HUME, Abraham (1703-72), of Goldings, Essex.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1747 - 1754
1761 - 1768

Family and Education

b. 1703, 4th s. of Robert Home (later Hume) of Ayton, Berwick, by Hannah Curtis of Mile End, Mdx.; bro. of Alexander Hume. m. 2 Oct. 1746, Hannah, da. of Sir Thomas Frederick, gov. of Fort St. David, India, sis. of Thomas Frederick, Sir John Frederick, 4th Bt., and Sir Charles Frederick, 2s. 1da. suc. bro. 1765. cr. Bt. 4 Apr. 1769.

Offices Held

Director, South Sea Co. 1742-5; director, R. Exchange Assurance 1748; commissary to the forces abroad 7 Dec. 17421-6; commissary gen. of stores at home and abroad 25 Dec. 1746-7,2 and from 13 Mar. 1756.3

Biography

Abraham Hume, a merchant, who had been employed as an army commissary during the war of the Austrian succession, was returned for Steyning at the end of the war. In 1754 he gave up his seat to his brother Alexander, standing himself for Maidstone, where he was defeated. After the election he sent Newcastle a statement of his claims for services rendered to the Government, viz.:

Abraham Hume in July of the year 1742 contracted with the Treasury for furnishing bread to the British troops in Flanders ... No bread was furnished that campaign, the troops not taking the field; by which Mr. Hume was a considerable sufferer. In the campaign of 1747 he had an accident in his knee, which has lamed him for the remainder of his life. In the same year he was at a great expense chosen for Steyning ... and served for that place during the whole time of the last Parliament.
The war being at an end, when it was settled who were entitled to half-pay, Mr. Hume put in his claim, but was persuaded not to insist upon it by the chancellor of the Exchequer [Henry Pelham], who told him, he thought it not worth his while and that something better might offer, telling him at the same time, as he was in Parliament, it was not decent to have half-pay.
When Mr. Revell died Mr. Hume thought it a good opportunity to put the chancellor of the Exchequer in mind of what he had formerly said to him, as he was sensible no objection could be made to his abilities for the undertaking, but to his mortification he found that the present undertakers had got so far the preference that unless he would lower the price two or three thousands a year, he did not succeed. This Mr. Hume thought too hazardous to himself, but made a proposal to undertake the contracts at £500 a year less than they had been done for till that time, but this was not thought an object sufficient to induce him to alter the intended measures, — Mr. Hume very readily gave up all thought of this affair trusting that something else might soon offer.4

The statement concludes by asking for some reward for his zeal and attention, as well as for his election expenses at Steyning and Maidstone, amounting to £3,650.5 Newcastle’s reply has not been preserved, but on the outbreak of the seven years’ war Hume was re-appointed to his former post of army commissary. He died 10 Oct. 1772.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

Notes

  • 1. Cal. Treas. Pprs. 1742-5, p. 421.
  • 2. T29/30, p. 449.
  • 3. Add. 33039, 149; T29/33, p. 46.
  • 4. Add. 33054, f. 372.
  • 5. Add. 32995, f. 173.