William Henry Pope

Who was William Henry Pope?

William Henry Pope was a Canadian lawyer, politician, judge and one of the Fathers of Confederation.

He was born in Bedeque, P.E.I., the son of Joseph Pope and Lucy Colledge. The editor of Prince Edward Island's main Tory newspaper, The Islander, from 1859 to 1872, he entered politics in 1863. An enthusiastic supporter of Canadian Confederation, he left the PEI cabinet in 1866 but continued to press for union. After this was accomplished in 1873 under the leadership of his brother, PEI Premier James Colledge Pope, he was appointed a county court judge.

Ardgowan, Pope's residence, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1966. During the Charlottetown Conference, the Popes billetted George Brown and hosted a luncheon for delegates at Ardgowan.