Matthew Hume (abt. 1854)

Born about 1854 in Kentucky, United States

Descendants

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Biography

Matthew Hume is a part of US Black heritage.

Matthew Hume was born into slavery about 1853^[1]-1854^[2] in Kentucky^[1][2]. He was enslaved on a tobacco plantation in Trimble County, Kentucky by Daniel Payne. He was the child^[2] of Luke Hume, and the husband^[2] of Mancy.

Slavery

On the whole [the family] were fortunate in having a good master who would not keep an overseer who whipped his "blacks."^[3]

Three good overseers were Jake Mack and Mr. Crafton, and Mr. Daniel Payne was the owner who asked his people to report any mistreatment to him. He expected obedience however.^[3]

A bad overseer was discharged once by Mr. Payne because of his cruelty to Mr. Luke Hume. [...] As soon as Mr. Payne heard of the disturbances the overseer was discharged and Mr. Mack placed in charge of the slaves.^[3]

When [Matthew] Hume was a small boy he was placed in the fields to hoe. He also wanted a new implement. [...] he remembered bringing up the rear one day, when he saw a large rock he carefully covered it with dirt, then came down hard on it breaking his hoe. He missed a whipping and received a new tool to replace the old one [...]^[3]

[...] his mistress shoved him into a small closet and locked the door. He made such a howl that he brought his mother and father to the rescue and was soon released from his prison.^[3]

[Matthew's] father, Luke Hume, lived in Trimble County, Kentucky and was allowed to raise for himself one acre of tobacco, one more of corn, garden stuff, chickens and have the milk and butter from one cow. He was advised to save his money by the overseer, but always drank it up. On this plantation all the slaves were free from Saturday noon until Monday morning and on Christmas and the Fourth of July. A majority of them would go to Bedford of Milton and drink, gamble, and fight.^[3]

Content warning: theft, retaliation to Emancipation Proclamation

They had a cow which had been given them before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued but this was taken away from them.^[3]

Content warning: torture.

On the neighboring farm the slaves were treated cruelly. Mr. Hume had a brother-in-law, Steve Lewis, who carried marks on his back. For years he had a sore that would not heal where his master had struck him with a blacksnake whip.^[3]

Content warning: torture.

On the Preston place there was a big strapping negro of eighteen whom the overseer attempted to whip receiving the worst of it. [The overseer] then went to [Matthew] Hume's owner and asked for help but was told he would have to seek elsewhere. Finally someone was found to assist. Smith was tired to a tree and severely beaten, then they were afraid to untie him, when the overseer finally ventured up and loosened the ropes, Smith kicked him as hard as he could and ran to the Payne estate refusing to return. He was a good helper here where he received kind treatment.^[3]

Education

In 1870, he is attending school, probably in or near Hanover, Indiana.^[1]

Religion

The mistress on a neighboring plantation was a devout Catholic, and had all the children come each Sunday after-noon to study the catechism and repeat the Lord's Prayer. She was not very successful in training them in the Catholic faith as when they grew up most of them were either Baptists or Methodists. Mr. Hume said she did a lot of good in leading them to Christ but he did not learn much of the catechism as he only attended for the treat. After the service they always had candy or a cup of sugar.^[3]

Occupations

• 1880^[2]: Laborer

Residences

• 1880: Hanover, Indiana with his wife Mancy and their children^[2]
• 1870: Hanover, Indiana with his parents and siblings^[1]
• 1860: Trimble County, Kentucky on the tobacco plantation of Daniel Payne with seven other enslaved people^[4]

They remained [in Trimble County, Kentucky] until January 1, 1865 when they crossed the Ohio to Madison.^[3]

Race

• 1860^[4], 1870^[1], 1880^[2]: Black

Research Notes

Raymoure-1 02:24, 9 September 2020 (UTC): May be worth examining whether or not the Catholic church was open to Black members in Kentucky RE: the "Baptists or Methodists" comment.

Projects

• Freedmen Narratives, Indiana

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} 1870 federal census
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} 1880 federal census
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10} Indiana Slave Narratives, pp. 107-110
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} 1860 federal slave schedule

• 1860 United States Slave Schedules The National Archives in Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Eighth Census of the United States 1860; Series Number: M653; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29 (6-year-old in entry of Jacob McMahan for D. Paine)
• 1870 United States Federal Census Year: 1870; Census Place: Hanover, Jefferson, Indiana; Roll: M593_328; Page: 222A; Family History Library Film: 545827
• 1880 United States Federal Census Year: 1880; Census Place: Hanover, Jefferson, Indiana; Roll: 287; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 118
• The Federal Writers' Project. Indiana Slave Narratives 1936-1938: A Folk History of Slavery in Indiana from Interviews with Former Slaves. Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books.