John Hope

Lieutenant-General Sir John Hope GCH (15 July 1765 – August 1836) was a Scottish officer of the British Army who was a commander under the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War.

Personal life and family John Hope was born 15 July 1765. His father was the politician and writer of the same name. His mother, Mary, committed suicide in June 1767, leaving young John and his two brothers, Charles and William, to be cared for by their father. Charles Hope became a Member of Parliament and high court judge, while William Johnstone Hope joined the Royal Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.

Career Hope joined the Scots Brigade as a cadet in 1778.

In February 1793, shortly after the French Revolutionary War had begun, Hope served as aide-de-camp to Sir William Erskine in the Flanders Campaign. On 25 March 1795, a few days after Erskine's death, Hope was promoted to major in the 28th Light Dragoons, becoming lieutenant-colonel of that regiment on 20 February 1796. Sent to the Cape Colony, the 28th, under Hope's command, helped to rebuff a Dutch attempt in August, to reclaim the colony.

Salamanca

By June 1812, Wellington's army had captured the three forts around, and driven the French from, the city of Salamanca. Marshal Marmont took his army some upstream of the Douro but Wellington refused to do battle there, forcing the French to advance. Wellington was, in turn, obliged to retreat in order to protect his supply lines. where on 21 April 1819, he was promoted to Lieutenant-general. Hope served as a colonel in the 92nd Highlanders from 29 January 1820 and, later in the year, was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order, although this being a Hanoverian order he was not called Sir John until he was made a Knight Bachelor in 1821. On 6 September 1823, he became colonel of the 72nd Highlanders. Hope died at his Scottish home in August 1836.