Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hope, James Archibald
HOPE, Sir JAMES ARCHIBALD (1785–1871), general, son of Lieutenant-colonel Erskine Hope, 26th (Cameronians) regiment of foot, and great-grandson of Sir Thomas Hope, eighth baronet of Craighall, Fifeshire, was born in 1785, and in January 1800 was appointed ensign in the 26th Cameronians, then at Halifax, Nova Scotia, of which his father was junior major. He became lieutenant in the regiment in 1801, and captain in 1805. He served with his regiment in Hanover in 1805–6, was a deputy assistant adjutant-general under Lord Cathcart at Copenhagen in 1807, and on the staff of Sir John Hope, afterwards fourth earl of Hopetoun [q. v.], in Sweden in 1808, in Spain in 1808–9—including the actions at Lugo and Corunna—and in the Walcheren expedition. He was aide-de-camp to General Graham [see Graham, Thomas, Lord Lynedoch] at Barossa, and brought home the despatches and the ‘eagle’ captured by the 87th regiment (Gurwood, Well. Desp. iv. 698). He was afterwards with Graham at Ciudad Rodrigo and before Badajoz. When Graham went home on sick leave during Wellington's advance against the forts of Salamanca, Hope was appointed an assistant adjutant-general, in which capacity he was present at Salamanca, Burgos, Vittoria, St. Sebastian, and the passage of the Bidassoa. He was afterwards selected, while attached to the 7th division, to act as assistant adjutant-general and military secretary to Marshal Beresford, who was in command of an army corps of three divisions. With this army corps Hope made the concluding campaigns, including the actions of the Nivelle, Nive, Orthez, and Toulouse. He was made a brevet-major in March 1811, and lieutenant-colonel January 1813, and was promoted on 25 July 1814 from the Cameronians to be captain and lieutenant-colonel 3rd foot guards (now Scots Guards). In that regiment he served twenty-five years, retiring on half-pay unattached on 1 Nov. 1839. He became brevet-colonel in 1830, a major-general in 1841, was employed as major-general on the staff in Lower Canada 1841–7, was appointed colonel 9th foot in 1848, and became lieutenant-general in 1851, and general in 1859.
Hope was a G.C.B., and had the Peninsular gold cross and clasp for Vittoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse, and the Peninsular medal with clasps for Corunna, Barossa, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, and Salamanca. He was married, and had three children. He died at his residence, Balgowan House, Cheltenham, on 30 Dec. 1871, aged 86.
[Foster's Baronetage, under ‘Hope of Craighall;’ London Gazette; Hart's Army Lists; Times newspaper, January 1872.]