John was the tenth and last child to be born to Thomas and Alice Hope in 1853. He was their fifth son.
Young John was only 3 years old when the family decided to migrate to the warmer climate that Australia promised. It was because of John's frail health that the family uprooted and transferred their life to the unknown new country.
He was an invalid all his life, dying at the age of 33 on 15 September 1886 at Boikerbert, in far western Victoria. John is buried with his parents at the Hynam Cemetery in South Australia.
John did not marry.