New Castle, where his preliminary 
education was acquired. Before the close of his last session in that school, it became apparent 
that he knew more Latin than the teacher, and through the following year he continued its study 
at home of nights, as he could get no further instruction in the school. In 1843 he began the 
study of law in the office of his uncle, Judge James Pryor, of Covington, and in the following 
year was admitted to the bar. As he had not attained his majority it was necessary to have a 
special enactment of the legislature, granting him the privilege of practicing in Kentucky 
courts. Riding twenty-eight miles to Frankfort on horseback, he dismounted at the old state 
house and was examined by Judge John J. Marshall, after which he was given his license to 
practice. At New Castle he opened his office and soon won prominence at a bar which numbered 
such eminent members as Humphrey Marshall, Justice J. M. Harlan, now of the supreme court, 
Judge McHenry, Judge Wilson, William J. Graves and others. His practice soon embraced some of 
the most important cases before the courts, involving large interest with great profit to 
himself. While in the early dawn of manhood he was sought by litigants from all the surrounding 
country and he early developed the qualities of a popular leader, as well as the characteristics 
of a lawyer of more than ordinary ability. He stood high at the bar, and in his opinion, even 
in the early days of his professional career, was esteemed equal to that of the old savants in 
the law; and his fine bearing,
great earnestness and force of manner gave him an almost irresistible influence over a jury. At this time, hardly approaching the meridian of his popularity and practice, he came to the circuit bench and disappeared from the splendid contests of the courts. In 1866 he was elected to the judgeship of the circuit court of the eleventh district, and September 6, 1871, was appointed by Governor Leslie to fill a vacancy on the appellate bench, caused by the death of Chief Justice Robertson. In 1872 Judge Pryor was again elected to the appellate court. His opponents for the nomination were Chancellor Menzies, of Covington, and Judge George R. McKee, a leading lawyer and noted politician. Each county held a separate primary, or more properly a mass convention. Judges Pryor and McKee met at Harrodsburg and agreed to decide their claims by the old muster fashion, each candidate appointing a captain who would march out of the crowd, and all those who favored a certain captain's candidate would march after him. When all was ready some one called out, "All in favor of Pryor follow Goddard, and all in favor of McKee follow Thompson." The two captains at once walked out of the courthouse and the followers of the respective candidates fell in line behind them. Mr. Pryor having the longest line, Mr. McKee withdrew from the race and by election Judge Pryor was returned to the appellate bench without opposition. In 1880 and 1888 he was again elected without opposition, and in 1896 was once more the candidate of the Democracy, but the Republicans carried the state and he was defeated by Judge A. Rollins Burnam. No greater regret was ever manifest at the defeat of a candidate, for people of all parties respected him and placed the utmost confidence in his judicial ability and absolute fairness; but the issue of the campaign was the money question and many voted a straight ticket, who on other occasion would have given their support to Judge Pryor. He went upon the bench as chief justice in accordance with the state law that judge having the shortest term to serve shall occupy that position, and has filled the same incumbency three additional times. On the bench he has been associated with Martin Cofer, Mordecai Hardin, Caswell Bennett, John R. Grace, Thomas F. Hargis, WIlliam Lindsay, B. J. Peters and John M. Elliott; but no record furnishes a parallel to that of Judge Pryor, who for twenty-five consecutive years was on the bench of the Kentucky court of appeals. Crowned with the highest respect accorded honorable public service, he retired from office and is now engaged in practice in the court of appeals. Judge Pryor owns some of the finest land in Henry county, highly improved with all modern accessories, has been an extensive dealer in stock and was president of the Eminence Agricultural Association. He is a man of affairs as well as a lawyer, and his reputation for successful farming vies with that which he has won on the bench. On the 8th of February, 1848, the Judge wedded Miss Mary C. Brinker, by whom he had two children. On the 31st of January, 1856, he married Miss Apphia Beazley, and they have seven living children. The Judge is a man of broad sympathy and great benevolence. Charity in its widest and best sense is practiced by him, and his benevolence has made smooth the rough way of many a weary traveler on life's journey. In his private life he is distinguished by all that marks the true gentleman. His is a noble character,--one that subordinates personal ambition to public good and seeks rather the benefit of others than the aggrandizement of self. Endowed by nature with high intellectual qualities, to which were added the discipline and embellishments of culture, his is a most attractive personality. Well versed in the learning of his profession, and with a deep knowledge of human conduct, with great sagacity and extraordinary tact, he stands today almost without a peer at the Kentucky bar, honoring the state which has so honored him.