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Cuming

Cuming is a surname. The following outlines notable people, places, and other uses associated with the name. == People == == Places == == Other uses ==

People

Hugh Cuming

Hugh Cuming (1791–1865) was an English naturalist renowned for his extensive collections of mollusks and plants from the Pacific region. Born on 14 February 1791 in Washbrook, West Alvington, near Kingsbridge in Devon, England, he was the son of Richard and Mary Cuming and one of three children.^[1] As a youth, he was apprenticed as a sailmaker and developed an early interest in natural history, influenced by the local naturalist George Montagu.^[2] Around 1819, Cuming emigrated to Valparaíso, Chile, where he established a successful business as a ship's chandler, amassing a fortune that enabled him to pursue collecting full-time by the mid-1820s.^[1] In 1827, Cuming equipped the schooner Discoverer and embarked on an expedition to Polynesia, visiting islands such as Juan Fernández, Easter Island, Pitcairn, Tahiti, Rurutu, Tubuai, and Rapa between October 1827 and June 1828.^[3] He continued along the western coast of South America from Chile to Honduras, including the Galápagos Islands, from 1828 to 1830, before returning to England.^[1] Later, from 1836 to 1840, he traveled to the Philippine Islands and surrounding areas, including Malaya and Sumatra, contributing to his overall collection of over 83,000 mollusk specimens, along with thousands of plant species and other zoological items.^[2] Cuming pioneered techniques such as dredging for deep-sea shells and supplied specimens to prominent scientists, including Charles Darwin and William Jackson Hooker.^[1] Cuming's contributions to malacology and botany were significant through his vast collections, which served as the basis for descriptions of numerous new species by contemporaries like William Henry Dillwyn and George Brettingham Sowerby.^[1] Although he published little himself—primarily short notes and contributions to works such as Thesaurus Conchyliorum and Conchologia Iconica—his materials advanced systematic conchology.^[2] Following his death on 10 August 1865 in London at age 74, his shell collection was acquired by the British Museum (Natural History) in 1866 for £6,000, forming the core of its conchology department.^[1] His legacy endures as the "Prince of Collectors," with several taxa named in his honor, including the bivalve genus Cumingia and species such as Conus cumingii.^[2]

Thomas B. Cuming

Thomas B. Cuming was born on December 25, 1827, in Genesee County, New York, to a family with ties to the Protestant Episcopal Church; his father served as a minister in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while Cuming was raised by his uncle, Rev. Penny, in Rochester, New York, following his mother's death.^[4] He graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor at the age of 16 and later worked as a geologist on a scientific expedition surveying minerals in the western United States.^[5] At the outset of the Mexican-American War in 1847, Cuming enlisted as a sergeant in the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment, rising to lieutenant in Company A, and served until the conflict's end in 1848.^[6] After his military service, he pursued careers as a telegraph operator and editor of the Democratic weekly Dispatch in Keokuk, Iowa, before entering territorial politics.^[4] In August 1854, President Franklin Pierce appointed the 26-year-old Cuming as the first Secretary of the newly organized Nebraska Territory, a role that positioned him to assume acting governorship upon the death of Territorial Governor Francis Burt on October 18, 1854.^[4] Cuming served as acting governor from October 1854 to February 1855, overseeing the territory's initial census and legislative apportionment, and he proclaimed the convening of the first Territorial Legislative Assembly in Omaha City on January 16, 1855, sparking debates over capital location that favored Omaha over Bellevue.^[7] He returned to the acting governorship for a second term from October 1857 to March 1858 following the resignation of Governor Mark W. Izard, during which he continued to manage territorial administration amid ongoing disputes over infrastructure and governance.^[8] Throughout his tenure, Cuming advocated for measures to promote territorial development, including support for early infrastructure projects and pathways toward eventual statehood, as reflected in his addresses to the legislature.^[7] Cuming's brief political career was marked by efforts to stabilize Nebraska's nascent government, including navigating the contentious relocation of the territorial capital to Omaha, which influenced subsequent place names in the region such as Cuming County and Cuming City.^[9] However, his health deteriorated during his second term, and he died of pneumonia on March 23, 1858, at the age of 30 in Omaha, leaving behind his wife, Margaretta C. Murphy, whom he had married before 1854.^[4] Cuming is remembered as a pivotal figure in early Nebraska territorial history for his role in establishing administrative foundations and fostering settlement, with his legacy enduring through the naming of key locales that honor his contributions to the region's organization.^[10]

Henry Syer Cuming

Henry Syer Cuming was a prominent 19th-century British antiquarian and collector born in 1817 in Walworth, South London.^[11] The son of fellow collector Richard Cuming (1777–1870), he inherited and expanded the family's passion for amassing curiosities, becoming a self-taught expert in artifacts of everyday life without formal academic training.^[12] Cuming joined the British Archaeological Association (BAA) in 1843 and served as its secretary, contributing to its scholarly activities over several decades.^[11] Cuming's collecting focused on social history objects spanning from the 17th to the early 20th century, emphasizing Victorian ephemera such as theatre advertisements, rail tickets, trade cards, paper bags, and inexpensive toys that documented ordinary Londoners' lives.^[13] Alongside these, he gathered a diverse array of global items, including natural specimens and artificial curiosities like Japanese shoes and Egyptian amulets, resulting in a family collection exceeding 50,000 items by the end of his life.^[14] He meticulously cataloged and displayed these in a private museum at his home on Kennington Park Road, arranging them thematically under categories like "The Works of Nature" and "The Works of Man" to promote public education.^[11] Cuming made significant contributions to archaeology through his exposés of forgeries, most notably denouncing the Shadwell antiquities—medallions and badges fabricated by illiterates William Monk and Charles Eaton—as "gross attempts at deception" in lectures to the BAA around 1858.^[15] He also authored nearly 200 articles for the Journal of the British Archaeological Association on topics ranging from Celtic antiquities to shoe lore and pin-lore, advancing discussions on material culture and authenticity.^[11] In the 1890s, Cuming began negotiating with Southwark authorities to ensure his collection's public accessibility, culminating in its bequest upon his death.^[13] Cuming died on October 7, 1902, at age 85, leaving funds in his will to establish a dedicated museum in Southwark, which opened in 1906 and formed the core of the Cuming Museum's holdings of his artifacts.^[11] His legacy endures as a foundational effort in preserving ephemera for social history studies, influencing local heritage institutions.^[12]

Places

Cuming County, Nebraska

Cuming County is located in northeastern Nebraska, encompassing approximately 570 square miles of primarily rural terrain characterized by rolling plains and fertile soils suitable for agriculture.^[16] The county was established on March 16, 1855, from unorganized territory previously part of Burt County, with boundaries redefined in 1857 and 1862.^[17] It is named for Thomas B. Cuming, the acting territorial governor of Nebraska, whose biography appears in the People section of this entry. The county seat is West Point, a central hub for administration and services since its organization in 1858.^[10] Early settlement accelerated in the 1860s following the county's formation, driven by the availability of land under the Homestead Act and promotional efforts by figures like J.D. Neligh, who described the area as the "Garden of the West." Immigrants, particularly from Germany and Ireland, played a key role in populating the region, establishing farms and small communities amid the post-Civil War migration wave. Historical sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft, honoring the poet laureate of Nebraska, and the Rattlesnake Creek Bridge, a rare example of early 20th-century engineering.^[10]^[18] The West Point Carnegie Library, built in 1915, represents another preserved architectural landmark from the county's developmental era, though not federally registered.^[19] As of the 2020 United States Census, Cuming County's population stood at 9,013, reflecting a gradual decline from 9,139 in 2010 due to rural outmigration, with a low density of about 16 residents per square mile. The population was estimated at 8,952 as of July 1, 2024.^[20]^[21] The economy remains centered on agriculture, with over 800 farms covering nearly 99% of the land, focusing on corn, soybeans, and livestock such as cattle and hogs; in 2023, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting employed 660 people, underscoring its foundational role.^[20] Small towns like Beemer and Wisner support this agrarian base through local services and processing facilities. Modern developments emphasize sustainability, including the Cuming Wind Farm operational since 2019 and farming cooperatives that facilitate grain handling and equipment sharing among producers.^[22] Community events, such as those organized by 4-H clubs and the Lions Club, foster social ties in this low-density setting.^[23]

Cuming City, Nebraska

Cuming City was a short-lived settlement founded in Washington County, Nebraska, along the west bank of the Missouri River, approximately 15 miles north of Omaha. The site was initially claimed in September 1854 by Paris Green Cooper and two associates, but actual settlement and surveying occurred in the spring of 1855, when it was named in honor of Thomas B. Cuming, acting governor of the Nebraska Territory. The town's riverfront location positioned it as a key landing point for early pioneers and commerce in the region.^[24]^[9] During its brief peak in the late 1850s, Cuming City experienced rapid development driven by steamboat traffic and ferry operations on the Missouri River. A ferry charter was granted to Cooper in January 1856, enhancing connectivity for travelers and goods. By 1857, the community boasted 53 dwellings, three stores, three hotels, several boarding houses and saloons, two churches, and a school, supporting a population estimated at around 200 residents. It also became a hub for local media with the launch of the Nebraska Pioneer in 1856 (a weekly Democratic newspaper edited by L. M. Kline) and the Cuming City Star in 1858. The town hosted Washington County's first Independence Day celebration in 1860 and secured legislative incorporation for Washington College that same year, reflecting its early ambitions as a cultural and educational center. Representation in the territorial legislature from 1856 to 1858 further underscored its prominence among Nebraska's nascent communities.^[25]^[26]^[24] Cuming City's decline began in the late 1860s amid shifting transportation networks and economic opportunities. The platting of nearby Blair in 1869, coupled with the completion of a railroad depot there, drew businesses, churches, and residents away; for instance, the Baptist Church relocated to Blair in 1872. Without rail access, the town's reliance on river trade proved unsustainable, leading to its effective abandonment by the 1870s as structures were dismantled and moved.^[27]^[24] Today, Cuming City exists as a ghost town with no permanent residents, its original site now primarily farmland bisected by U.S. Highway 75. Archaeological remnants persist, notably the Cuming City Cemetery, which serves as a burial ground for early settlers like L. M. Kline and has been integrated into an 11-acre nature preserve since 1976 to safeguard native tallgrass prairie vegetation, including species such as big bluestem and Indian grass. The preserve, managed by the Audubon Society of Omaha with historical support from the Nature Conservancy, features historical markers highlighting the town's legacy.^[27]^[28]^[29]

Other uses

Cuming Museum

The Cuming Museum was established in 1902 through the bequest of antiquarian Henry Syer Cuming's extensive collection to the London Borough of Southwark upon his death, forming the basis of the institution. It opened to the public in 1906 in rooms above the Newington Library on Walworth Road in Southwark, London, with a focus on local history and the everyday aspects of Victorian life among the area's working classes.^[30]^[13] The museum's holdings included pottery, costumes, ephemera, archaeological finds, and natural history specimens dating from the 1500s to the mid-20th century, emphasizing the social and material culture of Southwark's working-class communities.^[31] Notable examples included local ephemera such as 19th-century advertisements and tickets, alongside global curiosities like Egyptian relics and items from Captain Cook's voyages, which illustrated broader historical connections to the region's urban development.^[13]^[30] The institution operated for more than a century, expanding in 2006 into the adjacent former Walworth Town Hall and hosting exhibitions on Southwark's heritage until a fire in March 2013 severely damaged the building, forcing its indefinite closure.^[32] Most of the collection—stored off-site—was preserved by firefighters, though displayed items suffered water damage and some losses.^[30] In 2015, following budget cuts, Southwark Council restructured its heritage services, eliminating all dedicated Cuming Museum staff positions.^[33] The artifacts were subsequently dispersed into storage, with select pieces integrated into displays at the Southwark Heritage Centre and temporary exhibitions elsewhere in the borough. In 2021, the Southwark Heritage Centre opened at 147 Walworth Road, providing public access to select items from the Cuming collection through permanent displays, temporary exhibitions, and online digital resources as of 2025.^[34]^[35] The Cuming Museum's legacy lies in its role as one of London's few intact 19th-century "cabinets of curiosities," which illuminated the social history of urban working-class life and supported studies in urban archaeology through holdings like over 600 Romano-British artifacts from early excavations.^[31]^[36] Its collections continue to inform public understanding of Southwark's development via ongoing digital access and heritage projects.^[37]

Cuming, Smith & Co.

Cuming, Smith & Co. was established in 1872 in Yarraville, Melbourne, by James Cuming, George Smith, and Charles Campbell, who purchased the existing chemical works of Robert Smith & Co., with an initial focus on sulfuric acid production essential for industrial applications.^[38]^[39] The firm quickly modernized its operations, adopting lead-chamber processes for acid manufacturing by the early 1880s.^[39] In 1875, the company expanded into fertilizers by acquiring McMeikin's Victoria Bone Mill and producing bone dust, guano superphosphates, and later rock phosphate-based products, pioneering superphosphate manufacturing in Victoria.^[38]^[40] By the 1900s, it had developed a extensive distribution network across the Victorian wheat-belt, offering a range of industrial chemicals alongside fertilizers such as sheep dips, rabbit poisons, and wheat treatments under the Sickle Brand, establishing itself as a major supplier to Australian agriculture.^[38]^[40] The Yarraville factories, which grew significantly in the 1910s and 1920s with additions like large storage sheds, employed over 400 workers by 1914 and supported the transformation of marginal lands through enhanced soil fertility.^[38]^[40] The company underwent key mergers starting in 1897 with Felton, Grimwade & Co. to consolidate acid and chemical production at Port Melbourne.^[38] In 1929, it amalgamated with Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. and Wischer & Co. to form Commonwealth Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd., expanding its fertilizer operations nationwide.^[40] By 1936, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Australia acquired the entity, integrating it into broader chemical and fertilizer ventures, after which the core Cuming Smith operations were sold to Pivot Ltd. in Geelong.^[40] Independent operations as Cuming, Smith & Co. ceased in the 1930s, though its facilities continued under successors, contributing to Australia's post-war agricultural expansion by reducing import dependency and boosting productivity.^[40]^[39]

References

[1]
[PDF] Hugh Cuming (1791-1865) Prince of collectors
Hugh Cuming (1791-1865) from a lithograph by Hawkins, 1850. Leaving Valparaiso 28 October 1827 the Discoverer touched successively at Juan. Fernandez ( ...
[2]
Hugh Cuming | Shellers From the Past and Present
### Key Biographical Facts About Hugh Cuming
[3]
[PDF] Itinerary of Hugh Cuming in Polynesia - Bishop Museum
Later he became a general field naturalist and explorer, most distinguished as a collector specializing on land and marine shells but also collecting in pro-.
[4]
Hugh Cuming and the Cambridge University Herbarium
The Cambridge University Herbarium holds over 3,000 specimens collected by Hugh Cuming during his 1830s expedition to the Philippines. The virtual cases in ...
[5]
[PDF] Governor Thomas B. Cuming - History Nebraska
Biographical Note. Thomas B. Cuming was born in Genesee County, N.Y., on December 25, 1827. His father was a Protestant Episcopal minister of Grand Rapids, ...
[6]
Thomas Barney Cuming (1827-1858) - Find a Grave Memorial
Nebraska Governor. After graduating from the University of Michigan, at the age of 16, he worked as a geologist on a scientific expedition for minerals in ...
[7]
Thomas B. Cuming [RG3654.AM] - Nebraska State Historical Society
Thomas B. Cuming was born in Genesee County, New York, on December 25, 1827, the son of a Protestant Episcopal minister of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
[8]
Proceedings & Collections - NSHS - Vol. IV - Second Series
Thomas B. Cuming was appointed secretary of the Territory of Nebraska by Franklin Pierce, President of the United States, upon the organization of the Territory ...
[9]
Former Nebraska Governors - NebraskAccess
Thomas B. Cuming 1854-1855 acting governor upon death of Gov Burt. 1857-1858 acting governor upon resignation of Gov. Izard Mark W. Izard 1855-1857 ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[10]
Cuming City - Nebraska State Historical Society
Cuming City was an early Washington County town named for Thomas B. Cuming, acting governor of Nebraska Territory from 1854 to 1855 and from 1857 to 1858.
[11]
History of Cuming County - Cuming County Government
Mar 13, 2023 · Soon, Thomas B. Cuming took over as acting governor of the new Nebraska Territory, replacing Francis Burt, who had passed away.Missing: statehood | Show results with:statehood
[12]
Private and Public: The Cuming Collection - Project MUSE
Feb 13, 2018 · ... collector and antiquarian Henry Syer Cuming. Cuming, born in 1817 in Walworth, South London, had been an active member of the BAA since it ...
[13]
Henry Syer Cuming - British Museum
Biography: Son of the collector Richard Cuming (1777-1870); their varied combined collection of natural and artificial curiosities is now housed in the Cuming ...Missing: antiquarian | Show results with:antiquarian
[14]
A Brief History of the Cuming Museum | Southwark Heritage Blog
Jan 20, 2016 · Richard Cuming, and his son Henry Syer Cuming, lived in a part of Walworth Road which now lies between Manor Place and Amelia Street, and they had a passion ...Missing: antiquarian | Show results with:antiquarian
[15]
Cuming Museum - Mexicolore
Between 1780 and 1900 Richard Cuming (1777-1870) and his son Henry Syer Cuming (1817-1902) collected over 100,000 artefacts from around the world. This forms ...Missing: items | Show results with:items
[16]
THE BILLY AND CHARLEY FORGERIES | The Antiquaries Journal
Jun 20, 2022 · Henry Syer Cuming claimed to have obtained a confession from one of the forgers that they had used illustrations from this publication as ...
[17]
Cuming County, NE - Profile data - Census Reporter
Census data for Cuming County, NE (pop. 8976), including age, race, sex, income, poverty, marital status, education and more.
[18]
Cuming County, Nebraska Genealogy - FamilySearch
Jun 13, 2025 · ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cuming County, Nebraska," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuming_County,_Nebraska, ...
[19]
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Cuming County ...
Subcategories ; N · John G. Neihardt State Historic Site (11 F) ; R · Rattlesnake Creek Bridge (Cuming County, Nebraska) (23 F) ; W · West Point, Nebraska city ...
[20]
Nebraska History Spotlight: Cuming County Historical Society
Aug 8, 2024 · Founded in 1968, the Cuming County Historical Society (CCHS) manages a museum complex and collection of local artifacts that includes the history of farming, ...
[21]
Cuming County, NE - Data USA
12.2% of the people in Cuming County, NE are hispanic (1.1k people). The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cuming County, NE as a share of the ...
[22]
[PDF] Chapter 1 Introduction - Cuming County
Throughout the development of Cuming County, agriculture provided the foundation of the county's economy. Although it was initially focused on crop farming, the ...
[23]
Community Involvement - Cuming County Economic Development
Dec 22, 2023 · There are a variety of local clubs and organizations to become involved in, including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Lions Club, Teammates, and CHICs.Missing: modern farming cooperatives
[24]
Historic Towns: Cuming City
Cuming City was claimed by Paris Green Cooper and two others in September 1854. No settlement was made until the spring of 1855 when actual settlers came in ...Missing: formation | Show results with:formation
[25]
Cuming City Township, Washington County, Nebraska
"Cuming City was claimed by P. G. Cooper and 'two others' in September, 1854, but no settlement was effected until the next spring, when a site was mapped and ...
[26]
Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Washington Co. - Part 3.
CUMING CITY. Cuming City was claimed by P. G. Cooper and "two others" in September, 1854, but no settlement was made until the next spring, when a site was ...
[27]
Cuming City Cemetery and Nature Preserve | Explore Nebraska ...
By 1857 the town boasted 53 homes, 3 stores, and 3 hotels. It disappeared in the 1870's, when most of its citizens moved to Blair on the new railroad. The main ...
[28]
Cuming City Cemetery and Nature Preserve Historical Marker
Traditionally known as the Cuming City Cemetery, this eleven-acre tract of land was set aside in 1976 primarily as a preserve for native vegetation.<|control11|><|separator|>
[29]
Cuming Museum curators hopeful that most of its collection survived ...
Mar 26, 2013 · The museum was founded by a bequest in 1902 from Henry Syer Cuming, who added everything that caught his interest – from genuine antiques to ...
[30]
Historic collections | Southwark Council
Oct 15, 2024 · Cuming Museum collection. The Cuming family collected objects from all over the world and left them to the borough in 1902.Missing: establishment | Show results with:establishment
[31]
London's Lost Museums: Closed, Moved And Vanished Venues
Jul 7, 2023 · In 2013, the building went up in flames, and the Cuming Museum was no more. Thankfully, no-one was hurt, and much of the Cuming collection was ...Missing: legacy | Show results with:legacy
[32]
Cuming Museum loses all staff in restructure - Museums Association
Aug 5, 2015 · “The building that housed the Cuming Museum was extensively damaged by fire in 2013 and plans are in the early stages of development for a new ...
[33]
cuming museum | Southwark Heritage Blog
The Cuming Museum has over 600 items of Romano British archaeology in its collections, some dating from the earliest days of archaeological excavation. Early ...
[34]
Works – Cuming Collection - Southwark Heritage
The Cuming Collection includes Religious/Ritual Equipment, Costume, Container, Personal Ornament, Miscellaneous Equipment, Sculpture, Arms/Armour, ...
[35]
James Cuming - Australian Dictionary of Biography
In 1875 Cuming Smith & Co. leased adjoining bone-mills and entered the fertiliser trade, manufacturing bone dust and bone and guano superphosphate. In the next ...
[36]
The Development of Chemical Industries in Australia and Canada ...
In 1872, Robert Smith sold out to a consortium formed by. George Smith, James Cuming and Charles Campbell who became Victoria's principal manufacturers of ...
[37]
[PDF] Cuming Smith - Heritage Victoria
Cuming Smith pioneered the manufacture of superphosphate in Victoria producing its own acid and other products. The company also undertook experiments with ...