Samuel Pope Vanity Fair 12 December 1885

Samuel Pope, KC, JP, DL (11 December 1826 – 22 July 1901) was an English barrister. Born at

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, Pope was eldest son of Samuel Pope, a merchant of London and Manchester, by his wife Phebe, daughter of William Rushton, merchant, of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

. After private education he was employed in business, and in his leisure cultivated in debating societies an aptitude for public speaking. Coming to London, he studied at

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

, entered at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

on 13 November 1855, and was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

on 7 June 1858. Deeply interested in politics, he unsuccessfully contested

Stoke-upon-Trent Stoke-upon-Trent, commonly called Stoke is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Burslem, Fenton, Longton and Tunstall form the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 18 ...

as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

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 unsuccessfully 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 A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can ...

of his inn on 27 January 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 The United Kingdom Alliance (UKA) was a temperance movement in the United Kingdom, temperance movement in the United Kingdom founded in 1853 in Manchester to work for the prohibition of the trade in alcohol (drug), alcohol in the United Kingdom. ...

. 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 , HQ= Dolgellau , Government= Merionethshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= , Status= , Start= 1284 , End= , Code= MER , CodeName= ...

, 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.

References

External links

* http://www.hendrecoed.org.uk/Merioneth-Manganese/peopleAndCompanies/popeSamuel/index.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Pope, Samuel English King's Counsel 1901 deaths Lawyers from Manchester English barristers Members of the Middle Temple Alumni of the University of London 19th-century King's Counsel Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates English Freemasons English temperance activists English justices of the peace Deputy Lieutenants of Merionethshire