Hullo Cousin
I have not as yet found the original Maitland newspaper article re Adam & James Hume in Court. But the following information I found on the Hunter Valley Geneology Forum which no longer exists.
"The only indigenous person I have is a Jane Hume born 1863 to a Matilda Jane Hume, (dau of James Hume and Hannah Malley,) who later married her cousin James Hall Hume. Jane ( who appears to have been of mixed blood) married a James Bowles . There is an article that appeared in the Maitland newspaper a few days after Jane's birth in which both David and James Hall Hume were taken to court for assaulting an aboriginal. Their defence was they did this to teach him to live up to his obligation to his new daughter and to give both mother and daughter full financial support."
"According to stories, David Hume (1808-1893) and his son James Hall Hume had issues with a man over his refusal (or inability) to provide financial support to Matilda Jane Hume and her baby Jane. And it seems that there is some confusion surrounding the identity of Jane's father. Some assert that it was the Scottish born Donald McCray who immigrated to Australia in 1838 aboard the James Pattison. Others say Jane's father was an unnamed local Aboriginal man."
"I have searched Trove thoroughly, and articles indicate that David Hume found himself in court twice over some kind of feud with McCray, and that James Hall Hume was in court once for assaulting McCray. Yet, there are no mentions of McCray fathering a child with Matilda Jane Hume."
"Gilnockie, in one of your earlier posts, you said that your grandmother (Florence Ellweis Curtis Bowles) was the daughter of James Bowles & Olive Jane Hume, and that Olive Jane's parents were James Hall Hume (1840-1923) & Matilda Jane Hume (1847-1932). I'm wondering how many daughters James Hall Hume had. When he was aged 12, his first cousin Matilda Jane Hume was taken in by his parents to be raised as his sister (Matilda's mother and brother had died, and her father was not able to raise her by himself). When Matilda was 16, she gave birth to a daughter Jane. It is unknown whether the father's name was listed as "Hume" on her birth certificate because the father was a Hume (specifically James Hall Hume), or because the baby needed a surname, and Matilda's surname was Hume. Some family trees have attributed this child to James Hall Hume."
"James Hall Hume eventually married his cousin Matilda when she was aged 21 and pregnant with her daughter Doris Hannah. They had 3 more daughters, Matilda Maud, Ann Dorothy and Sarah Mildred. In 1894, their daughter Ann (aged 20 and unmarried) had a son Adolphus Lindon. Again the father's name was simply documented as "Hume" and the child was raised by James Hall Hume and Matilda Jane. Also in 1894, Sarah Mildred (aged 15 and unmarried) had a daughter Myra May. Again the father's name was simply documented as "Hume" and the child was raised by James Hall Hume and Matilda Jane. Was James Hall Hume responsible for all of these children?"
I am not sure if Tommy McRae (who worked for Andrew Hume) was even involved because the name mentioned above is Donald McCray (McRae).
Regards
John