Jan Hope
John Hope | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Amsterdam, Dutch Republic |
| Died | April 20, 1784 (aged 47) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, art collector |
| Years active | 1762–1784 |
| Known for | Hope & Co. banking firm, director of Dutch East India Company, creation of Groenendaal Park |
John Hope (14 February 1737 – 20 April 1784), also referred to as Jan Hope, was a distinguished Dutch financier actively engaged in the family-established Hope & Co. banking firm from 1762 onwards. He held a position on Amsterdam's municipal council and was an avid collector of art. In 1770, he assumed the role of director at the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Hope is recognized for creating Groenendaal Park in Heemstede, one of the earliest examples of the 'English Style' in the Netherlands, which his son Adrian Elias later expanded. His eldest son, Thomas Hope, gained fame as a neoclassical interior designer, while his youngest son, Henry Philip Hope, became a notable gem enthusiast and owner of the renowned Hope Diamond.
Early years
Born in Amsterdam to Thomas Hope and Margaretha Marcelis, Jan Hope was the only heir to the Hope family's enterprises in trade, shipping, and banking. Initially baptized in the Mennonite faith, he underwent re-baptism into the Presbyterian church at age nineteen, adopting the name John. Presumably educated in law, he embarked on a Grand Tour in 1760 accompanied by his cousin Oliver, during which he collected artworks such as etchings by Antonio Visentini. While visiting Venice, he encountered inventor James Watt and acquired a mantelpiece designed by Piranesi.
In 1762, John and his cousin Henry Hope, then an apprentice at Harman and Co., joined the leadership of Hope & Co.. The following year, John wed Philippina Barbara van der Hoeven, daughter of a Rotterdam mayor and art patron; together they further enriched the family’s art collection originally begun by uncle Adrian.
John served as a "schepen" and was part of Amsterdam’s city council between 1768 and 1777. Additionally, he held a directorship at the Dutch Society of Science. Unlike Henry, John actively participated in Dutch intellectual circles aligned with the Scottish Enlightenment, becoming a member of the Dutch Society of Letters under David Ruhnken’s guidance. In 1774, he purchased Kasteel Nederhorst along with its noble title; although inherited by his sons, the estate remained largely unchanged during their tenure.
Banking business
In 1766, Thomas Hope became personal advisor to stadtholder William V and acted as his representative within VOC Chambers. The following year, Hope bank entered into partnership with Sir Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baronet and his son. Around this period, Hope acquired Groenendaal near Heemstede. By 1770, John Hope succeeded his father as manager of the VOC. That same year, Hope & Co. collaborated with financiers including Alexander Fordyce and Harman and Co..
John mainly operated from Amsterdam’s banking headquarters but showed greater interest in managing his estates and maintaining social prominence than day-to-day banking affairs. His cousin Henry encouraged expanding their shared art collection to impress clientele such as foreign dignitaries. Notably, John owned several stone tables unearthed at the Villa Hadriana in Tivoli. In 1771, their firm purchased an extensive painting collection from Rotterdam. John inherited half of Hope & Co. in 1779; Henry received Adrian’s portion in 1781. Following Archibald Hope’s death without heirs, the family faced accusations related to inheritance tax evasion.
Between 1780 and 1782, substantial loans were extended by the company to monarchs including Gustav III and Charles III of Spain. John acquired the largest mansion on Herengracht (numbers 509-511) and secured a quarter share in a porcelain manufacturing enterprise founded by Joannes de Mol. From 1774 until 1782, he represented Amsterdam within the States of Holland. In 1784, he purchased an estate named "Bosbeek." John passed away at Korte Voorhout; subsequently, his family moved to Heemstede.
Parks
Jan and Philippina had three sons: Thomas Hope (1769–1831), Adrian Elias (1772–1834), and Henry Philip Hope (1774–1839). Adrian Elias contributed to the enhancement of Groenendaal Park by constructing the Belvedere tower along with the "Walvisbank," a bench made from whale bones—both elements appearing on vintage postcards. Jan and Henry played key roles in the development of two prominent regional parks: Groenendaal in Heemstede and the Haarlemmerhout.
Their mother oversaw the Heemstede estate, welcoming guests to admire its gardens, ornamental structures, and extensive art collection. Following Henry Hope’s flight in 1794/95, he arranged for his nephews and approximately 370 paintings to be evacuated from Hellevoetsluis. Management of the estates and Amsterdam banking affairs was entrusted to Henry’s fiduciary, John Williams Hope. Adrian Elias was the only son who returned to the Netherlands in 1802; noted for unpredictable conduct, he dedicated himself to maintaining Groenendaal and Bosbeek gardens until he was declared mentally ill—likely by family decree—and passed away without heirs in 1834.
Fire machine
Motivated by the "fire engine" at Leiden University, Hope engaged James Watt and Matthew Boulton to install a personal steam engine—the first ever used for garden purposes—on his estate located on a sandy ridge between the Leidsevaart canal and Haarlem Lake. In contrast to typical Dutch practices of using steam power to drain land, Hope’s engine, operational from 1781, was employed to pump water into his English-style gardens, overcoming the shortcomings of his earlier windmill during periods of calm weather. This steam engine remained functional through the French occupation in the 1820s but was ultimately dismantled in 1842 when larger steam boilers at the nearby Cruquius pumping station rendered it obsolete.