A lovely face stared out at me from an E-bay page, and so I ‘rescued’ yet another woman’s photograph from possible loss to her family, and to all of us. She was known as “Millie” but more formally as Cynthia to those who knew her intimately. I am related, albeit distantly, to her husband Daniel Emerson Plummer (6th cousins, 4x removed).
Millie was born 1848 in Mason, New Hampshire. Her father, Albert Gallatin Comings was a minister who held several pastorates both in New Hampshire and in Massachusetts, and often preached against slavery. Millie obtained a formal education, and at the time of her marriage, she was a teacher. Her father had run twice for governor of New Hampshire on the temperance ticket, so no doubt she too was anti-alcohol.
In 1874 she married Daniel Plummer, from Lee, New Hampshire and spent the rest of her life there. She raised two daughters, and died in 1891. Both her and Daniel’s genealogies are shown directly below.
===PARTIAL GENEALOGY OF COMINGS FAMILY of Cornish & Lee NH===
Isaac-1 Comings
John-4-3-2 Comings
Samuel-5 & Sarah (Spaulding) Comings
Warren C.-6 & Mary (Taylor) Comings
Rev. Albert Gallatin-7 Comings, son of Warren-6 & Mary (Taylor) Comings was born 19 March 1812 in Cornish NH, and died 8 June 1887 in Lee NH. Minister of the Gospel, and active in his movement to free slaves. He was ordained in Boston MA 3 February 1837 and filled several pastorates. He married 10 June 1838 to Cynthia Jewett Robbins. She was b. 28 July 1820 Mason NH, and died 8 July 1900. They had 9 children. He resided in Mason and Lee NH, and in Boston and Freetown MA. He was twice a candidate for governor on the temperance ticket.
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1870 US Census > NH > Strafford > Lee
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH5G-CHN
Comings, Albert G., 58 M W Clergyman 1600 200 NH
Comings, Cynthia J 49 F W Keeping House NH
Comings, Mary L. 26 W Massachusetts
Comings, Albert L. 24 WM W farmer Massachusetts
Comings, C. Millie 21 F W school teacher NH
Comings, Willie J. 17 M W farm laborer NH
Comings, Carrie W 14 F W attending school Massachusetts
Comings, Frederick P. 12 M W attending school Massachusetts
Comings, Ernest S. 9 M W NH
—-living next door—
Plumer Allen 58 M W Farmer 1500 200 NH
Plumer, Abby J 56 F W Keeping House NH
Plumer, Daniel E. 25 M W shoemaker NH
Plumer, Byron M. 22 M W shoemaker NH
Plumer, Frank P. 17 M W farm laborer NH
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Children of Albert G. & Cynthia J. (Robbins) Comings:
1. James Comings, b. 2 Nov 1839 in Mason NH; d. 3 Dec 1840.
2. Joseph Taylor Comings, b. 8 Sep 1840 in Salem MA, d. 13 June 1867 at Lee NH. He m. 21 Apr 1864 Sarah Elizabeth Davis of Lee (she remarried after his death). He served in the Union Army during the civil war and was badly wounded in the battle of Deep Bottom VA 16 June 1864. He lived until 13 June 1867 from these wounds, at Lee NH. No children.
3. Mary Lydia Comings, b 25 Jan 1844 Boston MA; died 22 June 1873 very suddenly at Lee NH
4. Albert Luther Comings, b. 21 May 1846 Boston MA; d. 21 July 1910 in Durham NH, lumber dealer, marrried 14 Aug 1873 in Lee NH to Emma J. Dow. She b. 8 Jan 1852 in Lee NH. Children: 1) Carrie Lydia Comings, b. 17 Sep 1877 in Lee NH;2) Fred Willis Comings, b. 21 Apr 1893 in Lee NH
5. +Cynthia Imelda “C. Millie” Comings, b. 13 December 1848 in Mason NH
6. Willis Johnson Comings, 5 Nov 1852 in Mason NH; m. 4 Oct 1888 to Marianne B. Chase
7. Carrie Wheaton Comings, b 16 January 1856 Freetown MA; d. 24 Oct 1946; m. 2 Nov 1876 to Charles Kittredge Weeden. He was born 10 Dec 1854 at Dover NH. Children: 1) Charles Albert Weeden, b. 22 Dec 1884, d. 7 January 1939; m. Dorothy Jolly; 2) Ernestine Cummings Weeden, b. 20 Feb 1889; m. Rev. Frank Albert Arbuckle
8. Fredrick Plummer Commings/Cummings, b. 11 Apr 1858 in Freetown MA; d. 1 Jan 1940 in Concord, Merrimack Co. NH. He graduated from Dartmouth College, a successful teacher.
9. Ernest Smith Comings, b. 2 November 1860 in Lee NH, d. 28 Sep 1886 in Cincinnati Ohio, of typhoid fever, was in US Signal Service. He graduated at Dartmouth College in 1884.
=====PARTIAL PLUMMER GENEALOGY=====
Samuel Plummer, son of Francis Plummer, born in England in 1619, granted land in Newbury MA in 1642. He married Mary Bitfield, daughter of Samuel & Elisabeth Bitfield.
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Children of Samuel & Elisabeth (Bitfield) Plumer:
1. Samuel Plumer
2. Mary Plumer
3. John Plumer
4. +Ephraim Plumer, b. 16 Sep 1655
5. Hannah Plumer
6. Sylvanus Plumer
7. Ruth Plumer
8. Elisabeth Plumer
9. Deborah Plumer
10. Joshua Plumer, twin; m. Elizabeth Dole, dau of Richard & Sarah (Greenleaf) Dole
11. Lydia Plumer, twin
12. Bathshua Plumer
Ephraim Plummer, son of Samuel & Mary (Bitfield) Plummer, was b. 16 Sep 1654 in Newbury MA and d. 13 Aug 1715 in Newbury MA. He m. 15 Jan 1679/80 in Newbury, Essex Co. MA to Hannah Jacques, dau of –. She was b. 20 Oct 1655 in Newbury MA and d. 13 March 1730/31 in Newbury MA.
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Children of Ephraim & Hannah (Jacques) Plummer:
1. Mary Plummer
2. Hannah Plummer
3. Samuel Plummer
4. Elizabeth Plummer
5. John Plummer
6. Ruth Plummer
7. Daniel Plummer
8. +Richard Plummer, b. 3 Aug 1695 Newbury MA
9. Bitfield Plummer
10. Sarah Plummer
11. Samuel Plummer
12. Emma Plummer
Richard Plummer, son of Ephraim & Hannah (Jacques) Plummer was born 3 August 1695 in Newbury MA and d. 1745. He married Elizabeth Beard.
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Children of Richard & Elizabeth (Beard) Plummer:
1. Hon. John Plummer, b. 1719, d. 19 Nov 1815
2. Elizabeth Plummer, b. abt 1720
3. Hannah Plummer b May 1724
4. Bitfield Plummer, b Aug 1726, d. 1753
5. Sarah Plummer, b. 1 Oct 1728, d. 9 Feb 1812
6. Thomas Plummer, b. 1739 an d. aft 1812
7. +Samuel Plummer, b aft 1739, and d. March 1804
Samuel Plummer, son of Richard & Elizabeth (Beard) Plumer, b abt 1740 in Rochester NH, and died March 1804 in Rochester NH. He m1) by 1766 to Sarah Jones and had 6 children. He m2) 22 Jan 1786 to Abigail Tebbets of Rochester NH. Reportedly he was a husbandman who lived at “Chestnut Hill” in Rochester, now Milton NH where he built a two room log house.
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Children of Samuel & Sarah (Jones) Plummer:
1. +Ephraim Plummer, b. 30 April 1766 in Rochester NH [reported Milton NH].
2. Ebenezer Plumer, baptized 26 November 1769 in Rochester NH. [per Family Records of Branches of the Hanaford, Thompson, Huckins, Prescott, etc, by Mary E.N. Hanaford]
3. Samuel Plumer, baptized 6 August 1770 in Rochester NH
4. Dodovah Plummer, b. abt 1773 in Rochester NH; d. 1781; m. Temperance Bickford
5. Susanna Plummer, b. 17 June 1775 in Rochester NH; m. 16 Nov 1794 to John Tibbetts, son of Henry & Mary (Bickford) Tebbetts. They had 6 children: Mary, George, Samuel, John, Israel and Abigail. They lived in Rochester NH.
6. Lydia Plummer, b. June 1779 in Rochester NH
Ephraim Plummer/Plumer, son of Samuel & Miriam (Jones) Plummer. was b. 30 April 1766 in Rochester NH [registered in Milton NH]; He m. 25 February 1790 in Rochester NH to Anna “Hannah” “Nancy” McDuffee. She was b. 1 May 1768 in Rochester NH.dau of Daniel & Abigail (Young) McDuffee
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Children of Ephraim & Anna (McDuffee) Plummer:
1. Betsy Plumer, b. 26 July 1791 in Milton NH
2. Richard Plummer b 26 March 1792 Milton NH
3. Susan Plummer b 1793
4. Daniel M. Plummer, b. 10 March 1794 Milton NH; m. Eunice –. Had son Ephraim, b. 19 May 1824 in Milton NH.
5. Sukey Plumer, b 10 Apr 1796 Milton NH [female]
6. Lydia Plummer b 25 June 1798 Milton NH
7. James Plummer b 28 June 1800 Milton NH
8. Ephraim Plummer, b. 28 Sep 1804 in Milton NH
9. Samuel Plummer b 1806
10. Abigail Plummer b 3 April 1809 in Milton, Strafford Co. NH
11. +Allen Plummer, b 2 Feb 1812
Allen Plummer, son of Ephraim & Hannah (McDuffee) Plummer, was b. 2 Feb 1812 in Milton NH, and died 4 May 1892 in Lee NH, age 80 yrs 3 months 1 day. He married 23 January 1842 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH to Abby J. Pendergast, dau of Nicolas D. & Hannah (Emerson) Pendergast. She b. Lee NH. Farmer and Teacher.
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1850 US Census > NH > Rockingham > Newington
Allen Plummer M 37 NH
Abby J. Plummer F 36 NH
ALbert B. Plummer M 6 NH
Danilel E. Plummer M 5 NH
Ann M. Plummer F 8 NH
Byren M. Plummer F 2 NH
Anna Emerson F 72 NH
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Children of Allen & Abby J. (Pendergast) Plummer:
1. Annie M. Plummer, b. 10 July 1842 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH
2. Albert B. Plummer, b abt 1843 in Barrington NH, died 24 Dec 1888 in Newmarket NH; m. 9 Sep 1865 in Northwood, Rockingham Co. NH to Mary A. Critcherson, dau of William & Elizabeth (Burnham) Critcherson. She b abt 1845
3. Daniel E. Plummer, b 16 Feb 1845 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH
4. Byron M. Plummer, b. 20 March 1848 in Lee NH; d. 20 Nov 1903 in Lee NH; shoemaker, single; in 1900 single and living with his brother in Lee NH
5. Frank P. Plummer, b. 4 Nov 1852 in Newington, Rockingham Co. NH; died 7 Sep 1911 in Rollinsford NH. He married. Merchant.
Daniel Emerson Plummer, son of Allen & Abby J. (Pendergast) Plummer, was b 16 Feb 1845 in Lee NH and died 16 July 1912 in Lee NH. He married 11 November 1874 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH to Cynthia Imelda “C. Millie” Comings, dau of Rev. Albert G. & Cynthia J. (Robbins) Comings. She was b. 13 December 1848 in Mason NH, and died 3 May 1891 in Lee NH, age 42 years, 4 months 20 days. His occupation was merchant; Her occupation was teacher. In the 1870 census his occupation is shoemaker.
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1880 US Census > NH > Strafford > Lee
Plumer Daniel E. M W 34 Retail Grocer, NH NH NH
Plumer, Millie C. W F 30 wife Keeping House NH NH NH
Plumer, Annie May W F 4 dau at home NH NH NH
Plumer, Lulu B W F 2 dau at home NH NH NH
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1900 US Census > NH > Strafford > Lee
Plummer Daniel E. Head W M Feb 1845 55 widow NH NH NH grocer
Plummer, Annie M. dau W F March 1876 24 single NH NH NH milliner
Plummer, Lulu B dau W F Nov 1877 22 single NH NH NH
Plummer, Byron M. brother M W March 1848 52 single NH NH NH teamster
Woodman Charles A (no relationship) W M Aug 1864 35 single NH NH NH clerk
—-next house—-
Comings, Cynthia Head W F July 1820 79 widow 1 ch 1 living NH NH NH farmer
Comings, Fred P. son W M April 1859 41 single NH NH NH teacher
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Children of Daniel E. & Cynthia M. (Comings) Plummer:
1. +Annie May Plummer, b. 28 March 1876 in Lee NH; m. 27 Dec 1900 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH to Harold E. York, son of Fred B. & Olevia J. (Otis) York
2. Lulu B. Plummer, b November 1877 NH; m. 14 October 1901 in Lee, NH to James B.C. Walker, son of George F. & Alice (Bracket) Walker. He was b in Newmarket NH.
Annie May Plummer, daughter of Daniel E. & Cynthia M. (Comings) Plummer, b. 28 March 1876 in Lee NH; m. 27 Dec 1900 in Lee, Strafford Co. NH to Harold E. York, son of Fred B. & Olevia J. (Otis) York. He was b abt 1876 and died 26 July 1930 in Tacoma, Pierce Co. Washington, age 54 yrs 10 mo, 21 days. They were active socially, as the Tacoma Daily News of May 19, 1906 reports Mr. & Mrs. Harold York attending the Harmony club card party where Mr. York won a prize for the highest score.
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1930 US Census > Washington > Tacoma > Pierce
Harold E. York Head M 52 NH
Annie May York wife F 50 NH
Natalie I York dau F 27 NH
Beatrice C. York dau F 22 Washington
Allen P. York son M 19 Washington
Dorothy O York dau F 17 Washington
Lee L. York son M 12 Washington
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Children of Harold E. & Annie May (Plummer) York:
1. Nathalia “Natalie” I./J. York, b abt 1903 NH
2. Beatrice C. York, b abt 1908 Washington
3. Allen Plummer York, b abt 1911 Washington
4. Dorothy O. York, b abt 1913 Washington
5. Lee Hill York, b. abt 1918 Washington
Lulu B. Plummer, daughter of Daniel E. & Cynthia M. (Comings) Plummer b abt 1878 Lee NH; m. 14 October 1901 in Lee, NH to James B.C. Walker, son of George F. & Alice (Bracket) Walker. He was b in Newmarket NH.
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Children of James B.C. & Lulu B. (Plummer) Walker:
1. Marion Dorothy Walker, b. 1908 in Lee NH; She married 30 May 1932 in Lee NH to Ernest Henry Decato, son of Henry & Margaret (Bell) Decato. He was born in Franklin NH; Occupations: Department Manager and Secretary. They had one child, Judith A. Decato who married Robert Arthur Rachdorf.
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I think it is amazing that you were able to do this! I’d like to hear more about how you identified the picture! did you know who she was? Great job, and a real service to the family–both saving the picture and your blog post full of information!
Yes Helen, sorry I should have said that the back of the photograph had written Mrs. Daniel (Comings) Plummer and then Emelda beneath it. I have Plummers in my family tree, so distantly related to him, but not to her, as far as I know.
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I’m a little late to the party… but I just ran across this. Fascinating story. This woman is my second cousin 4 times removed. May I link your blog post to her profile page on Wikitree (genealogy) as soon as I create it?
Carolyn, one is never late to a party 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog. I’m a member and biag fan of Wikitree myself, but created this post of Cynthia way before I joined Wiki. Feel free to link and add to her profile page.
Thank you! I have now created her profile page (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Comings-360) and linked this blog in the sources. If you want the citation to be formatted any differently, please let me know. And have one more question. May I use the picture as her profile picture? I see where someone is using it on Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1093/?name=Cynthia_Commings&name_x=s) already; looks like the same picture.
I uploaded it there originally and 3 people are now sharing my original photo. To make sure you don’t end up being accused of taking someone elses photo (as I have the original) I’ll upload it on Wiki for you. She married a distant cousin of mine so I posted it to her profile in Ancestry FYI.
Again, thank you. Let me know if I need to put you on the trusted list for this profile. 🙂
I had a friend in the 70’s named Tom Plummer from Lee, NH. He grew up on Rte. 152 leading from Newmarket to Lee, in a very old center-chimney cape that I imagine had been in the family for generations. I would guess it was built sometime in late 1700″s to early 1800’s, and is probably connected to some of the Plummers you mention in your post. I have completely lost track of him, so if anyone runs across him, tell him hi for me.
Pat Sewall