Clan Home

Henry Home, Lord Kames (1696-1782)
As an advocate, Henry Home defended Captain Porteous in 1736, after he had ordered his men to fire into an Edinburgh crowd. He became Lord Kames in 1752 when made a judge. Kames is near Eccles in Berwickshire.

Punishment for the ’45 included the forfeiture of estates from those involved. Lord Kames became involved in the management of the estates, as well as sitting on the Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of the Fisheries, Arts and Manufactures of Scotland.

More important than his legal and agricultural work was his contribution to philosophy. Home was an important part of the Scottish Enlightenment and a founder of the Edinburgh Philosophical Society. His writing inspired David Hume, Adam Smith and James Boswell.

John Home (1722-1808)
Leith-born Home studied at the University of Edinburgh and became a prisoner of the Jacobites for a time after his capture at the Battle of Falkirk. He was already involved with the Presbyterians, and after his release he was made Minister of Athelstaneford in East Lothian.

He wrote verse tragedies, firstly the unsuccessful “Agis”, the “Douglas”, which was performed in Edinburgh from 1756. The Kirk disapproved of plays and began proceedings against him.

When “Douglas” became a 1757 Covent Garden success, prompting a patriot in the audience to cry ‘Whaur’s yer Wully Shakespeare noo?’, Home left the ministry. His later work was neither written for Scottish audiences nor as successful, though he had secured himself the post of tutor to the Prince of Wales.