Mary Plummer

Not the same as Mary Plummer

One of those early builders was Mary Hayes Plummer, widow of George William Plummer, a prosperous Virginian and Revolutionary War captain who had died in about 1780. Mrs. Plummer had the comfortable fortune of nearly £16,450 with which to support her family of six children, and the charms of her lovely daughter Hannah dazzled a whole platoon of young bachelors. Hardly the richest of them, but certainly the most eager and earnest, was State Senator Nathaniel Macon of Buck Spring. In 1781, and on into 1782, he made one of the crowd of suitors that called often at the Plummer home. He may have been made especially welcome because young William Plummer was paying court to Nathaniel’s half-sister Elizabeth Ransom. As the months went by, Nathaniel managed to scowl Hannah’s admirers away, one by one, until only a single rival, as stubbornly devoted as himself, remained. The intriguing legend insists that one night these two young men played a game of cards, in the very presence of Miss Hannah, the loser to depart and come wooing no more. Within moments, Macon had lost the game, had lost also his lifelong sense of honor in gambling debts. “I have lost you fairly,” he told Hannah in a trembling voice, “but love is superior to fortune—I cannot give you up.” She melted into his arms, and the winner of the game took his hat and slunk away. Thus happy in his love and planning for marriage, Macon did not seek re-election to the State Senate in 1783. His wealthy neighbor Herbert Haynes went to the Assembly as Senator, along with John Macon and Joseph Hawkins as members of the House of Commons. That year saw the passage of legislation to provide for the sale of Lot 44 in Warrenton, where stood the empty granary

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