Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Hopetoun
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| Shire Commissioner for Linlithgow | |
| In office 1702–1703 Serving with Patrick Murray
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| Preceded by | Patrick Murray Thomas Shairp |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Shairp John Montgomerie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Hope
1681 |
| Died | 26 February 1742 (aged 60–61) |
| Spouses |
Lady Henrietta Johnstone
(after 1699) |
| Relations | James Hope of Hopetoun (grandfather) |
| Parent | John Hope |
Charles Hope, who became the 1st Earl of Hopetoun, was an important Scottish nobleman. He was born in 1681 and passed away on February 26, 1742. He was also a Knight of the Thistle (KT) and a member of the Privy Council (PC), which was a group of trusted advisors to the monarch.
Early Life and Family
Charles Hope was the son of John Hope of Hopetoun. His mother was a daughter of the 4th Earl of Haddington. His father, John Hope, bought a large area of land called the barony of Niddry Castle around 1680. He also bought another area called Abercorn. This purchase included the special job of being the heritable sheriff for the County of Linlithgow. This meant the sheriff job would pass down in their family.
Charles's grandfather was Sir James Hope of Hopetoun. His great-grandfather was Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet of Craighall, Fife.
Becoming an Earl
In 1681, Charles's father, John Hope, was a "shire commissioner" for Linlithgow. This meant he represented the area in the Parliament of Scotland. The next year, in 1682, a sad event happened. His father drowned when the ship HMS Gloucester sank.
A family story says that his father had a spot in a rescue boat but gave it up for the Duke of York. Because of this brave act, Queen Anne made Charles an Earl of Hopetoun on April 15, 1703. This happened shortly after Charles turned 21. Being an Earl was a very high title in the Peerage of Scotland.
After his father's death, Charles's mother, Lady Margaret Hope of Hopetoun, managed the family's lands and businesses. This included lead mining. She also continued plans to build a church for their miners. And she started the building of the famous Hopetoun House.
His Career and Public Service
Charles Hope supported the union of Scotland with England in 1707. This act joined the two countries to form Great Britain. Later, he served as a Scottish representative peer in the British Parliament in Westminster. He held this position from 1722 until he passed away.
Lord Hopetoun also had other important roles. In 1723, he was the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. From 1740 until his death, he was the Governor of the Bank of Scotland. In 1738, he was given the special honor of being made a Knight of the Thistle.
Around 1738 or 1739, he bought the entire estate of Ormiston. He bought it from John Cockburn of Ormiston. It's interesting because John Cockburn had spent so much money on improving the farms and building a "model village" in Ormiston that he went bankrupt.
Family Life
In 1699, Charles Hope married Lady Henrietta Johnstone. She was the daughter of William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale. Charles and Henrietta had several children:
- Lady Sophia Hope (1702–1761)
- John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun (1704–1781)
- Lady Henrietta Hope (1706–1745)
- Lady Margaret Hope (1708–1778)
- Charles Hope-Weir (1710–1791)
- Lady Helen Hope (1711–1778)
- Lady Christian Hope (1714–1799)
- Lady Charlotte Hope (1720–1788)
Lord Hopetoun passed away on February 26, 1742. His eldest son, John, became the next Earl of Hopetoun.
