William Johnstone Hope

Sir William Johnstone Hope
Captain William Johnstone Hope, an 1807 engraving by H. R. Cook
Born	16 August 1766 Finchley, Middlesex
Died	2 May 1831 (1831-05-03) (aged 64) Bath, Somerset
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1777 to 1830
Rank	Royal Navy Vice-Admiral
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars • Glorious First of June • Invasion of the Batavian Republic Napoleonic Wars
Awards	Commander of the Order of St John Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Other work	Lord of the Admiralty MP for Dumfries Burghs, 1800–1802 MP for Dumfriesshire, 1804–1830

Vice Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope, GCB (16 August 1766 – 2 May 1831) 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 orders of chivalry. A popular officer, Hope served with Nelson, Duncan and Lord Keith through several campaigns, making connections which enabled him to secure a lengthy political career after his retirement from the Royal Navy in 1804 due to ill-health. After 26 years in Parliament, Hope was largely inactive and instead served as a Lord of the Admiralty and commissioner of Greenwich Naval Hospital. Hope died in 1832 after 55 years of naval and political service and was buried in the family plot in Scotland.

William Johnstone Hope was born the third son of John Hope and his wife Mary Breton. The Hopes were descendants of the first Earl of Hopetoun and maintained strong political links with the family; his brothers were also prominent figures, Charles Hope later became Lord Granton and Sir John Hope served as a brigadier under Wellington in the Peninsular War.