Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet

Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet of Craighall (1573–1646) was a Scottish lawyer.

He was the son of an eminent merchant, Henry Hope, and his French wife, Jacqueline de Tott.

Admitted as an advocate in 1605, he made his reputation by defence of Rev John Forbes (1568?-1634), and five other ministers at Linlithgow in 1606, charged with high treason. He prepared the deed revoking James VI's grants of church property in 1625. He was appointed Lord Advocate under Charles I in 1626, and held the office until 1641. He was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia on 11 February 1628.

Hope conducted the case against John Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Balmerino in 1634. As Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1643, he maintained the king's temporizing policy.

In 1645 Hope was appointed one of the Commissioners for managing the Exchequer, but died the next year.

He is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. The grave lies in the north-west section of the original graveyard, against the west wall.

His "Practical Observations Upon divers titles of the Law of Scotland", commonly called the "Minor Practicks", were published in 1726, by Alexander Bayne.

Hope married Elizabeth, daughter of John Binning or Bennet of Wallyford, Haddingtonshire. The couple had the following children:

Of the four sons who survived infancy, three of these reached the bench: John, Thomas and James. Two of these sons were elevated to judges in the Supreme Court.

Two of his sons were appointed to the bench while Hope was Lord Advocate; and it being judged by the Court of Session unbecoming that a father should plead uncovered before his children, the privilege of wearing his hat, while pleading, was granted to him. This privilege his successors in the office of Lord Advocate have in theory ever since enjoyed.

...
Wikipedia