in the following year. For a few years he practised with success in his native town, but removed to London in 1865. In the same year, and again in 1868, he unsucessfully contested Bolton. In 1869 he was however made recorder of the town and took silk. In London he soon devoted himself to parliamentary practice, for which his persuasive eloquence and commanding personality admirably fitted him. He presented complicated facts and figures simply and interestingly and in due perspective. At his death he was the leader of the parliamentary bar. He was chosen a bencher of his inn on 27 Jan. 1870, and was treasurer in 1888-9, when he made a valuable donation of books to the library. A keen advocate of the temperance cause from youth. Pope was at his death an honorary secretary of the United Kingdom Alliance. He was a freemason, becoming senior grand deacon in grand lodge in 1886. He died at his residence, 74 Ashley Gardens, Westminster, on 22 July 1901, and was buried at Llanbedr in Merionethshire, of which county he was a J. P. and deputy lieutenant. Pope married Hannah, daughter of Thomas Bury of Timperley Lodge, Cheshire; she predeceased him without issue in 1880.
A portrait by Sir Hubert von Herkomer is in possession of the family. A loving cup with a bust of him in relief was presented to the Middle Temple in his memory by some friends (Master Worsley's Book, ed. A. R. Ingpen, K.C., p. 327). A cartoon portrait by 'Spy' appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1885.
[The Times, 24 July 1901; Foster, Men at the Bar; Men and Women of the Time, 1899; Hutchinson, Notable Middle Templars, 1902; private information.]
POPE, WILLIAM BURT (1822–1903), Wesleyan divine, born at Horton, Nova Scotia, on 19 Feb. 1822, was younger son of John Pope, and younger brother of George Uglow Pope [q. v. Suppl. II for full parentage]. After education at a village school at Hooe and at a secondary school at Saltash, near Plymouth, William spent a year in boyhood (1837-8) at Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, assisting an uncle, a shipbuilder and general merchant. Devoting his leisure to the study of Latin, Greek, French and German, he was accepted, in 1840, by the methodist synod of Cornwall as a candidate for the ministry, and entered the Methodist Theological Institution at Hoxton. There he added Hebrew and Arabic to his stock of languages. In 1842 he began his active ministry at Kingsbridge, Devonshire, and served for short periods at Liskeard, Jersey, Sandhurst, Dover and Halifax. and for longer periods at City Road, London, Hull, Manchester, Leeds, and Southport. In 1867 he succeeded Dr. John Hannah the elder [q. v.] as tutor of systematic theology at Didsbury. He received the degree of D.D. from the Wesleyan University, U.S.A., in 1865 and from the University of Edinburgh in 1877. In 1876 he visited America with Dr. Rigg as delegate to the general conference of the methodist episcopal church at Baltimore. In 1877 he was president of the Wesleyan conference at Bristol. He resigned his position at Didsbury in 1886. He died, after much suffering from mental depression, on 5 July 1903, and was buried in Abney Park cemetery, London.
Pope's industry was unflagging. He began his day at 4 a.m., and made notable contributions to theological literature which were deemed authoritative by his own church, while he was actively engaged in the ministry and in teaching. His chief work was the 'Compendium of Christian Theology,' in three volumes (1875; 2nd edit. 1880). In the same year appeared his Fernley lecture on 'The Person of Christ,' which was translated into German. His published collections of sermons included 'The Prayers of St. Paul' (2nd edit. 1896), and his characteristic 'Sermons, Addresses and Charges,' delivered during the year of his presidency (1878). In 1860 he became editor, having as his co-editor (1883-6) James Harrison Rigg [q. v. Suppl. II], of the 'London Quarterly Review,' to which he was already a contributor. Pope translated from the German, in whole or part, three important books for Messrs. T. and T. Clark's 'Theological Library,' Stier on 'The Words of the Lord Jesus' (1855); Ebrard on the 'Epistles of St. John' (1860); and Haupt on the 'First Epistle of St. John' (1879), and he contributed to 'Schaff's Popular Commentary' expositions of Ezra, Nehemiah (1882) and the Epistles of St. John (1883).
A portrait, painted by Mr. A. T. Nowell, was presented to Didsbury College by old students and friends in 1892.
Pope married, in 1845, Ann Eliza Lethbridge, daughter of a yeoman farmer of Modbury, near Plymouth. By her he had six sons, two of whom died in early life, and four daughters.
[William Burt Pope: Theologian and Saint, by R. W. Moss, D.D., 1909; Telford's Life of Dr. J. H. Rigg, 1909.]
