David Hume of Godscroft facts for kids

David Hume (1558–1629) was an important Scottish historian, writer, and thinker. He was also a poet and enjoyed debating ideas. Many people say he was a key figure in Scottish thinking during the Jacobean period, which was when King James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England.

It's easy to confuse him with another David Hume, who was a Scottish minister in France around the same time. They had very different ideas, especially about Scotland and England joining together.

About David Hume's Life

David Hume was born in 1558. He was the second son of Sir David Hume, the 7th Lord of Wedderburn. His family lived in a part of Scotland called the Merse. His father was a Roman Catholic, but his mother, Mary Johnston, was a strong Calvinist, which was a type of Protestant faith.

David went to school at Dunbar grammar school. After that, he studied at the University of St Andrews in 1578. He then traveled around Europe, visiting France and Geneva, and planned to go to Italy.

He had to return to Scotland around 1581 because his older brother, George, became very ill. Both David and George supported an event called the Ruthven raid in 1582. This was when some Scottish nobles tried to take control of King James VI.

For a while, David Hume worked as a private secretary for his relative, Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus. Later, when the Ruthven party was in exile, Hume was in London. He was supposedly studying, but he was also working to help Angus and his friends. The nobles, including Hume, returned to Scotland in 1585.

In his later years, David Hume focused on writing. He lived on his land called Gowkscroft, which he renamed Godscroft. This place was in the Lammermuir Hills in Berwickshire. He sometimes called himself Theagrius when he wrote Latin poems.

David Hume's Writings

David Hume wrote many different kinds of works, from political ideas to poetry and family histories.

Political and Religious Ideas

Hume supported his patron, Earl of Angus. He wrote letters about how people should obey their rulers. These letters are found in his History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus. He also discussed a sermon by the Rev. John Craig in a work called Conference betwixt the Erle of Angus and Mr. David Hume. In this work, Hume argued against the political ideas of other thinkers like Jean Bodin.

In 1605, Hume wrote a book called De Unione Insulæ Britanniæ. This book explored how Scotland and England could become more closely united. He believed in a truly unified "British society" after the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland also became King of England.

Hume also debated church matters. He often argued about whether episcopacy (a church led by bishops) or presbytery (a church led by elders) was better. He had discussions with bishops like James Law and William Cowper.

He also wrote other Latin works. One was an attack on William Camden in 1617, who he felt had a negative view of Scotland. Another was Apologia Basilica, which looked at the ideas of Machiavelli.

Latin Poetry

David Hume started writing poems in Latin when he was very young. A famous Scottish scholar named George Buchanan praised his early work. Buchanan was a leader for the Scottish Presbyterians, and Hume followed his ideas closely.

Hume's poem Daphn-Amaryllis celebrated the union of England and Scotland. It was published in 1603–1605. This poem used old stories and prophecies to talk about the new united kingdom. He connected the Lion of Judah and the Lion of Scotland to prophecies about a powerful "Lion of the North." He even suggested changing the Scottish coat of arms to show the new kingdom's growth.

His other Latin poems, called Lusus Poetici (1605), were later included in a collection of Scottish poets' works. When Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales died, Hume wrote a poem to honor him. In 1617, he wrote another poem to welcome King James back to Scotland. His collected Latin poems were published in Paris in 1632 and 1639.

Family History Writings

Hume was a big supporter and admirer of the Douglas family. He often used stories from Scottish history, especially about the Douglases, to encourage people to serve the king. Some historians believe that Scots often wrote histories of important families as a way to write general histories of Scotland. Hume's main supporter was William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus, who later became the 1st Marquess of Douglas. Hume was also related to the Douglas family through his grandmother.

Hume's most famous historical work is History of the House and Race of Douglas and Angus. It was printed in Edinburgh in 1644. He probably finished this history around 1625 to 1630, close to when he died. This book suggested that it was okay to act against a king's "evil advisers" to protect traditional rights, and even sometimes against the king himself.

There was some confusion about the book's title, and early copies varied. Hume's editor, Anna Hume (his daughter), faced problems because the Earl of Angus was unhappy with how Hume used some family records.

The book starts with Sholto Douglas, a legendary figure, and ends with Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus. Another history of the Douglas family was thought to be written by the tenth Earl of Angus. This earl's son even threatened to publish it to replace Hume's work, suggesting Hume's writing might not always be completely accurate.

Hume also wrote a Latin history of his own family, called Davidis Humii de Familia Humia Wedderburnensi Liber. It was about the House of Wedderburn and began with David, the first laird of Wedderburn, from the late 1300s. It also included details about Hume's own early life and his older brother. This book was not published until 1839.

David Hume's Family

David Hume married Barbara Johnston in 1594. She was the widow of his friend, James Haldane. They had five children together. His daughter, Anna Hume, became known as an editor. His son, James Hume of Godscroft [fr], was a mathematician.