Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 207, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1910 — Hume Family [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hume Family

The Saxon monarchs of England are responsible for the Humes, or the Homes, which is another orthography, and the more common one, centuries ago. Some one says it is indeed a desirable thing to be well descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors. The story is this: Go back to 1034, or thereabouts, and you find a clan whose official name was Cospatrick, corrupted to Gospatrick. The name means a father count. Comptes or count abreviated to “Co.” and Patrick, meaning father. The Copatricks or Cospatricks had large land holdings, and the Hume branch, descended from the Saxon kings—so "they say,” Representatives were at the battle of Hastings, in the Saxon ranks. One Cospatrick fled to Scotland. He was earl of Northumberland, and in Scotland became earl of Dunbar, and Baron Hume of Home, and from him descend the present line of Humes. The unreasonable person who wants more romance than this for a background would want —well, he would probably want the earth. Is it not enough to say that the Humes were at once time one of the most powerful of the Scottish nobility* As to descent from kings and the like, we must ask, before growing tco proud, were the kings noble, and is a drop or two of their blood worth having? Hume Castle, Berwickshire. Scot' land,—is one. seat of the family. For a long time the castle was held against Cromwell’s forces. The governor being summoned to surrender, replied that he knew- not Cromwell, and as for his castle-, -it was built upon a rock. It would be pleasanter to skip or ignore the sequel, that four days later the castle was surrendered. One of the greatest of historians. and most subtle pf metaphysicians, David Hume, was the son of Joseph the laird of W’.newells, Berwickshire, and nephew of a Scottish peer, earl of Hume or Horae, of the noble house of Douglas. David’s mother was daughter of Sir David Falocner. George Hume, born in Berwick, 1697, came to America in 1721 and settled in Culpepper county. Virginia. He was a surveyor, and the one who taught Washington the business G>orge Hume’s eldest brother, -i Fc-tfcis Hpme, had come over jpn v iv with Gov. Spotswood, whose -c be Ts called. George,, the pi g I j six sons. and his wife was. 1 ht»n< . tor. George. Jr., married ■ !0 ton, and they had night o .•,«

The Humes made marriages with the Sharps, Barnes, Colvins, Duncans and Crigiers. William Hume, son of George and Elizabeth, married Susan Elzephan, Miss Granville and Susan Baker. Not all at once, let this be distinctly understood, but one after the other, with appropriate Intervals between marriages. More than a score of Hume orthographies are found in the records.

For example: Hum, Heum, Hwme, Howm, Hwm, Hieum, Hieume, Hiewm, Hiewme, Hewme, iiooin, Houin. Early forms are de Houme and de Home or Hume. The name, however spelled, has been owned by these, or by many; of whom it may be aid: “A good name is better than riches, and loving favor is more than gold and silver,” and many, if not mo. t of the are cast in noble mold. Their words and actions ring clear. , The coat-of-arms Illustrated is: Vert, a lion rampant, argent. Crest: A lion's head, erased, or. Motto: True to the end. Vise a la Fine, another version, is translated. Aim at the end. The arms of the Hume Family association of America is quarterly, with the arms illustrated for first quarter. The crests are the lion and the unicorp. The supporters, lions, and the motto. True to the end. Above these a spread edgle, with the legend: Aquila Non Captat MuscaeSir Andrew flume. 1707, quartered the Hu: sos Berwick ftbe arms illue i.e Pet dies of Dungbtss; the r’olwarth. of Polwartb; and the St Clairs <• • t Lothi- n

HUME