James Colledge Pope

Who was James Colledge Pope?

James Colledge Pope, PC was a land proprietor and politician on Prince Edward Island, Canada. He served as premier of the colony from 1865 to 1867, and from 1870 to 1872. He was premier of PEI in 1873 when the island joined Canadian confederation.

He was born in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, the son of Joseph Pope and Lucy Colledge. Pope was a successful businessman who was at one point the island's third largest shipowner. He entered PEI politics in 1857 when the island was still a colony of the United Kingdom. He was a member of the Conservative Party, and defended the rights of landowners against growing demands by tenant farmers for land reform.

Pope was named to the Executive Council in 1859, joining the Conservative government of Edward Palmer. In 1865, he became Premier after a dispute over Canadian confederation resulted in Palmer and John Hamilton Gray resigning from the Executive Council. While not hostile to confederation, Pope did not agree with the terms set by the Quebec Conference. A particular problem was the unresolved land question, which pitted the demands of tenant farmers for land reform against demands by landlords for compensation.