Hume, Thomas

(from Beers)

Thomas Hume was the first settler in the southern part of Warwick Twp. He had four sons, William (–1851), James, Robert and John, and one daughter Elizabeth.

Lauriston’s Lambton County’s Hundred Years 1849–1949 states that Robert Hume’s daughter Betsey (later Mrs. John Clarke) was the first recorded white female child in Warwick Twp.

Thomas’ son William was born and reared in Northern Ireland. William married Eleanor Hume (–1885), also from the north of Ireland. William and Eleanor were married in Carleton County, Ont. Shortly after they came to Warwick Twp., where William purchased crown land and built a rude log cabin.

William and Eleanor had nine children: Alexander (1835–1899) who settled on the homestead with his wife; John (1837–); Caroline (1839–) who married Franklin Watson and moved to Moore Twp.; William (1841–) who stayed on the homestead; Maria (1843–) who married John Cowan and moved west, Arthur (1846–); Henry (1848–) who died in boyhood; James (1850–1899) who moved to Watford; and Martha who died at age four.

William Hume’s home was used as the Methodist Church, until a little log church was built on the corner of his homestead. As William Hume was the only settler to own a wagon, all his neighbours used it to carry their provisions and make their trips to Kilworth Mills in Delaware Twp. near London. The journey took a week, with some going ahead and chopping the road while others drove the oxen and pushed the wagon out of the mud.

William and Eleanor Hume’s second child was John. John Hume was born in Watford. He received a very limited education while attending the schools of Warwick, as both he and his brother Alexander had to assist in the clearing of the homestead.

After the death of his father, John remained on the homestead until 1858 when he married Frances Lee (1841–) of Picton. Before doing so he acquired 200 acres in Warwick, another 100 acres in Enniskillen Twp. (which was originally crown land), and another 100 acres in Brooke Twp. The homestead was in Warwick and there he put up a log cabin to which he brought back his young bride. Each rode a pony back to Warwick, as this was the only method of getting his ponies to the new home.

The log house was replaced with a more comfortable frame house to support the growing family which included: Malissa (1859–) who married Thomas McMahen; Esmeralda (1861–) who married John Woodley; Martha (1863–) who married Thomas Hartley; Sidney (1869–) who took over the homestead; Hannah L. (1865–1869); Frances (1867–) who married William Cook; John A. (1874–) who graduated from London Business College; and Judith L. (1881–1895).

John cleared over 100 acres for cultivation as well as building large barns and making many general improvements. Frances busied herself teaching Sunday School at the Methodist Church and working for home and foreign missions.

The sixth child of William and Eleanor, Arthur Hume, attended the little log school of his district, replete with benches hewed from logs, and an open clay fireplace. There he received a limited education. He grew up on the homestead, where his father had left him land. He eventually added to this by buying land in Brooke Twp.

In 1872, Arthur married Jean McLachlan. She was born in Scotland but grew up in Enniskillen Twp. They had no children of their own but adopted a daughter Lillie. Arthur and Jean retired in Petrolia.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Hume, Thomas

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