John Hume was born in 1732 or 33, at 11 years of age he was taken by his Uncle James Hume, Capt. in British Navy, and placed on board his vessel, H. M. S. South Sea Castle, then lying at Norfolk or Hampton Roads, to protect the Colonial Commerce against Spanish and French privateers. Young Hume was put in school at Norfolk, where he remained during the greater part of the year 1744. studying arithmetic and navigation. In 1745 he went with his uncle to Sea. and was in London. Portsmouth, and Dover, at various times.

After having been three years at Sea, he went with his uncle to Scotland and remained eleven months at the home of his grandmother the Countess of Hume. In 1748, he and his cousin Ninian Hume returned to America. His subsequent history is best told in the excellent monograph by his descendant, R. D. Hume.

''John Hume who was married to Helinor Manson by the Rev. John Moorehead in the year 1766, at the Old Church in Long Lane, Boston, Mass , was one of the party who threw overboard the tea in Boston Harbor, December 16, 1773. The next we hear from him is serving in the defense of the borders of Lincoln County, then a part of Massachusetts, now Maine, the shiretown of which was Wiscassett.

The next we hear of his movements he has paddled a canoe up the Kennebec River to the falls, to a place afterwards called Waterville, and going into the Fort with his family for protection from the Indians. Here his daughter, Elinor became acquainted with a Mr. Simpson who married her. Mr. Simpson dug the clay, made the bricks, and built a house for his bride, which is still in a good state of preservation. Mr. Bradford Simpson of Richmond, Me., is a grandson of this couple. In the year 1791, we still find John Hume Sr. , and his son John Jr. , as tax payers at Waterville. (See history of old Winslow). At this time they were engaged in taking salmon, and John the older talks of having caught a canoe load the night before. It would seem that the desire for sport was still as strong as had been with their ancestors who caught the salmon on the Tweed in Scotland. (See Wilson's Border Tales). In the year 1819 we find John Hume, Sr., deeding land to his son John, Jr., and affixing his signature with a firm hand, although much advanced in years. Of the three sons born to this union, John lived, was married, and reared a large family, and died at Waterville, Me., having made no great showing during his lifetime. William went to sea early in life, became a Captain, and about 1812 settled in Calias, Me., became well to do and highly respected by all who knew him. He left a family; one son, Seward B. Hume, who was a greatly respected merchant, represented his section in the Legislature, and whose descendants still conduct the business at Calias, Me., and are highly respected. From a sister of Seward B. Hume we learn of the story concerning the end of the third son of John Hume, Sr. She says when she was a little girl she remembers of a visit paid her family by her uncle Charles, and in after years heard her father say that he went to sea and was taken prisoner, and died on a prison ship, during the war of 1812.

The record concerning the daughters is not complete. Some of the older members of the family say that there were three, but such is not borne out by the different testimony; by it there should be four. Elinor, who married Simpson; another, a Crosby; one a Winn and another a McCusic. John Hume, Jr. , son of John and Helinor Hume, married Nancy Webb, who was of the well known family of Webbs, who were great ship builders at Bath, Me. They reared a large family (see chart). The oldest son William, was a man of excellent education, a teacher in the earlier years of his life, served in the war of 1812, was afterwards Captain of Militia in his state; a man who would have made a generous landlord or Laird, but like his predecessors, without any mercantile instincts. It seems as if the characteristics of the old ancestors was so ingrained that no Hume could chase the nimble dollar with any degree of success, their instincts leading them to the pursuit of higher game. William Hume, Sr., was generous, courageous, high minded , but not successful as far as the getting of worldly goods go. William married for his first wife Harriet Hunter. It is evident that some of the Scotch Hunters of whom George Hume, the emigrant, often wrote in his letters home to Scotland in a very kindly way, they must have gone to Maine in the early settlement of the country, no doubt there were a number of families who were from the same part of Scotland settled there. Of this marriage there were two sons and two daughters William the oldest married Emma Lord, and had one son and two daughters. The son died young, and William, the father, died June 26, 1902, beloved and respected by all who knew him. John, second son, married Laura Shaw; died some years since, (see record) leaving one son, John, who has since died, leaving two sons, John B. Hume and Arthur Hume. There is nothing much to say about the present generation. William and George introduced the packing of salmon in tins to the United States, and a great business has grown out of it. William died wealthy; George is worth more than a million, Joseph died leaving a good estate, and R. D. Hume, is also worth more than a million.

The family has been noted for its strength and courage.

Yours truly,
R. D. Hume,
421 Market St., San Francisco, Cal.