William Swan Plumer (July 26, 1802 – October 22, 1880) was an American clergyman, theologian and author who was recognized as an intellectual leader of the Presbyterian Church in the 1800s.

Early life

William S. Plumer was born to William and Catharine Plumer (née McAlester) in Greersburg, present day

Darlington, Pennsylvania Darlington is a borough in northwestern Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 248 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. History Darlington was settled in 1804 and incorporated on 28 March ...

, on July 26, 1802. He graduated from Washington College (now

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

) in 1825, received his religious education at

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

in the Presbyterian Church. He was licensed in the

Presbytery of New Brunswick The Presbytery of New Brunswick is a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). In 1738 the Presbytery of East Jersey was merged with the Presbytery of Long Island and renamed the Presbytery of New York, and two days after that, the Presbyter ...

, a Presbytery in New Jersey, as a clergyman in 1826, and the state's Orange Presbytery ordained him as an evangelist in 1827.

Career as clergyman

Plumer was the minister of several churches during his career, most notably: First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia (1834–1846); Franklin Street Presbyterian Church,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

(1847–1854); Central Presbyterian Church,

Allegheny, Pennsylvania Allegheny City was a municipality that existed in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, with its southwest border formed by ...

(1854–1862); Arch Street Presbyterian Church,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

(1862–1865); and Second Presbyterian Church,

Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the west bank of th ...

(1865–1867). From 1837 to 1845 Plumer was the editor of ''The Watchman of the South'', a weekly Presbyterian newspaper which he had founded while serving as pastor in Richmond. He was also a founder of Staunton's Institution for the Blind, Deaf, & Dumb. Plumer moderated the General Assemblies of two different sects of American Presbyterianism, one in the

Presbyterian Church of the United States of America The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) was the first national Presbyterian denomination in the United States, existing from 1789 to 1958. In that year, the PCUSA merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North Americ ...

in 1838 and in the Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1871. In both institutions he was a staunch supporter of Old School Presbyterianism.

Career as educator

In addition to his career in the pulpit, Plumer was a highly regarded religious instructor, and his teaching positions included: Professor at

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794, it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area. History Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was formed ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

(1854–1862); Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology (1867–1875) at

Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geor ...

in South Carolina; and Professor of Pastoral,

Casuistic In ethics, casuistry ( ) is a process of reasoning that seeks to resolve moral problems by extracting or extending theoretical rules from a particular case, and reapplying those rules to new instances. This method occurs in applied ethics and ...

, and

Historical Theology Historical theology is the study of the history of Christian doctrine. Stanley Grenz, Grenz, Guretzki and Nordling describe it as, "The division of the theological discipline that seeks to understand and delineate how the church interpreted Scri ...

(1875–1880) at Columbia.

Career as author

Plumer authored at least 25 books, including commentaries on

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Hebrews The terms ''Hebrews'' (Hebrew: / , Modern: ' / ', Tiberian: ' / '; ISO 259-3: ' / ') and ''Hebrew people'' are mostly considered synonymous with the Semitic-speaking Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were still ...

, and

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, as well as numerous tracts and pamphlets, and magazine and newspaper articles. Many of his articles were published anonymously, so the number of writings he produced cannot be calculated with accuracy.

Death and burial

Plumer died in Baltimore on October 22, 1880, due to complications which arose after having surgery to remove kidney stones. He was buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Family

In 1829 Plumer married a widow, Eliza Garden Hassell, in

Hillsboro, North Carolina The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina, United States and is located along the Eno River. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hillsb ...

. She died in 1878 and is also buried at Hollywood Cemetery.

Honors

Plumer was the recipient of several

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

s, including: three

Doctors of Divinity Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ...

(D.D.) (Washington & Lee,

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

, and

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries t ...

); and one

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

(University of Mississippi).

Written works

''(Partial list of works known to be, or presumed to be, authored by William Swan Plumer)'' *
How to Bring Up Children
', 1822 *
Scripture Doctrine of a Call to the Work of the Gospel Ministry
', 1832 * ''Am I Self-Deceived?'', 1840 *
The Bible True, and Infidelity Wicked
', 1840 * '
The Substance of an Argument Against the Indiscriminate Incorporation of Churches and Religious Societies
', 1847 *
Thoughts on the Religious Instruction of the Negroes of This Country
', 3 editions - first published in 1848 * ''Young Children May Be Truly Pious'', 1850 * ''The Grace of Christ'', 3 editions - first published in 1853 * ''Rome Against the Bible'', 1854 * ''The Law of God'', 1864 * ''Vital Godliness'', 5 editions - first published in 1864 * ''Psalms'', 1867 * ''Studies in the Book of Psalms'', 3 editions - first published in 1867 * ''The Rock of Our Salvation'', 3 editions - first published in 1867 * ''Words of Truth and Love'', 1867 * ''Jehovah-Jireh'', 2 editions - first published in 1867 * ''Earnest Hours'', 1869 * ''Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans'', 4 editions - first published in 1870 * ''The Promises of God'', 1872 * ''Commentary on the Epistle of Paul, the Apostle, to the Hebrews'', 2 editions - first published in 1872 * ''Hints and Helps in Pastoral Theology'', 3 editions - first published in 1874 * ''Truths for the People'', 1875

References

External links

William Swan Plumer
at ''Reformed Forum''. Barry Waugh, December 6, 2013.
William Swan Plumer
in ''The South in History and Literature''. By Mildred Lewis Rutherford. 1906. Page 805.
William Swan Plumer
in ''A House Dividing Against Itself, 1836-1840.'' By William Lloyd Garrison. 1971. Page 264.
William Swan Plumer
Biography and works available at Log College Press * {{DEFAULTSORT:Plumer, William Swan 1802 births 1880 deaths People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania Washington and Lee University alumni Princeton Theological Seminary alumni 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 19th-century American newspaper founders 19th-century Presbyterian ministers 19th-century American writers Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) Pittsburgh Theological Seminary faculty