Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. any imaginary illness, low spirits; thus humdurgeoned, annoyed.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Hum durgeon, an imaginary illness; he has got the hum durgeon, the thickest part of his thigh is nearest his a—se, i.e. nothing ails him except low spirits.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1827		Standard (London) 20 Oct. 1/4: I maun down to the Clachan to see if the lad [...] is out of his humdudgeons yet.
1830		Lytton Paul Clifford I 220: Well, don’t be humdurgeoned, but knock down a gemman.
1899		Newcastle Courant 11 Feb. 2/6: Leddy Fiddle-Faddle an’ Lord Tom an’ Mistress High Flyer wad sit them doon on their hunkers an’ mak a fine humdudgeon.

2. as personnification of sense 1, a coward, one who shrinks from action.

1834

‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson 101: The gineral, who was never [...] a hum-durgeon when danger was near.