John Hope 1650-1682

John HOPE 1650-1682

Biographical Note

Born in Edinburgh, he was the son of Sir James Hope of Hopetoun (1614-1661) and Anna Foulis (d.1656), heiress of the Leadhills mines in Lanarkshire. He matriculated at the University of Leiden in 1659. He succeeded to the Hopetoun estates in 1661, and little more is known about him until his marriage in 1668 to Lady Margaret Hamilton, daughter of the 4th Earl of Haddington, with whom he had two children, Helen (1677-1768), later the Countess of Haddington, and Charles (1681–1742), subsequently the 1st Earl of Hopetoun. He was involved in the family lead mining business, which regularly took him to the Netherlands. He died on 6th May 1682, age 32, on the shipwreck of the Gloucester, while accompanying James, Duke of York to Scotland.

Books

Surviving volumes of works owned or used by John Hope demonstrate a clear interest in works of science, and works related to the family mining interests, particularly in the years 1671-72. He owned a copy of Miracula chymica et misteria medica, inscribed “Tyn. 10. Oct. Jo. Hope 1672, and bound with a copy of Benguin's popular book on Chemistry,Tyrocinium Chymicum (Ferguson Aq-b.64). Other Chemistry books identified as John’s include Israel Harvet’s defense of chemistry, Defensio chymiae aduersus apologiam… (166- 927.1q), acquired by John in 1671; as well as Philosophia Pyrotechnica, by the William Davidson of Aberdeen, a professor of Chemistry in France, whose work discussed the theory of matter (Sotheby's, lot 355).

John frequently purchased books while visiting the Netherland’s. In Amsterdam in July 1674, he purchased John Barclay’s Eurphormio’s Satyricon in vellum for “20 stivers from Elzevier” (Sotheby’s, Lot 55). In the same year John also purchased the Elsevier edition of Cabinet Satyrique while in Utrecht, for 40 stivers (Sotheby's, Lot 96).

John's gifts to various Scottish Institutions suggest he had a broad range of scholarly interests, and a connection to intellectual circles within Scotland. In 1668, he presented the University of Edinburgh with the 11 volume set of Blau's newly published atlas,(JZ 30-JZ 40), bound in opulently gilded vellum. In 1681, he presented the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh with the ten volume, folio edition of Opera Omnia (Lyon, 1663) by the sixteenth-century scientist and physician, Heironymous Cardano.

After his death, John Hope’s books were inherited by his heir, Charles, and were dispersed with the majority of the Hopetoun House Library in 1889, by John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun and 1st Marquis of Linlithgow (1869–1908). 1,263 lots were auctioned off between 25 and 28 February 1889, at Sotheby’s in London. It is possible that some of his books may have remained at Hopetoun House, though further research is required to establish this.

Characteristic Markings

The books identified as John Hope‘s are inscribed “Jo. Hope.” Those sold at the 1889 auction contain the 19th century Hopetoun family bookplate, with the motto At spes non fracta.

The Inscription of “Tyninghame” often seen in John’s books, refers to the family estate of his wife Margaret Hamilton. His manuscript notes in “Receipts for Gold and Sylver Mynes Manuscript (1674)” indicate that he made use of his wife’s family library to study and deal with business matters. He writes in the MS that “From page 1 to page 88 are severall things which I caused copie out of some papers and manuscripts of Captain David Achesones at Tyninghame, April, 1674, Jo, Hope.” (Sotheby’,s Lot 965).

He is to be confused with his uncle, Sir John Hope of Craighall (1603-1654), whose books were also signed “John Hope” and often contain the Hopetoun bookplate.

Sources

• Clericuzio, Antonio. A Study of Atomism and Chemistry in the Seventeenth Century,Springer Dordrecht, 2000.
• Hopetoun House, West Lothian, Linlithgow MSS
• Rutherford Mhairi.The Hopetoun House Library unpublished MLitt dissertation, University of St Andrews, 2016.
• The Hopetoun House Library. Catalogue of the Library of the Right Honourable the Earl of Hopetoun. Which Will be Sold by Auction, by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, Dryden Press: J. Davy and Sons, London, 1889.
• Rock, Joe. "John Hope's House in Edinburgh, 1680