Fergus Hume facts for kids

Fergus Hume (c.1882)

Ferguson Wright Hume (born July 8, 1859 – died July 12, 1932), known as Fergus Hume, was an English writer. He wrote many books, especially detective stories, thrillers, and mysteries.

Early Life and Education

Fergus Hume was born in Powick, England. When he was three years old, his family moved to Dunedin, New Zealand. He went to Otago Boys' High School and later studied law at the University of Otago. In 1885, he became a lawyer in New Zealand.

Soon after finishing his studies, Hume moved to Melbourne, Australia. There, he worked as an assistant to a lawyer. He tried writing plays, but he couldn't get any theaters in Melbourne to produce them.

Rise to Fame as a Writer

Hume first became known when one of his plays, called The Bigamist, was stolen. Another person, Calthorpe, performed it as his own work under the title The Mormon.

Hume then noticed that detective novels by a writer named Émile Gaboriau were very popular in Melbourne. He decided to try writing a similar book. This led to his famous novel, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. This story was set in Melbourne and showed parts of city life, especially in Little Bourke Street.

He published the book himself in 1886, and it became a huge success. However, he sold the rights to publish it in Britain and America for only 50 pounds. This meant he didn't earn much money from its great popularity. It became the best-selling mystery novel of the Victorian era. In 1990, writer John Sutherland called it the "most sensationally popular crime and detective novel of the century." This book even inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

After his first big success, and publishing another book called Professor Brankel's Secret around 1886, Hume moved back to England in 1888. His third novel, Madame Midas, was based on the life of a real person, Alice Ann Cornwell, who owned mines and newspapers. When this book was turned into a play, her former husband sued because of what it said.

Life in England

Fergus Hume settled back in England. He lived in London for a few years, then moved to Thundersley, Essex. He stayed in Thundersley for thirty years. During this time, he wrote over 130 novels, mostly mystery stories. Even though he wrote many books, none of them became as famous as The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.

He also wrote words for songs that his brother-in-law, Charles Willeby, composed. He reviewed books for magazines like The Bookman.

In 1911, official records show he was living in Thundersley as an "author" and had a housekeeper. He often traveled to countries in Europe like Italy, France, and Switzerland.

Hume was known for being very religious and private. He didn't like being in the public eye. However, in his later years, he gave talks at clubs for young people and at debating groups. He passed away in Thundersley on July 12, 1932. He is buried in an unmarked grave there.

His Works

Fergus Hume was a very productive writer. He wrote many different kinds of stories, but he was best known for his detective and mystery novels.

See also

• List of crime writers
• Crime fiction
• Detective fiction
• Mystery fiction