Individual Details

Eli PLUMMER

( - )



PLUMMER Family of Cambria Co.

This is a biography of the PLUMMER family who settled in Cambria county about
1794 and still have descendants there today.

Excerpts from PLUMMER American History:

Richard PLUMMER and his brother John arrived in Colonial America from England
in 1767. They resided in Maryland prior to migrating to the banks of the
Raystown branch of the Juniata river, Bedford county, PA prior to 1774. John
PLUMMER was killed by Indians near Coffee Run, Woodcock Valley, Bedford


County, in 1780. At the time of John's murder, his wife Elizabeth was not in
the immediate vicinity, and was not involved with the Indians, but their
three children were taken captive. One son, Eli (age about 10 years) and two
daughter's Nancy and Sarah, began the long trip to Canada as prisoners of the
Indians. Nancy died en route to Canada, and Sarah remained with the Indians,
never returning to Woodcock Valley. Nothing is known of Sarah and her life
with the Indians. The son, Eli, returned after the Revolutionary War and was
met there by his mother Elizabeth who had fled to Baltimore Maryland. Richard
PLUMMER settled in Hopewell twp, Bedford County PA prior to 1774. Richard
settled on 450 acres of prime land he obtained from the William Penn heirs.
The land was known as "Proprietors Manor". Approx. 20 years later (1794)
Richard was informed by the Penn heirs that the Proprietors Manor estate,
previously granted to him could not be passed to Richards heirs, because of
the Penn's desire to retain the property. Because of this restriction on the
title, Richard, son John, two daughters and a wife, in the company of other
settlers moved west across the Allegheny mountains in about 1794. Word of
mouth through 5 generations relate that the Penn heirs granted Richard about
300 acres of land, south from the present town of Wilmore, CAMBRIA County, PA
and that Richard or his son John sold off all but 177 acres of this land to
John BUCK, Thomas McGOUGH and John KNEPPER. This 177 acres is located in
Croyle twp, Cambria County, and is 2.1 miles north of the present town of
Sidman (formerly called Lovett). This grant by the William Penn heirs to
Richard PLUMMER was in payment for Proprietors Manor. It has never been


established as to whether or not Richard lived on this property. It is
established that his son John did improve the land prior to 1800, and that he
had deed to it in 1825. This Richard PLUMMER estate was passed from father to
son-Richard to John to Isaac to Samuel to Frank E. and Charles E. PLUMMER.
After Samuel died in 1897, Frank and Charles "bought out" the remaining heirs
and owned and operated the estate (177 acres) in an undivided one-half
interest relationship. After the death of Charlie in 1936, and the estate was
settled, Marcellus BEY? purchased the south 120 acres, which included the
house and farm buildings with Frank retaining the north 57 acres. These 57
acres were passed from Frank and his wife Arzella (Skelly) to their children,
and in 1984 were owned by Mary E., Samuel J., Martha E., John A. and his wife
Helen F. (SCHADLE), and Franks and Arzella's granddaughter and her husband,
Curtis C. and Katherine (PLUMMER) HOSTETLER. John A. PLUMMER and his wife
Helen have built a home on part of the original Richard PLUMMER estate and
live there today.

Families