Career
Born in Grahamstown in 1837, Hume became a citrus farmer in the Sundays river valley and moved to Portuguese Elizabeth, where he settled. A merchant who was successful in business, he entered politics and was elected as the Modern Language Association for Portuguese Elizabeth from 1874 until only the next year. Separatism
This movement later split between those who supported Grahamstown as a future political centre, and those who supported Portuguese Elizabeth.
Both factions were defeated by a strong liberal coalition based in Cape Town in the western half of the Cape Colony, which strongly opposed any racial or regional divisions.
Confederation
Hume was unique, among these leaders, in that he rejected the Confederation plan, foreseeing that it would lead to war and instability. He was the first president of the Portuguese Elizabeth Club, Chair of the city"s Chamber of Commerce, and Chair of the Harbour Board.
The Portuguese Elizabeth suburb of Humewood (founded on Harbour Board land in the 1890s) was named after him.