Looking for George Plummer - Bristol/Bedminster

[Wayanad45]

Hello!

I am looking for my 5x Great Grandfather 'George Plummer'. All I know about him is that he married in 1783 in Bristol (Bedminster) to 'Sarah Jones' but I have been unsuccessful in finding a baptism record but I assume it will be from Bristol if it exists. His son and my 4x Great Grandfather 'James Plummer' was born and baptised in Bristol in 1800. Any help with his would be much appreciated! Thank you!

[KGarrad]

Bedminster back then was a part of Somerset, but parish records are at Bristol Archives.

There was a post a few days ago about a similar issue?

[philipsearching]

I have been unsuccessful in finding a baptism record but I assume it will be from Bristol if it exists.

This is not necessarily the case.  Bristol was one of the largest trading ports so the Plummers could have moved in from elsewhere.

Do you have any information from wills or censuses giving the occupations of any Plummers?  If George (m1783) is on the 1841 census as born in county or out of county it would focus the search.

Philip

[QueenoftheWest]

I always recommend finding and listing all possible children as a starting point. As I had nothing better to do, here are all the children born to a George & Sarah Plummer in the Bristol area:

Betsy Plummer bap. 1785, father’s occupation: sawyer (St Philip & Jacob, Gloucestershire)
John Plummer bap. 1787 (St Philip & Jacob, Gloucestershire)
Thomas Plummer bap. 1790, abode: Denmark Street (St Augustine the Less, Bristol)
John Plummer bap. 1792 (St George, Bristol)
Joseph Plummer bap. 1796 (St Augustine the Less, Bristol)
Isaac Plummer bap. 1798 (St James, Bristol)
James Plummer bap. 1800 (St James, Bristol)
James Plumber bap. 1802 (St James, Bristol)
John Plummer bap. 1804 (St James, Bristol)

Looks like there were 2 James' so maybe your ancestor is actually the one born in 1802?

Also, George & Sarah married by licence, which suggests they were relatively well-off. The witnesses do not seem to be related to the couple.

Queenie 

[philipsearching]

Queenie, that is a cracking piece of research - getting the correct James and an occupation for father George.

George's occupation as a sawyer in 1785 might mean that he ran his own business or he was a foreman or labourer.  Whichever, he would have been sawing timber into useable lengths - probably for shipwrights, carpenters or cabinet makers.  My gut-feeling is that he would be more likely to be local to Bristol (or Somerset/Gloucestershire) than to have come from further afield (as some merchants did).

[rosie99]

Do you have any information from wills or censuses giving the occupations of any Plummers?  If George (m1783) is on the 1841 census as born in county or out of county it would focus the search.

Philip

TNA has free to download at the moment

Jane Plummer 1804.  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D374696

Frances Plummer.  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D549083

John Plummer 1750.  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3378430

Jane Plummer 1751. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D726769

William Plummer 1835. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D257372

There are quite a few mentions of the surname Plummer in Bristol on TNA

[Wayanad45]

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for all your contributions. I really appreciate your research, I certainly wasn't expecting that! Brilliant to find the occupation as well Queenie It has left me feeling a little confused over which James is the right one. The census records I have for him would place him around 1800-1801. The death record I have for him is from 1885 and it says that he was 87 which would make it 1798 so I would think it would be the 1800 baptism? Quite a coincidence being so born so close together with the same parents names! I will have another look for George on the 1841 census/burial record Phillip. Thank you for the background information. I assumed Plummer was a local name but I'm not sure. The family did continue to live in Bristol. James married "Frances Masters" in 1822 and was living on Avon Street and working as a whip maker. I haven't managed to see an actual copy of their marriage record so maybe this would reveal the answer.

[rosie99]

The parish register image for the 1822 marriage is on Ancestry - after Banns with consent of parents.

Ages at death are not reliable as they depend on the knowledge of the informant

ADDED witnesses were  Wm Bees & Hy Ridgway

Did you download those wills from TNA.  They are free at the moment due to covid restritions

[Wayanad45]

I did have a look but could not see anything related unfortunately. I found an interesting possible lead when I broadened my search for George beyond Bristol. There was a George Plummer born in 1764 in London (Stepney, St Dunstan). His father and mother are George and Elizabeth. His father's trade is listed as Sawyer. These dates would match up nicely with his marriage to Sarah Jones. Funnily enough there is also another George Plummer born in the same place in 1768 to what seems to be the same parents. Perhaps the family moved to Bristol and he followed his father into the trade. What does everyone think?