John Adrian Louis Hope was born in 1860, the seventh Earl of Hopetoun. He was Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895 and the first Governor-General of Australia 1901-03. He also served as Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria, Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Privy Councillor, Paymaster General, Lord Chamberlain of the Household, Secretary for Scotland and Brigadier of the Royal Company of Archers.

Hopetoun arrived in Sydney in December 1900 and immediately appointed New South Wales Premier Sir William Lyne, an unpopular anti-Federationist, as Prime Minister. It was a disasterous move which became known as 'the Hopetoun blunder', and he hastily reneged and appointed Edmund Barton. After seeing in the newly federated Australia, Hopetoun remained in Australia for only two years as he found the salary inadequate.

Lord Hopetoun married Hersey Alice, daughter of Lord Ventry in 1886. Their four children included Victor Alexander John Hope, eighth Earl of Hopetoun.

References:
Commonwealth Government Documenting a Democracy website http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/text_only/places/cth/cth3ii.htm
House of Seton, Scotland, website http://www.setonfamily.com/barony_of_west_niddry.htm

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