Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

PLUMMER Francis Plummer, immigrant ancestor, was born in England and came to America in 1633. He was admitted a freeman May 14, 1634. He was a linen weaver by trade and settled in Newbury in 1635. Coffin's History of Newbury says that his descendants still own the land he once held; that his descendants are many and distinguished; that one of them, Hon. George Plummer, was the first white child born west of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, and the first congressman elected from that region. It is said that when settlers sailed up the river to their new homes at Newbury, the second to land, after Nicholas Noyes, was Francis Plummer, followed by his wife and two sons, Samuel and Joseph. He had a tavern there in 1635. He died at Newbury Jan. 17, 1672-73. He held various town offices at Newbury. He married (first) Ruth ____, who died July or August 17 or 18, 1647. He married (second), March 31, 1648, Ann Palmer, widow, who died in 1665. He married (second), 1665, Beatrice, widow of William Cantlebury, of Salem. Children of 1st wife: 1. Samuel, born 1619, mentioned below. 2. Joseph, born 1630, married Dec. 23, 1652, Sarah Cheney; died Dec. 11, 1683. 3. Hannah, born 1632, married May 3, 1653, Samuel Moore. 4. Mary, born 1634, married May 26, 1660, John Cheney Jr. (II) Samuel, son of Francis Plummer, was born in England in 1619. He was admitted a freeman June 2, 1641. He resided at Newbury, and among other enterprises owned a ferry across the Merrimac river. He was a deputy to the general court. He died in 1702. He married, 1646, Mary Bidfield. Children: 1. Samuel, born April 20, 1647. 2. Mary, born Feb. 3, 1650, married Dec. 6, 1670, John Swett. 3. John, born May 11, 1652, killed at the battle of Bloody Creek, in Capt. Lathrop's company. 4. Ephraim, born Sept. 16, 1655, died Aug. 13, 1716; married Jan. 15, 1680, Hannah Jacques. 5. Hannah, born Feb. 16, 1657, married David Batchelder. 6. Sylvanus, born Feb. 22, 1658, mentioned below. 7. Ruth, born Aug. 7, 1660, married Jan. 18, 1682, Richard Jacques. 8. Elizabeth, born Oct. 10, 1662, married June 26, 1682, Richard Jackman. 9. Deborah. 10. Lydia, born July 2, 1668, married Joseph Morse. 11. Bathsheba, born July 31, 1679, died young. (III) Sylvanus, son of Samuel Plummer, was born in Newbury, Feb. 22, 1658. He was admitted a freeman in 1690 and settled in Newbury. He married Jan. 18, 1682, Sarah Moody, daughter probably of Samuel Moody. Children: 1. Mary, born Oct. 20, 1683. 2. Samuel, born Nov. 12, 1684, died Aug. 2, 1685. 3. Samuel, mentioned below. 4. Lydia, married May 18, 1718, Timothy Noyes. 5. Sarah, marrried ____ Titcomb. 6. Benjamin, married 1720, Keziah Storer. (IV) Samuel (2), son of Sylvanus Plummer, was born in Newbury about 1685. He married Hannah Woodman Aug. 8, 1717. Children, all b. in Newbury: 1. Abigail, born Feb., 1718, married 1744, James Bayley. 2. Sylvanus, born April 13, 1720, married Dec. 7, 1749, Rebecca, daughter of John Plummer. 3. Samuel, born Jan. 14, 1722, married April 8, 1755, Mary Dole. 4. Mary, born Nov. 26, 1723, married Daniel Barbour. 5. Hannah, born Oct. 25, 1725, married Nov. 27, 1753, John Chace. 6. Sarah, born March 10, 1727, married March 6, 1746, John Dole. 7. Elizabeth, born May 10, 1729, married Thomas Merritt. 8. Jonathan, born April 9, 1731, married Nov. 27, 1760, Abigail Greenleaf. 9. Anna, born Dec. 6, 1734, married Isaac Pearson. 10. Joseph, born Dec. 25, 1735, married Mary Foster; died Sept. 30, 1812. 11. Eunice, born June 5, 1738, married June 3, 1771, William Alexander. 12. Moses, mentioned below. (V) Moses, son of Samuel Plummer, was born in Newbury Aug. 6, 1740. He settled in Portland, Maine, and is ancestor of many of the families of Plumer and Plummer of that section. He married, Sept. 9, 1765, at Portland, Esther Hersey. Children: 1. Moses Jr., married Aug. 18, 1799, Nabby Smith, at Portland. 2. Joseph, married March 17, 1793, _____. 3. John, married at Portland Oct. 20, 1800, Eleanor Haskell. 4. Child, died Oct. 15, 1782. 5. Arthur, mintioned below. And probably others. (VI) Arthur, son of Moses Plummer, of Portland, was born at Sacarappa, March 27, 1791, died Jan. 21, 1864. He married Sophia Rice, born Feb. 15, 1792, died April, 1857. Children: 1. William Henry, born June 23, 1812, mentioned below. 2. Susan, born Aug. 17, 1814, married Charles Staples. 3. Mary Jane, born April 3, 1817, died Dec. 26, 1835. 4. Charles, born Aug. 7, 1819, died July 16, 1821. 5. Charles, born Sept. 7, 1822, died Aug. 30, 1864. 6. Elizabeth E., born March 11, 1826, died April 6, 1866; married a Mr. Smith. 7. Arthur Jr., born Dec. 5, 1829. 8. George A., born May 19, 1833, died Jan. 24, 1834. (VII) William Henry, son of Arthur Plummer, was born in what is now Westbrook, Maine, June 23, 1812, died May 12, 1890. He received his early education in the public schools of that place. He removed to Portland where he lived most of his adult life. He was active in political affairs and was an alderman one term. He was a deputy when Neal Dow was sheriff of the county and was active in enforcing the prohibition law many years. General Neal Dow was famous as the sponsor and leading supporter of the prohibition policy to which the state has steadfastly adhered for more than two generations. Mr. Plummer was for more than forty years an election warden. In those days feeling ran high and trickery was the rule when the opportunity offered. One Saturday night Mr. Plummer left his office late, after completing the check list for the election on Monday. Some miscreant got access to the list and struck off a dozen names before the polls opened. When the voters appeared Mr. Plummer allowed them to vote, knowing they were legitimate voters. The perpetrator of the fraud was never discovered. In religion Mr. Plummer was a Methodist. He was a member of the Whig party, later a Republican, and served as a deputy sheriff and crier in the supreme court for many years. He married (first) _____; married (second) _____; married (third) Nov. 29, 1840, Mary (Wilkinson) Waldron, who died Nov. 8, 1892, widow of Isaac Waldron. Children of 3d wife: 1. Lorenzo B., born Nov. 14, 1841, died March 30, 1892. 2. Mary J., born June 11, 1843, died Sept. 30, 1881; married George H. Otis. 3. Hannah E., born June 13, 1845, married (first) Augustine Chaplin; (second) George H. Chaplin. 4. Albert Smith, mentioned below. (VIII) Albert Smith, son of William Henry Plummer, was born in Portland, Aug. 8, 1847. He attended the public schools of that city. He was apprenticed at the age of seventeen to learn the trade of upholsterer in Walter Corey's establishment, Portland. At the age of twenty-one he went to Lewiston and entered the employ of Bradford & Conant. He was connected with that firm in various positions for twenty-three years. He then entered partnership with A. M. Roak and in 1891 opened an undertaking establishment in Auburn, Maine. When his partner died, Mr. Merrill came into the firm and since then the name has been Plummer & Merrill. The firm has a large business and high reputation. Mr. Plummer is a Republican in politics and was a member of the common council of Lewiston two years, being president during his last term. He is a prominent Free Mason and has successively filled the chairs in the Rabboni Lodge, A.F. and A.M.; King Hiram Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Dunlap Council, Royal and Select Masters; Lewiston Commandery, Knights Templar. He has taken the thirty-second degree in Masonry. He is also a member of Auburn Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. In religion he is a Universalist. He married Sept. 16, 1872, Helen M., born May 10, 1849, daughter of Benjamin and Susan (Buzzell) Curtis, of Wellington, Maine. They have one child: Elizabeth, born in Lewiston, Oct. 27, 1889, a graduate of Lewiston high school, June 19, 1908. PLUMMER This family originally settled at Newbury, Mass., 1635. Francis Plummer, a linen-weaver, came from Woolwich, England, 1633. His wife Ruth died Aug. 18, 1647, leaving two sons, Samuel and Joseph. It is thought that the Plummers of Durham, Maine, are descended from Samuel. Five descendants of Francis Plummer bearing his name has been members of congress. Governor William Plummer, of New Hampshire, was one of them. Samuel Plummber was taxed in Durham, 1798-1805, and a little later Joseph and Arthur Plummer. Luther went west in 1817. Robert Plummer was born at Cape Elizabeth, March 1, 1761. He married Aug. 29, 1786, Zilpah Farr, who was born in Easton, Mass., Nov. 3, 1768. They settled in Royalsboroguh soon after marriage, not far from the Stone Mill. Children: 1. William, born May 26, 1787, settled in Dover, Maine. 2. Lucy, born Sept. 1, 1789. 3. John, born June 25, 1791. 4. Abagail, born Feb. 16, 1792. 5. Zilpah, born Jan. 21, 1794. 6. Henry, born Dec. 18, 1796. 7. Moses, born April, 1798. 8. James, born July 17, 1801. 9. John, born Oct., 1807. Henry Plummer, son of Robert and Zilpah (Farr) Plummer, was born Dec. 18, 1796. He was a prominent farmer and mill man, operating a grist and sawmill which was formerly owned by the Gerrishes prior to 1835. He was a licensed preacher in the Free Will Baptist church, and contributed liberally to the building fund of the new church and its support after its completion. He married (first) Feb. 18, 1819, Wealthy, daughter of Silas and Mary (Sargent) Estes. She was born May 22, 1800, and died Jan. 15, 1830. He married (second) Martha Lancaster, who died Nov. 19, 1894, aged ninety-one years eleven months. He died Feb. 18, 1876, aged seventy-nine. Children of 1st wife: 1. Silas, born Oct. 6, 1821. 2. Mary E., born Sept. 24, 1823. 3. George, born April 7, 1826. 4. Charlotte, born Jan. 2, 1828. 5. Edward, born Jan. 4, 1830. Children of 2d wife: 6. Wealthy, born April 4, 1832. 7. John W., born June 19, 1833. 8. Joseph, born Sept. 7, 1834. 9. Charles B., born Feb. 3, 1836. 10. Susan, born Sept. 9, 1838. 11. Margaret, born Sept. 10, 1839. Edward, son of Henry and Wealthy (Estes) Plummer, was born Jan. 4, 1830, in Durham, Maine. He began his business career at the age of eighteen, in 1849, and purchased a saw and grist mill just below Lisbon Falls, which he operated until 1862, when he sold out to the Worumbo Company, of which he became agent. He superintended the building of the large woolen-mill at Lisbon Falls. He was a promoter and director of the Androscoggin Water Power Company. He was prime mover in the building of the Rumford Falls railroad, and pulp and paper-mills of Lisbon Falls Fiber Company. He was representative to the legislature in 1870. He married (first) Augusta Taylor, of Lisbon, (second) Sarah A. Shaw, of Durham. Children: 1. Walter E. 2. Harry F., married Mary Libby, of Lisbon. 3. Ida F., married W. H. Newall, of Lewiston. Walter E., son of Edward and Augusta (Taylor) Plummer, was born in Lisbon, Maine, Aug. 8, 1861. He was educated in the common schools and Lisbon Falls high school. At the age of eighteen years he began working with his father in the lumber business, manufacturing, buying and selling, and is still (1908) engaged in that business. He has been progressive and prominent in all town affairs, and has been the prime mover in several improvements and enterprises of the place. Politically, Mr. Plummer is an ardent supporter of the Republican party. He was elected to a seat in the Maine legislature in 1897, serving three terms, and that the people recognized his ability is evidenced by the fact that in 1903-05 he was elected to the state senate. Here he was active on several important committees. He is identified with several civic societies, including the Masonic fraternity, in which he has reached the thirty-second degree; is past master of the Blue Lodge, and well posted concerning Masonry. He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past noble grand, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias order. On Jan. 1, 1890, he married Grace L. Douglas, of West Gardiner, Maine. Children: 1. Mildred D., who prepared for college at National Cathedral School, Washington, D. C., and from there entered Smith College. 2. Doris M. 3. Madelyn A.