Prior May & Mary Bowie/Bomie

Looking for information on the parents of Prior May born about 1809 and wife Mary Bowie/Bomie.
Previous research that I have done leads me to believe that Prior is not connected to the May family out of Virginia. It seems that that family is fairly well documented and matches nothing with this family.
However, I did find in Tennessee the Prior and May families living near one another and involved in land transactions with one another, which leads me to think there is a possibility that Prior May may be connected to the Tennessee Prior and May families.

Prior's wife, Mary Bowie/Bomie was found on daughter Mary Jane May Taylor's death certificate. It is difficult to make out the surname of her mother, but the best I can tell it reads as either Bowie or Bomie.

Everything I currently have on Prior and Mary is copied below. If anyone is researching this line and has information to share, it would be greatly appreciated as this is only a set of 3rd great grandparents that I am working on and it would be a shame to have to end the line at such a "recent" point.

Thanks!
Dawn McCall
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1850 United States Federal Census
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Lower Creek, Caldwell, North Carolina
Family Number:        467

Household Members:        
Name        Age
Panos May        21
Neary May        23
Mary May         8
Susan May         6
John May         3
Joseph May         0
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1860>NORTH CAROLINA>CALDWELL>HAZELDELL P O
Series: M653Roll: 890Page: 145

SurnameGivenNameAgeSexRaceBirthplaceStateCountyLocationYear

MAYPRIOR47MWNCNCCALDWELLHAZELDELL P O1860

1860 United States Federal Census

Name: Prior May
Age in 1860: 47
Birth Year: abt 1813
Birthplace: North Carolina
Home in 1860: Lenoir, Caldwell, North Carolina
Gender: Male
Post Office: Hazeldell

Household Members: Name Age
Prior May 47
Mary May 36
Jane May 18
Susan May 15
John May 14
Joseph May 13
Adaline May 10
William May 8
Thomas May 3
Granvill May 8.12
Mary May 22
Louisa May 11
Martha May 8
Victoria May 7
William May 2
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1870>GEORGIA>UNION>BLAIRSVILLE P O
Series: M593Roll: 179Page: 42

SurnameGivenNameAgeSexRaceBirthplaceStateCountyLocationYear

MAYPRIOR61MWNCGAUNIONBLAIRSVILLE P O1870

1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Prior May
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1809
Age in 1870: 61
Birthplace: North Carolina
Home in 1870: Subdivision 126, Union, Georgia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Blairsville

Household Members: Name Age
Prior May 61
Mary May 48
Susan May 22
Adaline E May 16
William May 15
Thomas May 12
Granley May 9
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1880>NORTH CAROLINA>HAYWOOD>WAYNESVILLE
Series: T9Roll: 967Page: 123

SurnameGivenNameAgeSexRaceBirthplaceStateCountyLocationYear

MAYPRIOR66WNCNCHAYWOODWAYNESVILLE1880

Household:

NameRelation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Prior MAYSelfMMaleW66NCFarmerNCNC
Mary MAYWifeMFemaleW52NCKeeping HouseNCNC
Susan MAYDauSFemaleW28NCNCNC
Thomas MAYSonSMaleW19NCWorks On FarmNCNC
Granville MAYSonSMaleW17NCWorks On FarmNCNC
Samantha MAYGDauSFemaleW8GANCNC

Source Information:
Census Place Waynesville, Haywood, North Carolina
Family History Library Film1254967
NA Film NumberT9-0967
Page Number123A
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The 1790 through 1840 census' only show head of households. Because Prior May shows a daughter, Jane, in the 1860 census, it is assumed that he was married before 1842. This means that he would not be located by name on the 1840 census with his parents since only the head of household was used.
There are two possibilities for Prior May's family. One possibility is that he descends from Pleasant May of Virginia. However, that May branch seems to be pretty well documented and there is no mention of Prior that would link him to this family. The other possibility is that he is a descendant of the Pryor and May families of Tennessee. These families lived close to one another and had quite a few land transactions and it is likely that there was a few marriages between the families, which could have resulted in the use of Prior as a first name.