James Colledge Pope

POPE, P.C., HONOURABLE JAMES COLLEDGE, entrepreneur, landed proprietor, shipowner, and land agent; b. 11 June 1826 in Bedeque, son of Joseph Pope and his first wife Lucy Colledge; m. 12 October 1852 Eliza Pethick, and they had eight children, Percy, George Dalrymple", James C., Florence, Lucy, William, and two others; Methodist and later Anglican; d. 18 May 1885 in Summerside. James Pope, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in a by-election held on 1 June 1857 for 3rd Prince. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1859, 1863, and 1870 for 4th Prince, in the general elections of 1872 and 1873 for Charlottetown Royalty, and in a by-election held in January 1875 for 5th Prince by acclamation. He was defeated in a by-election held in 1868 for 5th Prince and in the general election of 1876 for Charlottetown Royalty. Pope served on Executive Council in 1859, and as premier from 1865 to 1867, from 1870 to 1872, and in 1873 from April to September. In September 1873, Pope resigned from the House of Assembly to contest, successfully, the special federal election for the riding of Prince County held on 17 September of that year. After a short return to provincial politics in 1875 and 1876, Pope was re-elected to the House of Commons in a by-election held 22 November 1876 for Queen's County. He was again re-elected to the House of Commons for Queen's County in the federal election of 1878, and in a by-election after accepting office on 9 November 1878. On 19 October 1878, he was appointed a Member of the Privy Council, where he served as Minister of Fisheries until 1881, wher. he took a leave of absence from Cabinet. During Pope's time as premier, he negotiated the final terms of the union of Prince Edward Island with Canada, giving him the distinction of serving as both the last premier of the colony and the first premier of the new province. He also participated in the debate over absentee land ownership. Pope was a benevolent land owner, and a major player in the campaign to transfer title of lands to the Isiand tenantry. Nonetheless, Premier Pope summoned troops from Halifax in mid-1865 to suppress the Tenant League, which resisted the collection of land rents. This move was an issue in the H67 general election, which the Conservatives lost. Pope did not contest the general election of 1867. Pope felt that a railway was a necessity if the Island was to keep pace economically. He introduced the Railway Bill, which was one of the factors that led Prince Edward Island into Confederation. While he was publicly against Confederation, there is evidence that he was, at times, sympathetic to union with Canada. Pope was a central figure in the school debate. Nonetheless, his position on public funding for denominational schools changed. On occasion, when in Opposition, he advocated funding for denominational schools. As Premier lie found reasons not to provide funding, stating that the issue was too divisive for action at that particular time. In 1870, Pope's position on the school question created divisions among the Liberal Members. The Liberal Members of Roman Catholic faith crossed the floor to create a Liberal- Conservative coalition under Pope's leadership, defeating the Liberal government led by Robert Haythorne. Pope had pledged to provide government funding for Catholic schools. To the dismay of the Liberals who crossed the floor, he did not deliver on the pledge. In 1876 Pope allied himself with a number of Liberals and Conservatives in a coalition referred to by their opponents as the Denominationalists or the Sectarian School Party. The Denominationalists were in favour of government assistance to denominational schools. The Free School Party or the Non-Sectarian School Party, led by eventual Premier Louis Henry Davies*, supported free non-denominational schools in the 1876 general election. Pope's stand was a significant factor in his defeat in Charlottetown Royalty in the 1876 election. Educated first in Bedeque, at the age of 14 Pope went to Saltash, England, to attend school. Upon his return to Bedeque, he entered the family business, later establishing his own store in Summerside. Pope owned shipyards in Bedeque and Summerside. James Pope ranked third among Island shipowners of the 1800s in number, and total tonnage, of ships owned. In 1851 he served as Collector of Customs for Bedeque. Pope's other business enterprises included agriculture, fishing, real estate, the carrying trade, retailing, and money- lending. He owned the telegraphic link between Summerside and New Brunswick. He was a land agent for his own land holdings and for other proprietors. Pope owned a farm in Lot 27, where he kept a large herd of cattle. He speculated in cargoes of produce. Undoubtedly, he was one of the most prominent economic figures on the Island in his time. It seems, however, that a devotion to politics may have led to the neglect of his numerous business interests, and resulted in heavy personal financial losses. Pope came trom a family involved in politics. His father was a Member of the House of Assembly, as well as a Speaker. His elder brother William Henry also was a Member of the House of Assembly and was one of the Fathers of Confederation. James Pope died 18 May 1885, and was survived by his father, his wife, and five of his eight children. His son George Dalrymple* was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, as was Pope's great- grandson Peter MacArthur Pope*. Eliza Pope was the daughter of Thomas Pethick and Henrietta Webster.