John Law (Jock) Hume

This is only the story of Jock Hume's life; write ups on the other musicians may eventually follow:

Jock Hume

John Law 'Jock'/'Johnny' Hume was born on August 9 1890, in Dumfries, Scotland. He had an older sister named Nellie, born in 1888, and he would have 3 younger siblings; Grace, b 1892, Catherine, b 1897, and Andrew Jr., b 1901. His father, Andrew Sr., was a music teacher and had taught Jock to play banjo and then violin when Jock was 5 years old. Jock worked as a clerk for a while after he had finished school in 1904, but eventually went into working on ships as a violinist. He worked on several of the Cunard line's ships, occasionally as bandmaster, and resided with his family on 42 George Street, Dumfries, Scotland. Captains were eager to have him on their ships as he was very quick to learn complicated pieces of music, and he had a very friendly personality which earned him many friends, who began calling him 'Happy Jock Hume'. Jock had played on the Cunard line's Carmania before boarding the Titanic.

Jock (far left) on board the Carmania (c 1912)

Jock boarded the Titanic as a second class passenger. He played violin with the quintet, which played in the first class lounge. During an intermission, at one point, Jock met stewardess Violet Jessop, who told her he was going to give the passengers ‘a real tune, a Scotch tune to finish up with’. He was not in command of the orchestra and technically could not select what music would be played; this remark made Violet mistake Jock for the bandmaster.
Upon the ship hitting the iceberg, bandleader Wallace Hartley awoke the 7 other members of the band and they assembled in the first class lounge to calm nervous passengers; however, no-one paid any attention to the music. Jock ran into Violet again at this point, and he told her that the band was ‘just going to give [the passengers] a tune to cheer things up a bit’. He smiled at her, but Violet later remarked he looked pale. Later, when the band moved outside, Jock and fellow musician John Clarke both put scarves on to keep warm on the cold night.

All 8 of the bandmembers died; three of the band members' bodies were recovered; Wallace Hartley, John Clarke, and Jock Hume. John Clarke's and Jock Hume’s bodies were buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Wallace Hartley’s body was sent to his hometown of Colne.
On April 30 (15 days after the Titanic's sinking), Jock’s father Andrew Sr. received a note from C.W and F. N Black. It read:

Dear Sir, we shall be obliged to you if you will remit to us the sum of five shillings and four pence, which is owing to us per enclosed statement. We shall also be obliged if you will settle the enclosed uniform account. Yours faithfully, C.W. and F.N. Black.

The Blacks were billing Andrew for Jock’s band uniform, which Jock had had repaired prior to the Titanic's voyage. Jock was never able to pay for having his uniform fixed, and so they were charging Andrew Sr. for it. It cost about $3.50. Many people were angry with the Blacks, for charging the Hume family with no condolences whatsoever. Andrew Sr. did not pay the bill.

Prior to the Titanic’s voyage, Jock had been a musician on the Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic, when it collided with another ship, Hawke. He had not been hurt, but his stepmother Alice Mary Alston feared for his safety and had begged him not to go on the Titanic, because she had had nightmares that something would happen to him. Jock decided to go on the Titanic anyway, because he was going to be married to his fiancée, Mary Catherine Costin, in several weeks, and needed the money. He also saw going on the Titanic as an opportunity to practice for playing in concerts.

Jock's tombstone in Halifa

Jock Hume's body is buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia. His body is numbered '193', the 193^rd body to be recovered; his body was not identified until July of 1912, so his body was not returned to his hometown in Scotland. However, in May of 1913, a memorial to both Jock Hume and Thomas Mullin (third class steward from Dumfries who also perished on the Titanic) was unveiled. It still stands today in Dock Park, Dumfries. Jock's old school also has a memorial plaque to Jock Hume and Thomas Mullin.

Sources:

Books:

The Band that Played On by Steve Turner

RMS TITANIC: The First Violin by Yvonne Hume

And the Band Played On by Christopher Ward

Titanic Halifax: A guide to sites by Alan Jeffers and Rob Gordon

A hymn for eternity: The story of Wallace Hartley, Titanic bandmaster by Yvonne Carroll

Sites:

wikipedia.en

mirror.co.uk (photo of Jock Hume)

dgstandard.co.uk

aftitanic.free.fr (Photo of Jock Hume)