A recent and extensive general literature exists on the acquisition and demonstration of a sense of 'Britishness' in the aftermath of the union of 1707. However, there are gaps in this literature, with few substantial case studies. This paper will take one Scottish family, the Humes of the Merse (Berwickshire) and use it as a lens through which to view the process of 'Brittification'; the four main areas addressed will be the legal, religious and educational ramifications of union for ambitious Scots and the issue of self-identification.