Abraham Hume (priest)

Abraham Hume (1814–1884) was a Scots-Irish Anglican priest in Liverpool, known as a social researcher, supporter of learned societies, and antiquary,

The son of Thomas F. Hume, of Scottish descent, he was born at Hillsborough, County Down, on 9 February 1814. He was educated at the Belfast Royal Academy, Glasgow University, and Trinity College, Dublin.

On leaving Trinity College Hume was for some time mathematical and English teacher, first in Belfast, and then at the Liverpool Institute and Liverpool Collegiate Institution. In 1843 he graduated B.A. at Dublin, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. at Glasgow. In the same year he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Chester, and after serving as curate for four years without stipend at St. Augustine's, Liverpool, was appointed in 1847 vicar of the new parish of Vauxhall there. In 1845 he launched a severe attack on Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.

Hume took part in most of the public, scientific, educational, and ecclesiastical events in Liverpool. In 1848, with Joseph Mayer and Henry Clark Pidgeon, he established the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, of which he was a mainstay for many years. He began close social and statistical inquiries in some of the Liverpool parishes. During 1857 and 1858 he sent to The Times summaries of his previous year's work in his parish. In 1858 and 1859 he gave evidence before select committees of the House of Lords, first on divine worship in populous places, and secondly on church rates.

In 1867 Hume was sent on a tour by the South American Missionary Society, and explored the west coast, especially Chile and Peru. On the visit of the Church Congress to Liverpool in 1869 he acted as secretary and edited the report. He was also secretary to the British Association at Liverpool in 1870. He was vice-chairman of the Liverpool school board 1870–6, and secretary of the Liverpool bishopric committee 1873–80. He was an activist for the formation of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, and on its creation in 1880 designed the episcopal seal. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries at Copenhagen, and other similar associations; and was a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

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