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Ireland, 17th to 19th centuries
The Irish connection started with Captain Thomas Prior (initially his name was spelt Pryor, but by the time he died, it was Prior. For the sake of clarity, we’ll use Prior) being granted land in Queen's County (now County Laois). Laois is inland, south-west of Dublin: on the below map it is light blue. The photo shows an idyllic view of County Laois - the Priors/Murray-Priors saw more turbulent times there, with Tom Prior making a significant contribution to Irish prosperity - as well creating the M-P family. While other branches of the family prospered, the Priors eventually lost their estates.
First Generations of Priors in Ireland
The following summarises the Priors who lived in Ireland: click on the name for more about that person.
Captain Thomas Prior (d. 17 March ?1690)1). m. Elizabeth Fairfax
| Colonel Thomas Prior (d. 1700) m. ? |
| Richard Prior (d. 1736) Single? Colonel Thomas Prior's elder son. |
The Thomas Tradition
The above Thomas M-P is labelled the 1st because, ever since that Thomas M-P was born in 1773, the tradition has been followed that each Thomas and his wife call their first-born son Thomas. It’s a bonus that the name celebrates the first Prior in Ireland as well as the great Tom Prior whose will prompted the formation of the Murray-Prior name. It is less of a bonus when trying to keep track of which Thomas is which! Nevertheless it is an incredible achievement, indicative of a strong family identity. How many other families can match this tradition?