Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet (1573–1646) was an important Scottish lawyer. He served as the Lord Advocate for King Charles I. This role was like being the chief legal advisor to the king and the main prosecutor for the government in Scotland.

Early Life and Career

Thomas Hope was born in 1573. His father, Henry Hope, was a successful merchant in Edinburgh. His mother, Jacqueline de Tott, had Swedish parents. His grandfather, John Hope, was also a merchant from Edinburgh with French roots.

Thomas Hope became a lawyer, called an advocate, in 1605. He quickly became known for his skills. In 1606, he famously defended six ministers, including John Forbes, who were accused of a serious crime called high treason.

In 1608, he was part of a team of very experienced lawyers. They defended Margaret Hartsyde, a servant of Queen Anne of Denmark. Margaret was accused of stealing the Queen's jewels.

Working for the King

In 1625, Thomas Hope helped prepare a special document for King James VI. This document took back church property that the king had given away.

King Charles I appointed him as the Lord Advocate in 1626. He held this important job until 1641. In 1628, he was given a special title: a Baronet of Nova Scotia. This was a title of honor, making him "Sir Thomas Hope."

Hope also worked for important landowners, like Mary, Countess of Home and Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar. In 1634, he led the case against John Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Balmerino.

In 1643, he was the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In this role, he tried to follow the king's plans.

In 1645, Thomas Hope was made one of the Commissioners for managing the Exchequer. This meant he helped manage the country's money. He passed away the next year, in 1646.

He is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. His grave is located in the north-west part of the old graveyard.

His home in Cowgate, built in 1616, was taken down in 1887. This was to make space for the Edinburgh Free Library.

His Writings

Sir Thomas Hope wrote a book called "Practical Observations Upon divers titles of the Law of Scotland". It was also known as the "Minor Practicks". This book was published in 1726 by Alexander Bayne. It was a guide to Scottish law.

In 1843, a group called the Bannatyne Club published a collection of his letters. It was titled A Diary of the Public Correspondence of Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, 1633–1645. These letters showed his official and private thoughts from the last twelve years of his life.

His Family

Sir Thomas Hope married Elizabeth Bennet. They had many children together.

Some of their children included:

• John Hope, Lord Craighall (around 1605–1654)
• Thomas Hope, Lord Kerse (1606–1643)
• Sir Alexander Hope of Grantham/Granton (1611–1680), who served King Charles I.
• Sir James Hope of Hopetoun (1614–1661), who started the family line of the Earls of Hopetoun.
• Mary/Marie, who was the mother of Sir Charles Erskine, 1st Baronet of Alva.
• Anne/Anna, who married David Erskine, 2nd Lord Cardross.

Four of his sons lived past childhood. Three of them became lawyers, just like their father. Two of these sons even became judges in the Supreme Court.

An interesting story about Sir Thomas Hope is that two of his sons became judges while he was still the Lord Advocate. The court decided it would be strange for a father to argue cases without his hat on in front of his own children who were judges. So, they gave him the special permission to wear his hat while speaking in court. This special right has been passed down to future Lord Advocates ever since!

In Books

Sir Thomas Hope is the main character in a novel by Nigel Tranter. The book is called Hope Endures and was published in 2005.

Images for kids

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  Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet

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  Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet, Pinkie House Portrait by George Jamesone, 1638

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  The grave of Sir Thomas Hope, Greyfriars Kirkyard

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  A plaque marking the former home of Sir Thomas Hope at Granton Castle in Edinburgh.