Alexander Beresford Hope facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Alexander Beresford Hope
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| Member of the British Parliament for Maidstone |
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| In office 1841–1852 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 January 1820 London, England |
| Died | 20 October 1887 (aged 67) Kilndown, Kent, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Mildred Cecil |
| Relations | Brother to Henry Thomas Hope |
Sir Alexander James Beresford Beresford Hope (born January 25, 1820 – died October 20, 1887) was an important British writer and politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. For much of his life, he was known as Alexander Hope or A. J. B. Hope.
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About Sir Alexander Beresford Hope
His Early Life
Alexander Beresford Hope was the youngest son of Thomas Hope, a famous writer and art supporter. His mother was Louisa Beresford. His family came from Scotland but had lived in the The Netherlands for many years. They had a successful business there in banking and trade.
The family moved back to Britain in 1795. This was after French soldiers took over the Netherlands. Alexander went to Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. When he was 11, his father passed away.
In 1854, Alexander inherited land from his stepfather. This included Bedgebury Park in Kent and Beresford Hall in Staffordshire. He then added "Beresford" to his last name. His brother was Henry Thomas Hope.
His Time in Parliament
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Sir Alexander was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's government. He represented Maidstone from 1841 to 1852, and again from 1857 to 1859.
He tried to become an MP for Cambridge University in 1859 but didn't win. He also tried for Stoke-upon-Trent in 1862. He finally won the seat for Stoke-upon-Trent in 1865.
From 1868 until he died, he represented Cambridge University. He was an independent Conservative. This means he was part of the Conservative Party but sometimes voted differently from his party.
He strongly disagreed with the Reform Act of 1867. This was a law proposed by Benjamin Disraeli. Alexander even gave Disraeli the nickname "the Asian mystery." Disraeli replied by calling Alexander's manners "Batavian graces," referring to his family's Dutch background.
Alexander never held a top government job. However, in 1880, he joined the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the Queen or King.
Helping Others and Writing
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Alexander Beresford Hope was a strong supporter of the Church of England. He often spoke in Parliament about church matters. He was especially against a law that would allow a man to marry his deceased wife's sister.
In 1839, while at university, he helped start the Cambridge Camden Society. This group focused on church architecture and design. He later restarted it as the St Paul's Ecclesiological Society.
He was a very rich man. In 1844, he bought St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. He wanted to rebuild it into a college for missionaries. Missionaries are people who travel to spread their religious beliefs. He also helped build the All Saints, Margaret Street church in London.
Around 1850, he inherited land in Alstonefield and Sheen. He wanted to make Sheen a center for culture and learning. He rebuilt the church there. He also built a school and a library for people to borrow books.
Alexander Beresford Hope also wrote about history, architecture, and art. He was the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1865 to 1867. He was also a trustee of the British Museum. He helped start the Saturday Review newspaper in 1855. In 1880, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of top scientists.
He also helped fund Canon Nathaniel Woodard's schools. These schools were built across the country.
His Family Life
In 1842, Alexander Beresford Hope married Lady Mildred Arabella Charlotte Henrietta. She was the daughter of the 2nd Marquess of Salisbury. Her brother was Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, who later became Prime Minister.
They had three sons and seven daughters. Lady Mildred was a well-known person in London society. She passed away in March 1881. Alexander Beresford Hope died six years later, in October 1887, at the age of 67. He died at his home, Bedgebury Park, in Kent. He was buried at Christ Church, Kilndown, Kent.
His Writings
- Essays (1844)
- English cathedrals in the XIX. century (1861)
- The social and political bearings of the American disruption (1863)
- Cathedrals in their missionary aspects (1872)
- Hints towards peace in ceremonial matters (1874)
- Worship in the church of England (1874)
- Strictly tied-up (1880)
- The Brandreth (1882)
- Worship and order (1883)
