Home Humour
|
It is clear that there is a wealth of anecdotes about the Home family that perhaps does not have a place in the history books but is none the less of great interest. Perhaps you have a memory of something that you would like to share with the family at large, sliding down the banisters at Paxton, stories of surviving the war years in drafty Home home somewhere or how you attended momentous events that as a 5 year old passed you by.
We welcome all submissions (but reserve the right edit!). A Daily Mail Press Cutting
Under the heading "Lord H gives a lead" with a photograph of Lord Home captioned "Lord Home: Obeyed " the following story appeared not long after another less complimentary story about Countess Spencer had been in the papers. It ran: Countess Spencer might be interested to note that on one of those very rare occasions when "Do you know who I am?"would have been totally justified, the gentlemanly, aristocratic Lord Home merely concurred.
A Happy Chance Meeting - by Gospatric HomeI had just given my name to the receptionist when a voice from my right asked “Did you say Gospatric Home?” I found myself looking directly at a Home tartan waistcoat for my inquisitor was considerably taller than me. “Yes indeed” I responded wondering what was coming next. "Jamie. C. Humes” was the simple and direct answer as we shook hands. A few minutes later we were sitting drinking tea with his wife Dianne, who is also of Scottish descent, in the drawing room of our mutual London Club, and that was a further coincidence as my wife is Diana and she also has Scottish ancestors. As I had to go to a dinner party we arranged to talk again the following morning over a leisurely breakfast and that is how I learned so much more about this remarkable Scottish American member of the family and his charming wife. My first question to Jamie as I boldly tried to impress him by ordering porridge was “Why the” S “on the end of Hume?” “Ah” he replied, “that dates back to when one of my ancestors took exception to some of the views of the great philosopher David Hume.” The Humes who trace their line back to the Humes of Marchmont and Polwarth settled in America in the 18th century and have served their country as Generals, Sportsmen, Ambassadors, Merchants and Clergymen. Jamie has written a history of the family entitled “The House of Humes – The pilgrimage of a family”. For Jamie who started his career as the youngest ever State Legislator has had a fascinating career which has included being the speechwriter to no less than five Presidents including Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan, the writing of many books on William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, President Eisenhower and most recently a highly popular anthology on the Wit and wisdom of Ronald Reagan, part of a series which has included Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt and Churchill. In his retirement Jamie specialises in lecturing and giving humorous anecdotal after dinner talks. He was awarded the O.B.E for his literary output , a rare honour for any American. He first met Churchill as a schoolboy when he was a visiting ESU Scholar at Stowe. Jamie and Dianne celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at Wedderburn where he first met our Convenor Dr. Ian Maitland Hume. As a result of our meeting and their subsequent visit to our home Jamie and his wife are hoping to join the CHA and come to the Gathering in August. Jamie is the proud owner of an ancient key to Hume Castle given to him by Lord Home of the Hirsel. Dare I suggest to him that this key would one day grace our hoped for Visitor Centre as an important historical exhibit?
|
Did you know why David Home the Philosopher changed the spelling from Home to Hume while his brother maintained his name as Home? The answer in his words was "That he could no stand those glaekit (sic) English bodies who would no pronounce it right"! Who are these three men?
Homes and the Victoria CrossEarl of Home and Neville Chamberlain |
