William Plumer (June 25, 1759December 22, 1850) was an American lawyer,

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

lay preacher, and politician from

Epping, New Hampshire Epping is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,125 at the 2020 census, up from 6,411 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauU.S. Census website 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011. The ...

. He is most notable for his service as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

(1802–1807), and the seventh

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

(1812–1813, 1816–1819).

Early life

Plumer was born in

Newburyport Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...

on June 25, 1759, the son of farmer and merchant Samuel Plumer and Mary (Dole) Plumer. His family moved to

in 1768, and he was raised at his father's farm on Epping's Red Oak Hill. Plumer attended the Red Oak Hill School until he was 17. Frequent ill health left him unsuited for military service during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

or life as a farmer, and after a religious conversion experience in his late teens, Plumer was trained as a Baptist exhorter (a

lay preacher Lay preacher is a preacher or a religious proclaimer who is not a formally ordained cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presidi ...

). For several years he traveled throughout the state to deliver sermons to Baptist churches and revival meetings. He briefly considered a career as a doctor, and began to study medicine. Later deciding on a legal career, he studied law with attorneys

Joshua Atherton Joshua Atherton (June 20, 1737 – April 3, 1809), was a lawyer and early anti-slavery campaigner in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He served as Attorney General of New Hampshire. In later years he was also commissioner for the United States dir ...

of Amherst and John Prentice of Londonderry. While studying under Atherton, his fellow law clerks included William Coleman, who remained a lifelong friend. Plumer attained admission to the bar in 1787, and began to practice in Epping.

Early career

In addition to practicing law, Plumer was active in local politics and government. He held several town offices, including selectman. Plumer served in the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 legislative district ...

from 1785 to 1786, in 1788, from 1790 to 1791, and from 1797 to 1800. In 1791 and 1797 he served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. Plumer was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1791-1792.

US Senate

Plumer was elected to the

US Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

as a Federalist and filled the vacancy caused by the resignation of

James Sheafe James Sheafe (November 16, 1755December 5, 1829) was a United States representative and Senator from New Hampshire. Born in Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire, he completed preparatory studies and graduated from Harvard College in 1774 ...

. Plumer served from June 17, 1802 to March 3, 1807 and was not a candidate for re-election. In 1803, Plumer was one of several New England Federalists to propose

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

from the United States because of the lack of power by Federalists, the rising influence of Jeffersonian Democrats, and the diminished influence of the North since the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

. Recalling his involvement in the secession scheme in 1827, Plumer said, "This was, I think, the greatest political error of my life: & would, had it been reduced to practise ic instead of releiving ic destroyed New England.... Fortunately for my own reputation the erroneous opinion I formed produced no bitter fruits to myself or my country."

New Hampshire Senate

Plumer served in the

New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population ...

in 1810 and 1811, and was chosen in both years to serve as the Senate's president.

Governor

By now a Democratic-Republican, in 1812, Plumer was the party's successful nominee for

Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

, and he served until 1813. He returned to office in 1816, and served until 1819.

Presidential elector, 1820

In the 1820 presidential election, Plumer was one of New Hampshire's electoral college members. He cast the only dissenting vote in the Electoral College against incumbent President

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

, voting instead for

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

. Some accounts say that it was to ensure that

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

remained the only US president to be unanimously chosen by the Electoral College, but others assert that he was instead calling attention to his friend Adams as a potential future presidential candidate or was protesting against the "wasteful extravagance" of the Monroe administration. Plumer also eschewed voting for

Daniel D. Tompkins Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an American politician. He was the fifth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817, and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Born in Scarsdale, New York, Tompkins ...

for Vice President as "grossly intemperate" and having "not that weight of character which his office requires" and "because he grossly neglected his duty" in his "only" official role as president of the Senate by being "absent nearly three-fourths of the time." Plumer instead voted for Richard Rush.

Other activities

Plumer was a founder and the first president of the New Hampshire Historical Society. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1815.American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
/ref>

Death and burial

Plumer died in Epping on December 22, 1850 and was buried at the Plumer Family Cemetery in Epping.

Family

In 1788, Plumer married Sarah "Sally" Fowler of

Newmarket, New Hampshire Newmarket is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 9,430 at the 2020 census. Some residents are students and employees at the nearby University of New Hampshire in Durham. The densely settled center of town ...

. They were the parents of six children—William, Sally, Samuel, George Washington, John Jay, and Quintus. William Plumer Jr. was an author and attorney who served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1819 to 1825.

References

External links

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A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns, 1787–1825
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at
National Governors Association
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Memoir of William Plumer, Senior
', by Albert Harrison Hoyt. 1871. {{DEFAULTSORT:Plumer, William 1759 births 1850 deaths 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians Politicians from Newburyport, Massachusetts People from Epping, New Hampshire Baptists from New Hampshire New Hampshire Federalists New Hampshire Democratic-Republicans Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives New Hampshire state senators Governors of New Hampshire Faithless electors United States senators from New Hampshire Federalist Party United States senators Writers from Newburyport, Massachusetts Writers from New Hampshire Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States Members of the American Antiquarian Society People of colonial Massachusetts 1820 United States presidential electors Baptist ministers from the United States Baptists from Massachusetts