This page is dedicated to my Grandparents, Nellamae Bias and Ernest Alonzo Pridemore who lived in the Hamlin area of West Virginia.

This site traces their ancestry through the Bias and Pridemore family trees.

In the past, the Pridemores have also been known as Pridmore, Predmore and Prigmore. This website traces the Pridemore family back to the 1550s in England. John Pridmore immigrated to New Jersey around 1684 and owned land that Rutger's University is now on (no, RU didn't but it from us). Theodore Pridmore was a Revolutionary War Veteran. His grave site is in Jasper, Indiana and is lovingly kept by the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution chapters in that area, along with other Pridemore ancestors (not found in the tree).

The Bias family has also been known and Byas and Byers. This website traces the Bias family back into the 1600s. Robert Byers immigrated to Pennsylvania, from England, in 1784. Roland "Robin" Bias, Jr. was on the Cabell County Board that re-purchased Marshall College (now University) and re-instated it after it was sold by the Methodist Conference in the Civil War. Daniel "Dan" Boone Bias was the High Sheriff of Lincoln County in the late 1800s. Two of his brothers, Linville and Enos Bias, were documented Civil War veterans.

The family tree, beginning with Ernest Alonzo Pridemore can be found here.

The Pridemore Family Reunion:
The Reunion is held once a year at Asburry Woods, the United Methodist Church Camp in Teays Valley, West Virginia. It is always the Sunday of the Labor Day Weekend in September. Everyone who is a member of the family, no matter how distant, is invited and encouraged to either bring a main dish, a salad, sodas or dessert. If you can't bring any of these, a donation is also welcome, but not necessary. Dress cool as the building is not air conditioned. Being Pridemores, we always like to get together, eat and talk. Sometimes we even sing and play horseshoes. The kids can play in the pool, if it's open, and it's a good time overall.

A history of the website:
The website opens with my Grandfather, Ernest Alonzo Pridemore. His first wife, with whom he had 8 children, was Nellamae Bias. The Bias family it traced back through her. The website once began with Daniel and Rebecca Pridemore since they were the oldest known relatives at the time. Additional research was supplied and conducted to trace the family back to England to John Pridmore, born in 1550. The second revamp of the site then began with this John Pridmore. Then, my mother, Patrician Anne Pridemore (Davis) Byrum asked that I do some research into her mother's side of the family. So now, the tree opens with Ernest. Many thanks to Tim Pridmore and Jennifer Koerner for their excellent contributions as well as http://rootsweb.com/.

A history of the Pridemore family reunion, told by Dovetta Pauley White:
At first, the reunion wasn't a reunion, it was a birthday party for Mary Elizabeth Ramsey Pridemore who was born on the 12th of September. The story goes that Mary died on the 4th of Sept., 1924, because the family had finally outgrown the house (11 children and the children's children), however, this claim is unsubstantiated! When Mary died, the party was held on the closest Sunday to the 12th of Sept. and moved to Church grounds and there was renamed "The Reunion". As the family grew even larger it had to be moved to larger facilities, such as larger church grounds, Cabell County 4H campground and Asburry Woods. When families began to move around the country and some folks were too far away to make the trip on a regular weekend, the date was changed to the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend.

A few notes:

• Women are alphabetized by their maiden names (for example, I would be found under Davis, not under Cable).
• Stepchildren of blood relatives are not included in the blood line unless they are formally adopted (for example, a male Pridemore married a female with children from a previous marriage - these children are not included unless adopted and given the Pridemore name).
• Divorces and marriages are included even though children may not be involved.
• Divorces are designated where known, but the date given is the date the couple was married (For example, my listing says Eddie Ray Bailey - Divorced 30 Dec 1988. This is when we were married, not divorced.).
• 'Partnership' designates parents that were/are not married.

Please check your listing. If you have any info to add or corrections to make, email me. You can do this by clicking on the webmaster button.
PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT INFO YOU ARE SURE IS ACCURATE.

Sincerely,

Machele Yvonne Davis (Bailey) Cable, daughter of
Patricia Ann Pridemore (Davis) Byrum, daughter of
Earnest Alonzo and Nellamae Bias Pridemore

PS. At the reunion last year, someone made the comment, "Hey! We should have t-shirts printed with the family tree on them!" Tim and I began to snicker. You see, if we reduced the size of the tree to fit on a t-shirt, we'd have to give everyone a safety pin to mark "you are here" because the image would be unintelligible! See???