Henry Pryor was a lawyer, magistrate

Magistrate

A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...

 and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada. He represented Halifax County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Nova Scotia House of Assembly

The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...

 from 1859 to 1867.

He was born in Halifax

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

, the son of John Pryor, a member of the provincial assembly, and Sarah Stevens. He was educated in Halifax and at King's College

University of King's College

The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....

. Pryor went on to study law with William Blowers Bliss

William Blowers Bliss

William Blowers Bliss was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Hants County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1830 to 1834....

 and was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1831. That same year, Pryor married Eliza Phoebe Pyke, the daughter of George Pyke

George Pyke

George Pyke was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada. His surname is sometimes recorded as Pike....

. He served as a lieutenant and then lieutenant-colonel in the local militia. Pryor was a member of Halifax city council from 1843 to 1845 and was mayor from 1849 to 1850, from 1853 to 1855 and from 1857 to 1859. In 1863, he married Charlotte McKie after the death of his first wife. Pryor was named a stipendiary magistrate for Halifax in 1867. In 1873, he was named Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...

. Pryor retired from his post as magistrate in 1886 and later died in Halifax at the age of 84.

His brother John was president and founder of Acadia College. His sister Louisa married James William Johnston

James William Johnston

James W. Johnston was a Nova Scotia lawyer and politician. He served as Premier of the colony from 1857 to 1860 and again from 1864. He was also Government Leader prior to the granting of responsible government in 1848. He was a Conservative and supporter of Confederation...

.