Individual Details

The descendants of Thomas and Letty who I have talked to say that Thomas is the son of Archelaus' Joseph. The more I find, the more I think they are right. Lets look at some findings and see how they match: Basil Pitts Prather of Laurens County, SC had 4 sons who moved from South Carolina into Tenn:
(1) Archelaus moved his family from the old 96th District up to Buncombe Co., NC in 1800 according to a book written of the Lance family. Archelaus had married Rosanna Lance daughter of Peter Lentz, Senior. Archelaus did buy land in Buncombe Co., NC in 1802 near the city of Ashville. There are two deeds in Ashville for him. One when he bought the land in 1802 and one in February 1807 when he sold. The Lance book states that Archelaus moved to Tennessee with other members of the Lance family. That was true. Rosanna's brother Samuel Lance settled in White County about 20 miles from where she and her husband and family settled. Goodspeed History of Warren Cop., TN states that Archelus was a pioneer of Warren Co., TN and was there before 1810. In 1800 Archelaus was enumerated in NC with 3 girls < 10 years of age and 2 boys < 2 years of age. In the 1820 Census, Warren Co. TN, p. 312. Archelaus Prater is listed with:
Males:

2 under 10, (One could be Thomas M. and one could be Benjamin P.)
2 age 10-16 (One could be Joseph and one could be Martin)
1 age 18-26 (Could be Josiah)
1 age 45 and over (Archelaus born 1766)
Females:
1 age 10-16 (Could be daughter Susannah) It looks then that there was one daughter and two sons born in NC: Josiah and Joseph. That becomes important in 1880 when children list where their parents were born.

(2) Brice Bazel Prater has children who are enumerated as being born in NC, KY, and TN. In the 1820 Wayne Co., TN census Page 332A, TN census: Brice Prator 320110 - 10010
Males:
3 age 0-10 years (May be King b. 1818; Isaac or Josiah; Basil b. 1810)
2 age 10-16 years (Elijah b. 1808; Andrew b. 1804)
1 age 18-26 years (Martin b. 1800 or Holloway b. 1801
1 age 26-45 years (Brice born c. 1776)
1 age 45 and over (Not known)

According to enumerations of these children born between 1801-1810, Holloway was born about 1801 in North Carolina (according to Holloway's enumeration in the 1850 Wayne Co., TN census. Brice's son Andrew was born in 1804 in NC and Elijah/Eliphaz was born in 1808 in NC. It does not appear Joseph fits into this family.

(3) Basil King Prater moved into Warren County Tennessee abt 1810. His first son Elijah was born 1810: 1820 Census, Warren Co. TN, p. 4: Basil Prater 200010-31010
Males: )
2 age 0-10 (Elijah b. 1810 & Elisha b. 1815)

1 age 26-45 (Basil King Prater b. 1783)

It does not appear Joseph fits into this family. Basil's wife Rosanna Lance (neice of Rosanna -- the wife of Archelaus) was born 1891 so she would have been too young to have been the mother of Joseph.

(4) Holloway Prater was in Perry Co., TN in 1820: 1820 Perry Co.,TN Census pg 5: Prator, Hooloway 200100 00100
Males
2 age 0-10 years
1 age 18-26

I believe we can rule Joseph out as a son of Holloway.

Here's what I find for Joseph Prater of Cannon County, Tennessee: Joseph Prater, according to census enumerations, was born in North Carolina. Joseph shows in the 1840 Cannon Co., TN census that he is age 30-40 years and his wife 20-30 years. But, in the 1850 census he says he was 56 years old and his wife was 54 and they were both born in NC. That has to be a mistake. In 1860 he says he is 56 and his wife is 55. In 1860 Joseph and his wife list being born in NC. Joseph is not enumerated in 1870. His wife was at age 64. In 1840 Joseph shows these children: 1840 TN Cannon-120 Joseph Prater: 121001 - 21001
Males:
1 age 0-5 years (James c. 1840)
2 age 5-10 years (Thomas? c.1829 & William R. Prater c. 1831)
1 age 10-15 years (John b. 1827)
1 age 30-40 years (Joseph b. c. 1804)
Females
2 age 0-5 years (Martha 1836 & Nancy 1838)
1 age 5-10 years
1 age 20-30 years

In 1850 we find Thomas M. and Letty and one son Joseph in Cannon County in the district right next to the one Joseph and his wife and other children are living. Thomas and Letty are in Kentucky in 1860 according to where their children were born in tht time period; however, I have not found them in a Kentucky census. They were not in the 1860 Tennessee census. In 1866 Thomas purchases 40 acres of land in Warren County and the deed was witnessed by Joseph Prater and John. I believe this Joseph and John are Thomas' father Joseph and his brother John. Joseph and John are in Warren County in 1860 living in adjacent dwellings. In 1870 Thomas M. and Letty are listed in Warren County. Again in 1880 they are listed in Warren County and in this census Thomas lists his mother and father being born in North Carolina. So, as I evaluate this, Archelaus does have a son Joseph and he shows as born in North Carolina about 1804. Archelaus was in North Carolina then so that fits. Joseph and his wife were both born in North Carolina according to their 1850 and 1860 Tennessee census enumerations. Joseph does have a son in the age range that fits for Thomas. From the pattern of the other Archelaus Prater children these sons did stay pretty close to their children. The one other Archelaus Prater son Josiah had moved over into White County, TN. He had one son born 1824 and the next son was born 1837: 1840 White County, TN Census:
Josiah Prater 100101 - 220101
Males :
1 age 0-5 years (John born 1838)
1 age 15-20 years (Moses born 1824)
1 age 30-40 years (Josiah born abt 1802-03) We can rule out Josiah as the father of Thomas M.

Descendants of Thomas M. Prater believe he is the son of Joseph Prater. I believe they are right. -- Bob Prater

Birth	Calc 1828	Cannon Co., TN
Marriage	26 Oct 1846	Cannon Co., TN - Lettie J. FARLEY
Marriage License	26 Oct 1846	Cannon Co., TN - Lettie J. FARLEY
Census	1850	Cannon Co., TN
Marriage	Bef 1858	Charlotte Yvonne CRITS Cherokee Indian
Military	1861 - 1862	Civil War
Census (family)	1870	Campbell Co., TN - Charlotte Yvonne CRITS Cherokee Indian
Census (family)	1880	Warren Co., TN - Lettie J. FARLEY
Death	Bet 1880 and 1890

Spouse	Lettie J. FARLEY (1831 - 1890)
Child	Joseph PRATER (1848 - 1915)
Child	John R. PRATER (1850 - 1917)
Child	William Archibald PRATER (1852 - 1879)
Child	Martha Elizabeth PRATER (1854 - 1918)
Child	Mary A. "Polly" PRATER (1857 - 1917)

Spouse	Charlotte Yvonne CRITS Cherokee Indian (1834 - 1895)
Child	Francis Elizabeth PRATER (1858 - 1901)
Child	Thomas J. PRATER (1859 - 1870)
Child	Jessie D. PRATER (1863 - 1880)
Child	Martha Ann PRATER (1863 - 1918)
Child	Mary PRATER (1868 - 1870)
Child	John PRATER (1868 - 1943)
Child	Benjamin Franklin "Ben" PRATER (1868 - 1925)
Child	Elisha/Elijah PRATER (1875 - 1893)
Child	Nancy "Nan" PRATER (1876 - 1930)
Child	Thomas Paul "Tom" PRATER (1878 - 1969)

Father	Joseph "Joe" PRATER (1794 - 1868)
Mother	Sarah "Sallie" MALONE (1796 - 1850)
Sibling	Joseph PRATER (1822 - )
Sibling	John PRATER (1827 - 1880)
Sibling	William Ridley [Riley] PRATER (1831 - 1879)
Sibling	Martha PRATER (1836 - 1855)
Sibling	Nancy E. PRATER (1838 - 1855)
Sibling	James Harvey PRATER (1840 - 1917)
Sibling	Minerva [Melvina] J. PRATER (1842 - 1858)
Sibling	Gabriel 'Dallas' PRATER (1845 - 1895)
Sibling	Lutecia Ann "Lettie/Letty" PRATER (1847 - 1863)

Notes