George Hume (May 30, 1697 – August 16, 1760) was a Scottish-born American surveyor, colonial official, and key figure for his contributions to land surveying in the colony, particularly in the region that would become Culpeper County, Virginia. Hume also played a significant role in mentoring and training a young George Washington in the art of surveying. He was the cousin of Virginia Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood.[1]
Early life and family background
editGeorge Hume was born in 1697 in Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, into a distinguished noble family with deep roots in Scottish history. His father, Sir George Hume of Wedderburn, was the 3rd Baronet of Wedderburn who married his cousin Lady Margaret, daughter of Sir Patrick Hume,1st Baronet of Lumsden.[2] His grandfather, also named George, was 2nd Baronet of Wedderburn, a title that had been granted to his grandfather by King Charles I in 1638 for his loyalty during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The Hume family had a long tradition of service to the Scottish crown, holding significant lands and wielding considerable influence in the Borders region of Scotland. His cousin Patrick Hume, 1st Earl of Marchmont[3] was Lord Chancellor of Scotland until 1702. The Humes were royalists and had a history of military and political service to the Stuart kings.[4]
Hume's cousin was Margaret Spotswood (or Spottiswoode). She was the daughter of John Spottiswoode, the Archbishop of St. Andrews and a key figure in the Scottish Reformation. Margaret's brother, Sir Robert Spotswood, served as Secretary of State for Scotland and was a prominent supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War. This close association with the royalist cause further cemented the Hume family's loyalty to the Stuart monarchy.
Hume's brother, Captain James Hume[3] served in the Royal Navy as the commanding officer on board the fireship Pluto in 1756–57. James was killed in action at sea on April 11, 1758, against the French.[5]
On October 16, 1727, Hume married Elizabeth Proctor, the daughter of tobacco plantation owner George Proctor.[6]
Family crest
edit"Seal of George Hume of Culpeper County, bearing the arms of the Humes of Wedderburn, viz., quarterly: first and fourth; vert, a lion rampant argent, armed and langued gules, for Hume; second: argent, three papingoes vert, beaked and membered gules, for Pepdie of Dunglass; third: argent, a cross engrailed azure, for Sinclair of Herdmanston and Polwarth. Crest: A unicorn's head and neck, couped argent, maned and horned or, collared with an open crown. Mottoes: (above the crest) Remember; (below the arms) True to the End." This coat of arms was stamped from a deed to Hume in Orange County Circuit Clerk's Office, dated 1739.[7]
Stuart Cause and Jacobite Rebellion of 1715
editThe Hume family's unwavering loyalty to the Stuart cause was exemplified during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, which sought to restore the exiled James Francis Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender") to the British throne. Sir George Hume of Wedderburn, Hume's father, was a committed Jacobite who supported the uprising, which was part of the broader Jacobite movement advocating for the return of the Stuarts.
The 1715 Rebellion ended in failure, and many Jacobites, including the Humes, faced severe consequences. The Hume family's estates were confiscated, and Hume was imprisoned for two years at the age of sixteen. He was then exiled to Virginia as an indentured servant where he was placed on board a Glasgow slave vessel but was exchanged. Hume's uncle Francis, who was also sentenced to Virginia as a prisoner was freed by his cousin, Lt. Gov. Spotswood and made a "gentleman" in 1716. Where Francis went on the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition.[8]
Immigration to Virginia and early career
editIn 1721, Hume emigrated to Virginia, and in very poor health.[9] Spotswood, who had served as the lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1710 to 1722, enrolled Hume in the College of William and Mary from 1722 to 1723, and became a licensed surveyor. In 1727 - 1728, he was responsible for laying out the present-day city of Fredericksburg, Virginia where he was surveyor for Spotsylvania County. A year later Hume served as a lieutenant in the Colonial Troops of Spotsylvania County under Captain William Bledsoe, producing his commission in open court and taking the oath on September 2, 1729.
Spotswood secured Hume a position as a deputy surveyor for the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast land grant in Virginia owned by the Fairfax family, and promoted to surveyor for Lord Fairfax from 1741 to 1750.[10]
Surveyor
editHume quickly proved his worth as a skilled surveyor and became the surveyor for Orange, Frederick, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper. His work was essential in the orderly settlement and development of large tracts of land in Virginia. He was responsible for surveying significant portions of the Northern Neck, as well as other frontier areas that were being opened to European settlement.
In particular, Hume's work in St. Mark's Parish, which would later become Culpeper County, was notable. It was here that Hume's expertise as a surveyor had a lasting impact, not only in the physical development of the land but also in the training and mentorship of future surveyors, including George Washington.[11]
In 1749, George Washington, then just 17 years old, was appointed as the surveyor of Culpeper County, where Washington had previously served as Hume's deputy. Culpeper formed out of Orange County, which brought Washington under the guidance of Hume, who was one of the most experienced surveyors in the region. Washington's early surveys, including those of the Fairfax lands, were directly influenced by the training he received from Hume.[12] This mentorship is often cited as a critical element in Washington's development, both as a leader and as a figure of national importance.
Later life and land transactions
editOn December 12–13, 1735, Hume of Spotsylvania County leased and released 260 acres (110 ha) of land in Orange County to Edward Tiel for £12 sterling. The land was situated on the branches of Mountain Run, including a line from a patent granted to Robert Spotswood.[13]
From July 19–21, 1736, Hume, now residing in St. Mark's Parish, Orange County, conveyed 350 acres (140 ha) in the great fork of the Rappahannock River to James Pollard for £17 current money. The land was located along the road from Germanna to the Mountain Run bridge and was part of a patent originally granted to Charles Steuart, later transferred to Hume on June 4, 1734.[13]
On September 13–14, 1737, Hume and his wife Elizabeth conveyed 300 acres (120 ha) of land in St. Mark's Parish, Orange County, to James Garton of St. George's Parish, Spotsylvania County, for £50 current money. The land was located on a branch of Mountain Run called Hungary and bordered properties owned by Col. Alexander Spotswood, John and Aaron Moore, Edward Tiel, and Robert Spotswood.[13]
Hume conveyed a tract of land in Orange County to Thomas Wright Belfield of Richmond County for £28 current money on April 13–14, 1739. The land, located on a branch of Mountain Run, bordered Col. Spotswood's line.
On March 13–14, 1740 [1741], Hume transferred 375 acres (152 ha) of land in Beverley Manor to Gibbons Jennings for £30 current money. The land was situated on the south river of Shenandoah and bordered the lines of Robert Turk, Samuel Guy, and the patent of Beverley Manor. The transaction was witnessed by Robert McClanahan and Robert Erwin, and was acknowledged on March 26, 1741.
On August 27, 1745, a deed for 343 acres (139 ha) of land in Culpeper County along Hungry Run [Mountain Run] to William Morris of Orange County from Hume.[14] This tract, originally patented to Charles Stuart on August 21, 1734, was part of a larger parcel that Hume had purchased in March 1741 through William Beverley, Gent.[15] The land was initially patented by Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood. The transaction was overseen by Robert McClanahan.
On December 11–12, 1757, Hume of Culpeper County leased and released 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) to Henry Field of the same county for £30 current money. The land, originally patented to Charles Stewart on August 1, 1735, was acknowledged by Stewart to Hume through deeds of lease and release on September 13, 1735, in the Orange County Court. The tract was located on the north side of Meander Run, at the mouth of a branch corner to Field, extending to the fork of a branch, and included lines bordering Robert Spotswood's line and Colonel Alexander Spotswood's line, as well as the corner of a patent formerly granted to Francis Kirtley. The transaction was witnessed by Will Stanton, George Hume Jr., and Francis Hume. Field was a member of the House of Burgesses.
Hume continued his work as a surveyor and colonial official until his death in 1760. His contributions to the development of Virginia were significant, laying the groundwork for the orderly expansion of the colony. Hume's work ensured that the lands were properly mapped, which was crucial for legal ownership, settlement, and governance.
References
edit- ^ Hume, Edgar Erskine (1914). "THE HUME GENEALOGY. Being an Account of the Francis Hume Branch of the Wedderburn Humes of Scotland, Virginia and Kentucky. (Continued)". Register of Kentucky State Historical Society. 12 (34): 85–112. ISSN 2328-8183. JSTOR 23367454.
- ^ Hume, John Robert (1903). History of the Hume family . New York Public Library. St. Louis, Mo., Hume Genealogical Association.
- ^ a b "Letters from and to George Hume of Virginia, Formerly of Wedderburn, Scotland". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 20 (4): 381–421. 1912. ISSN 0042-6636. JSTOR 4243227.
- ^ Brockman, William Everett (1994). Early American history : Hume and allied families. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. Minneapolis, Minn. : William Everett Brockman.
- ^ Will of James Hume, Mariner of Saint John Wapping. 1759-07-07.
- ^ "Virginia Council Journals, 1726-1753 (Continued)". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 38 (2): 128–136. 1930. ISSN 0042-6636. JSTOR 4244320.
- ^ Hume, Edgar Erskine (1930). "A Colonial Scottish Jacobite Family: Establishment in Virginia of a Branch of the Humes of Wedderburn (Continued)". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 38 (4): 293–346. ISSN 0042-6636. JSTOR 4244372.
- ^ Hume, Edgar Erskine (1914). "THE HUME GENEALOGY. Being an Account of the Francis Hume Branch of the Wedderburn Humes of Scotland, Virginia and Kentucky. (Continued)". Register of Kentucky State Historical Society. 12 (34): 85–112. ISSN 2328-8183. JSTOR 23367454.
- ^ "Letters of Hume Family". The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. 8 (2): 84–91. 1899. doi:10.2307/1915905. ISSN 1936-9530. JSTOR 1915905.
- ^ Hume, John Robert (1903). History of the Hume family . New York Public Library. St. Louis, Mo., Hume Genealogical Association.
- ^ "Notes". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 67 (2): 207–208. 1959. ISSN 0042-6636. JSTOR 4246534.
- ^ Walne, Peter (1969). "George Washington and the Fairfax Family: Some New Documents". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 77 (4): 441–463. ISSN 0042-6636. JSTOR 4247509.
- ^ a b c Dorman, John Frederick (1961). Orange County, Virginia: Deed books 1 and 2, 1735-1738; Judgments, 1735. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. Washington, D.C.
- ^ "Land grant 12 February 1779". lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "Grants R 1778-1780". image.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-22.