A O Hume 1829-1912
Hume was born near London and became a notable Indian civil servant and ornithologist. He was the son of Joseph Hume the radical MP. Hume joined the Bengal civil service in 1849. He received the CB for services during the so-called Indian Mutiny, 1860. He retired in 1882 and worked for an Indian parliamentary system through the Indian National Congress which was established with his help. He collaborated in a standard work on Indian game birds.
These bare facts hardly begin to give a sense of a remarkable man who was hugely productive during his life and who was right about almost everything on which he took a view. He was particularly right in seeing that Indian people should govern their own affairs, a view which was very advanced at that time.
After his return to England Hume became interested in Botany and established the South London Botanical Institute which continues to promote the study of plants to the present day.
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