John Hope (1739–1785) was a British merchant, writer and politician in the eighteenth century who briefly served as Member of Parliament for

Linlithgowshire West Lothian, also known as Linlithgowshire (its official name until 1925), is a counties of Scotland, historic county in the east central Lowlands of Scotland. until 1925. It is bounded geographically by the River Avon, Falkirk, Avon to the wes ...

before being dismissed by his cousin

John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun (7 September 1704 – 12 February 1781) was a Scottish people, Scottish aristocrat. Early life Hope was born on 7 September 1704. He was the son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and Lady Henrietta Johnstone. ...

after conflict over the

John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English Radicalism (historical), radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlese ...

affair. Following his dismissal from Parliament, Hope embarked on a career as a poet and essayist and raised three sons following the suicide of his wife in 1767. His sons were all prominent men, becoming a noted judge, general and admiral in turn.

Life

John Hope was born in 1739, the son of Charles Hope and Catherine Weir and grandson of

Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun, Order of the Thistle, KT, Privy Council, PC (1681 – 26 February 1742) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman. Early life He was the son of John Hope of Hopetoun by a daughter of the John Hamilton, 4th Earl of Had ...

. His father had three wives and nine children in succession and

George Johnstone Hope Rear-Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope, Order of the Bath, KCB, Order of the Sword, KSO (6 July 1767 – 2 May 1818) was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy throughout the French Revolutionary Wars, French Revol ...

was a much younger half-brother. He was educated at

Enfield Grammar School Enfield Grammar School (abbreviated to EGS; also known as Enfield Grammar) is a boys' comprehensive school and sixth form with Academy (English school), academy status, founded in 1558, situated in Enfield Town in the London Borough of Enfield ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

until he was 13, when he was sent to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

to learn the merchant trade from a Dutch branch of the family,

Thomas Hope (1704-1779) Thomas Hope (1704, Rotterdam – 26 December 1779, Amsterdam) was a successful and gifted Dutch banker in the 18th century. He is considered as the main author of a proposal to the States-General of the Netherlands, States-General and the Admir ...

. Hope returned to in 1759 and operated as a London merchant, although with indifferent success. In 1762 he married Mary Breton, but five years later she committed suicide, leaving him with three young boys. These sons later became Charles Hope, Lord Granton, a noted judge, John Hope, a general under

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

and

William Johnstone Hope Vice-Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope, GCB (16 August 1766 – 2 May 1831) was a prominent and controversial British Royal Navy officer and politician in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain, whose career experienced fleet ...

, a politician and admiral. Hope later raised an epitaph to his wife in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. In 1768, Hope replaced his father as Member of Parliament for

under the influence of his cousin

. Within two years however Hope had been replaced by James Dundas following his support of

against his sponsor's wishes. Having been removed from Parliament, Hope returned to merchant trade, becoming a noted writer in periodicals of the time some of which was later published in 1780 under the title of "Thoughts in Prose and Verse Started in his Walks". Hope died in 1785 of a bowel infection at

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

.Hope, John
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'', Francis Watt, Retrieved 14 July 2008

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hope, John 1739 births 1785 deaths

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

British essayists British poets Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1768–1774 People educated at Enfield Grammar School British male essayists British male poets 18th-century British merchants