Charles Hope-Weir
Encyclopedia
The Hon.
Charles Hope-Weir (or Hope-Vere) (8 May 1710–30 December 1791) was a Scottish politician.
Born The Hon. Charles Hope, he was the second son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
and Lady Henrietta Johnstone, daughter of William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale
. In 1730 he inherited the Craigiehall
estate, in the parish of Dalmeny
, West Lothian, from his uncle, the 2nd Marquess of Annandale. He adopted the name Hope-Weir, and the arms of the Weir family, on his marriage in 1733 to Catherine Weir, daughter and heiress of the Weir Baronets of Blackwood
, Lanarkshire. The family name was later changed to Hope-Vere.
On 13 May 1743 he was elected Member of Parliament
for Linlithgowshire
, a seat he held until 1769, when he stepped down. He was appointed Governor of Blackness Castle
in 1744. He later held the posts of Commissary General of the Musters in Scotland, and Ranger of Ettrick Forest
.
In 1754, with the encouragement of his uncle, the Marquess of Annandale, and his brother, the Earl of Hopetoun
, Hope-Weir set off for Italy on the grand tour
. His son William was already in Italy with his tutor. At his brother's suggestion, Hope-Weir took with him the young architect Robert Adam
, who had been advising Lord Hope on the decoration of Hopetoun House
. The pair met up in Brussels
in November 1754, and travelled through France and Italy together, on the typical grand tour route, taking in Lyon
, Marseilles, Nice
and Genoa
. They met William at Pisa
, and arrived in Rome
in February 1755. They then fell out over travelling expenses, and over the Casa Guarnieri, a house which they both hoped to rent. Although they remained civil whenever they met, Adam wrote in a letter that Hope was a "poor, vain, affected, childish coxcomb".
After Easter, Hope-Weir went on to Naples, taking with him the minor Scottish painter and art dealer Colin Morison (1732–1810) in Adam's place. He returned home in late 1755 with his son, travelling via Frankfurt
due to the political situation in France, and arriving in Britain in May 1756.
On his return he set about improving his estate at Craigiehall, building a grotto, bridge and temple, all to designs by the Adam Brothers
. The bridge is carved with Hope-Weir's initials and the date 1757, as well as a quote from Horace
, UTILI DULCI, "the useful with the sweet". The bath house is now ruined, and the temple, at the top of Lennie Hill, was truncated in the 1970s due to its proximity to Edinburgh Airport
.
On 20 March 1745 Hope-Weir married Lady Anne Vane (1726–1776), daughter of Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington
. They were divorced by act of parliament in 1757. They had two sons:
In 1766 he married Helen Dunbar (d. 1794), daughter of George Dunbar. They had four children:
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Charles Hope-Weir (or Hope-Vere) (8 May 1710–30 December 1791) was a Scottish politician.
Born The Hon. Charles Hope, he was the second son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun KT was a Scottish nobleman.He was the son of John Hope of Hopetoun, grandson of Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet of Craighall, Fife. John Hope purchased the barony of Niddry Castle from the Earl of Winton around 1680...
and Lady Henrietta Johnstone, daughter of William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale
William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale
William Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, 1st Marquess of Annandale KT was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of James Johnstone, 1st Earl of Hartfell and Henrietta Douglas...
. In 1730 he inherited the Craigiehall
Craigiehall
Craigiehall is a late-17th-century country house, which now serves as the Headquarters of the 2nd Division of the British Army. It is located close to Cramond, around west of central Edinburgh, Scotland....
estate, in the parish of Dalmeny
Dalmeny
Dalmeny is a suburban village and civil parish in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on the south side of the Firth of Forth, east-southeast of South Queensferry and west-northwest of central Edinburgh; it falls under the local governance of the City of Edinburgh Council.The name Dalmeny is...
, West Lothian, from his uncle, the 2nd Marquess of Annandale. He adopted the name Hope-Weir, and the arms of the Weir family, on his marriage in 1733 to Catherine Weir, daughter and heiress of the Weir Baronets of Blackwood
Blackwood, South Lanarkshire
Blackwood is a village which borders Kirkmuirhill, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. It has a few small shops, a couple of primary schools and pubs....
, Lanarkshire. The family name was later changed to Hope-Vere.
On 13 May 1743 he was elected Member of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
for Linlithgowshire
Linlithgowshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Linlithgowshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
, a seat he held until 1769, when he stepped down. He was appointed Governor of Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle is a 15th century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of...
in 1744. He later held the posts of Commissary General of the Musters in Scotland, and Ranger of Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest is a former royal forest in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.It is a large area of moorland, south of Peebles, stretching from Dollar Law to Selkirk.-See also:*James Hogg*Craik Forest*Wauchope Forest...
.
In 1754, with the encouragement of his uncle, the Marquess of Annandale, and his brother, the Earl of Hopetoun
John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun
John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun was the son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and Lady Henrietta Johnstone....
, Hope-Weir set off for Italy on the grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
. His son William was already in Italy with his tutor. At his brother's suggestion, Hope-Weir took with him the young architect Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, who had been advising Lord Hope on the decoration of Hopetoun House
Hopetoun House
Hopetoun House is the traditional residence of the Earl of Hopetoun . It was built 1699-1701, designed by William Bruce. It was then hugely extended from 1721 by William Adam until his death in 1748 being one of his most notable projects. The interior was completed by his sons John Adam and Robert...
. The pair met up in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in November 1754, and travelled through France and Italy together, on the typical grand tour route, taking in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Marseilles, Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. They met William at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, and arrived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in February 1755. They then fell out over travelling expenses, and over the Casa Guarnieri, a house which they both hoped to rent. Although they remained civil whenever they met, Adam wrote in a letter that Hope was a "poor, vain, affected, childish coxcomb".
After Easter, Hope-Weir went on to Naples, taking with him the minor Scottish painter and art dealer Colin Morison (1732–1810) in Adam's place. He returned home in late 1755 with his son, travelling via Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
due to the political situation in France, and arriving in Britain in May 1756.
On his return he set about improving his estate at Craigiehall, building a grotto, bridge and temple, all to designs by the Adam Brothers
Adam Brothers
Adam Brothers may refer to:Scottish architects, three sons of William Adam:*John Adam *Robert Adam *James Adam French sculptors, three sons of Lambert Adam:...
. The bridge is carved with Hope-Weir's initials and the date 1757, as well as a quote from Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, UTILI DULCI, "the useful with the sweet". The bath house is now ruined, and the temple, at the top of Lennie Hill, was truncated in the 1970s due to its proximity to Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
.
Marriage and family
On 26 July 1733, Charles Hope married Catherine Weir (d. 1743), daughter of Sir William Weir of Blackwood, 2nd Baronet. They had three surviving children:- William Hope-Weir (1736–1811), MP and father of James Joseph Hope-Vere, MP
- Henrietta Hope
- John HopeJohn Hope (writer)John Hope was a British merchant, writer and politician in the eighteenth century who briefly served as Member of Parliament for Linlithgowshire before being dismissed by his cousin John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun after conflict over the John Wilkes affair...
(1739–1785), worked for Hope & Co.Hope & Co.Hope & Co. is the name of a famous Dutch bank that spanned two and a half centuries. Though the founders were Scotsmen, the bank was located in Amsterdam, and at the close of the 18th century it had offices in London as well.-Early days:...
, father of Charles Hope, Lord Granton, Lieutenant General Sir John Hope, and Vice-Admiral Sir William Johnstone HopeWilliam Johnstone HopeVice Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope, GCB was a prominent and controversial British Royal Navy officer and politician in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain, whose career experienced fleet actions, disputes with royalty, party politics and entry to both Russian and British...
On 20 March 1745 Hope-Weir married Lady Anne Vane (1726–1776), daughter of Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington
Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington
Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington PC was an English peer, the son of Gilbert Vane, 2nd Baron Barnard.On 2 September 1725, he married Lady Grace Fitzroy, daughter of Charles Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Southampton and they had seven children.Vane was Whig MP for Launceston from 1726 to 1727, St Mawes...
. They were divorced by act of parliament in 1757. They had two sons:
- Captain Charles Hope RNRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(d. 1808) - Brigadier-General Henry Hope (d. 1789), Deputy Governor General of Canada
In 1766 he married Helen Dunbar (d. 1794), daughter of George Dunbar. They had four children:
- Admiral Sir George Johnstone HopeGeorge Johnstone HopeRear-Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope, KCB was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including service at the Battle of Trafalgar...
(1767–1818) - Helen Charlotte Hope
- Margaret Hope
- Elizabeth Vere Hope (d. 1801), married John Hope, 4th Earl of HopetounJohn Hope, 4th Earl of HopetounLieutenant General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun PC KB , known as the Honourable John Hope from 1781 to 1814 and as the Lord Niddry from 1809 to 1816, was a Scottish soldier and politician.-Military career:...