There are many Summers listed throughout Americas early times. Research tells me that there are many origins of the name Summers. The English (and there are many), the Dutch and German all have Summers lines. The name Summers is spelled various way and in some cases I have Summers that changed the spelling on purpose. So Summers,  Somers and Summer may all be in the same line. Plus in some cases one line of Summers marries into another line of Summers. There is just one of many Summers coat of arms.

             JOHN SUMMERS,1st

   Your line of Summers are believed to come from England. The first reported Summers in your line was a John Summers. On 18 December 1671, a Captain John Boddy...having transported 12 persons to Maryland to inhabit, amongst whom was JOHN SUMMERS, proved his right to 600 acres of land.

John Summers was believed to be between 16 and 25 years of age (born about 1650),  this being the age of most transported indentured servants. He would  have faced a doubtful crossing of the Atlantic. A most dangerous thing at those times,  where sickness, on board fires and ship wreaks were only some of the fears. The crossing if it went well would have taken 2 months. Most of the time spent below decks in cramped quarters with little light, sanitation or ventilation. Many died of disease on these journeys and John  would had to have the true Pioneer spirit to make this trips.

John showed himself to be a ruggard Individualist,  by 1682 he was already paying ground rent (tax) on 120 acres of land called Pitchcraft.  It was on the Westside of the Patuxent River in the freshes,  in Calvert County, later called Prince Georges= County. As most people of the time he was a Planter (Farmer) by trade.  He also was active in the community. He  testified for a Edward Gold (a Negro) and his freedom in June 1692. He served on Jury duty  twice in 1698, and was appointed overseer of the Mount Calvert Hundred (a piece of property). He was married to a Rebecca Dent and had 4 children; William Summers, John Summers 2nd, Sarah Summers and Lucy Summers. He died about 1705 and left his estate to his Wife Rebecca. When she remarried (to a Henry Mackbee in 1708) the estate went to his two sons. Rebecca died about 1711.

 JOHN SUMMERS, 2nd

John Summers, 2nd was born in Prince Georges county Maryland about 1685 and like his father he was a Planter. But John Summers the 2nd was a visionary and had a desire to grow with this new land. By 1709 he indentured (brought) his brother Williams= half of Pitchcraft for 1,500 pounds of tobacco. It seems William Summers had some money problems and in 1708 the Sheriff was after him for a owed debt back in 1707 for the sum of 550 pounds of tobacco. It seems he was not at home when the sheriff called. By 1713 John Summers, 2nd  married a Mary Moore, daughter of James Moore, Sr.  and brought the land adjoining his fathers-in-laws called Moores Adition from a Thomas Clagatt. Moores Adition is 231 acres on the west side of the Patuxent River in the woods and in the fork of Piscataway Branch.  John the 2nd and his father-in-law must of got along well because in July 1723 James Moore indentured (sold) a tract of  land (35 acres) called Child=s Portion to John the 2nd. John the 2nd then deeded the land back to him (James Moore) for Anatural affection and loving duty@. Besides working a growing farm, he and Mary Moore Summers had 13 children;  John Summers the 3rd, George Summers, William Summers, Dent Summers, Thomas Summers, Benjamin Summers, James Summers, Joseph Summers, Mary Summers Wheat, Rebeckah Summers King, Rachel Summers Johnson, Ruth Summers Riggs, Jemima Summers Caton,. All of them out lived him, except James Summers who died in 1761. John and Mary Summers died in 1769.

Summers Land

            DENT SUMMERS

The fourth son of John Summers the 2nd, born in Prince Georges county, Maryland in 1727. He grew up on the farm with large extended family of brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles. He married about age 22 (about 1749) to a Mary Ann Claggett. On 18 April 1763 he obtained 100 acres of land called Joseph=s Park. It was located on the east side of a Rock Creek Branch. When his parents died in 1769, he was willed 50 acres of the Adition, a portion laid off at the lower end next to the Wood Yard. He needed this land because he and Mary Ann  went on to have 9 children; Hezekiah Summers, Mary Ann Summers Hardy,  Sarah Summers White,  Paul Summers, James Dent Summers, Zadock Summers, John Summers, Margaret Summers Hoskins and  William Dent Summers.  Dent Summers was a private,  suspicious and bit of a obnoxious man. In 1776 when the new America commissioned a census of all its people. Dent Summers told the census taker there was 9 in the family but refused to give their ages.  When they came back again to do another census in 1790,  he was more corporative and listed his kids along with 5 slaves. In 1802 his wife Mary Ann died and he followed shortly in 1809.

            HEZEKIAH SUMMERS

Hezekiah Summers was born in Prince Georges county Maryland on 23 September 1750.

He and his brothers work the land and he married a Rebecker Glaz, daughter of John Glaz, on about 1772. Together they had 8 children; William Dent Summers, Benjamin Summers, Alexander Summers, John S. Summers, Phillip Summers, Thomas Summers, Margaret Summers and   Nathan Summers. Life appeared to be normal but these were not normal time. A nation was being born and Hezekiah soon found himself drafted on 17 August 1776 to fight in the Revolutionary War. He served 4 times in 6 years for a total of two and half years service. He fought in New Jersey,  Pennsylvania and was there when Lord Cornwallace surrendered. He stated he personally knew General Washington and was a true Minuteman (enclosed is one of the letters for his pension request). He returned home after the war and was prosperous property owner, planter.   He was living in Northwest Hundred, Frederick County, by 1790 (Census) he had 10 slaves. It is believed that Rebecker Glaz Summers died about 1800 and the family was beginning to venture out to find their own lives. Hezekiah Summers children went in many different direction but most went to the western wilderness of Virginia (now West Virginia). Hezekiah moved to Monongalia County Virginia about 1810. It is believed that  Hezekiah went west,  to be near his children and grandchildren. On 13 April 1831 he married a Ruth Dawson in Monongalia county, Virginia, 30 plus years his younger. Both he and her petitioned the government for his war pension and land grants with no success. He died in 1836 in Monongalia County, Virginia. Ruth Dawson Summers lived on to about 1866.

            ALEXANDER SUMMERS

Alexander Summers was born in Prince Georges county Maryland on 9 March 1778. He married a Mary Ann Vinagar from Ireland  in Frederick County, Maryland on 25 March 1797. He moved to Monongalia county Virginia about 1807. Together they had 13 children; David and Jonathan Summers (Twins), Aletha Summers Huffman, James Summers, Chrystianna Summers, Elijah Summers, Elisha Summers, Rebecca Summers Baker, Elias S. Summers, Sarah Summers, Mary Ann Summers Swisher, Joseph Summers and Elizabeth Summers Snider.  Alexander was a religious man and in 1814 he and three other men obtain a small parcel of land Afor the settlement in which they may live in the religious order for the promotion of the gospel@. (The churchs' foundation and graveyard exist today at the New Pisgah Church one half mile from Little Falls in Monongalia County off State Route # 73).  Alexander Summers went on to become an ordained Methodist Minister in Morgantown Virginia on 19 November 1832. Alexander and Mary Ann Summers then lived in Marion county near Catawba. Mary Ann died in 1832. It is then believed that Alexander married a Sarah Stansberry but no addition data is available.

There has been much written and not written about Alexander's  father Hezekiah, I have several records that support Alexander as Hezekiah's  son (letters of J.E. Summers 1936) but there is also other data that argues that point (letter of Mrs. Paul L. Summers 1950). I believe the early documents are more accurate and supportive, but as of this writing NO undisputable evidence has been found.

        JOSEPH SUMMERS

Joseph Summers

Joseph Summers was born 4 June 1816 in Monongalia County, Virginia. Joseph did not follow in his fathers foot steps and become a preach. He had a love for the land and was a farmer. On 1 September 1836 he married Julia Ann Tarleton from Maryland. She was born in 1812 and the daughter of Caleb Tarleton. Together they had seven children; Alcinda Summers May, Thomas Marshall Summers, Elijah Summers, Alexander Summers, Jr., William Caleb Summers, James Summers and Sarah Elizabeth Summers Wofle\Bomer.  In 1853 we find Joseph and Julia Ann Summers on 164 acres of land that they brought from Mary Ann=s  brother, Elijah Tarleton in Preston County, near Marques. This place was known as the Summers Place, later the Joe summers place. It is said that Joseph Summers was an honest man in all his dealing and would do no man harm. He was a Christian who attended the Mount Zion church on the hill over looking Marques. One Winter, when Typhoid fever hit the area  he died on 27 February 1887. Mary Ann Tarleton Summers had died previous in 1879 and he was laid to rest next to her at the graveyard at the Mount Zion church in Marques.  Joseph Summers left his land to be divided between  his two sons;  William Caleb Summers and James Summers.

 

            JAMES SUMMERS.

James Summers, Elmira (Almira) Francis Knapp Summers and Family

James Summers was born 2 July 1850 in Preston County Virginia. He was crippled. probably a form of spina bifida. Letters state he Awas crippled in the legs that were drawn crooked by white swelling@. He could not straighten them and learned to walk bent on over on his hands and feet, much like an animal. It is said that he used wooden blocks, carrying them  in his hands to help him walk bent over. In spite of the handicap, he was very energetic, attended school and was a bright student. His farther even rigged a special saddle for him, so he be able to ride a horse and be more independent.

When he was quite young a man by the name of Braley come to the community to teach music. Braley organized a singing school at the Mt. Zion church which James attended along with his family. James had wanted to attend this singing school but his farther, a man of hard work,  had a different view of singing and was against it. Julia his mother also had a different opinion, she helped James attend the school secretly, even sneaking out the horse so he could go and practice. The school developed a choir of sorts that went around to homes and sang for people. James though deprived in one physical aspect excelled in others. Soon he was the leader of the choral group. His farther noticed his sons absence and did some inquiring. When he found out what his son had accomplished, he was truly surprised and then just grinned. After that his farther would help him in any way he could. In time James became a music teacher. He traveled to surrounding counties (Barbour, Randolph Tucker and Preston counties). James was well liked and it is said the people would travel miles just to hear him sing. He was an industrious man that could work the farm. He could hoe, plant corn, do gardening, milk and feed cows and mow the grass. He was a man of his time, a survivor.

It must have been on one of these travels that he met his future bride Elmira (Almira) Francis Knapp. On 14 October 1877 he married her at her parents home in Barbour County. They then went and settled on the Summers farm.

James and Elmira had five sons; Joseph Willis Summers, Ira Henson Summers, Charles Robert Summers, John Wesley Summers and an infant that died very young. In February 1887, his farther died and left him the half the acres of the farm to him. Sadly, 2 months later, on 22 April 1887,  James Summers also died of Thypoid. He is buried in the Mt Zion church cemetery, on the hill top, near Margues in Preston county West Virginia. In 1947 his wife Elmira Francis (fannie) Knapp-Summers-Hurshman died. She is also buried at Mt Zion.