aristocrat, adventurer, confidence man, and the self-proclaimed, “King of the Cherokees” was born on December 18, 1691 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland to Sir Alexander Cuming, First Baronet and his first wife, Elizabeth Swinton. His family was fairly wealthy and Cuming was groomed to become a lawyer. He was well educated, and in 1720, was elected to a position in the notable Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge. However, he was removed in 1757 because he never paid the organization’s annual membership fee. Although he had many accomplishments, he was also the victim of several financial fraud schemes. In light of this, Cuming appealed to his friends for help. His friends endorsed him for the position of governor of the Bermuda, but he did not win the election. Cuming set sail for Charleston, South Carolina in September of 1729, at the suggestion of his wife after she had a dream that he would accomplish great things in the New World.
