© Picture courtesy of Dorset Museum and Art Gallery
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Alfred POPE was born at Clifton Maybank on 2nd Oct 1842 and baptised at the parish church at Bradford Abbas the next day the 9th child of John Allen POPE (1803-1875) a Farmer by his wife Ann nee Dunning (1805-1849). By 1851 aged 8 the family was at Sutton Poyntz on his fathers farm of 1950 acres employing 40 labourers. He was educated at the Dorchester Grammar School leaving in 1860 (1). At the age of 18 in the 1861 Census he was a pupil living with an Oil Cake merchant resident at Wyke Regis but was presumably already embarked on a career in the law as by 1869 he was already established in Dorchester as a young Solicitor as shown on his marriage certificate below to Mary Jenner ROLPH on 5th Aug 1869.
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During 1870/71 Alfred POPE with the help of his father John Allen POPE purchased a third share from Alfred MASON in the brewer Eldridge, Mason & Co on behalf of his brother Edwin POPE who had been trained as a brewer.
Alfred Mason's retirement left the business in effective control of Edwin POPE with John TIZARD a Weymouth solicitor as a sleeping partner. Alfred POPE seems to have played an active part in proceedings arranging amongst other things for the finance with the bank, and the name of the Company became Eldridge, Pope & Company and the relationship was formalised by an agreement in Feb 1872. As events were to prove, it was as well that this occurred for amongst other terms, brother Alfred had written an option into the agreement under which Edwin was enabled to buy out John Tizard's share if he should die. Only a year later, Mr Tizard succumbed and within a month Edwin exercised his option only to find that because of a conflict between the agreement and Tizard's will, he was in dispute with the executors. The matter was eventually settled in Chancery when the Official Umpire found (in 1874) that the option was valid. The History of the Eldridge Pope Brewery is the subject of a separate account on this site. For more information follow link provided
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After marriage Alfred and Mary Jenner settled in Dorchester where they appear in the April 1871 Census living at No. 16 South Street in St Peters Parish. Their son Alfred Rolph POPE(1871-1951) was born on 3rd Aug 1871 (GRO Births 5a/340 & 1939 Census) but baptised at All Saints Church in Dorchester on 20th Aug 1871. Unfortunately his wife Mary Jenner POPE died at the young age of 25 being buried at the Civic Cemetery in Dorchester on 25th Nov 1871. [Their son Alfred Rolph Pope was brought up with his 13 other children by his 2nd marriage and later married Kate RENDELL at Stratton 12th Aug 1900; Alfred Rolph Pope died 13th Nov 1951 Probate :- Effects £98557. ]
With a young child to look after Alfred soon remarried as shown in the Marriage Certificate below , this time to Elizabeth MARY WHITING. The 1875 Post Office Directory then shows Alfred POPE as living at 'South Walk House' in All Saints Parish and this is confirmed in the April 1881 Census and Kelly's Directory of 1889 which also shows he has become an Alderman. [Links to History of the Walks and Pictures of South Walks over time ]. Alfred POPE was elected as Mayor of Dorchester twice in 1878 and 1886. By 1891 they had moved the family to live at Wrackleford House in Stratton Alfred now described as a Solicitor, Brewer and Magistrate. He had retired aged 58 in the 1901 Census back living in Dorchester at 'South Court House' on South Walks Road . They were still there in 1911.
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Elizabeth Mary his 2nd wife died on 25th Oct 1920 at Wrackleford House and was buried at Stratton. A very long obituary
appeared in the Dorset County Chronicle on 4th Nov 1920. Alfred POPE of South Court Dorchester and of Wrackleford died 15th June 1934 at South Court Probate Effect £292,574
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Children from this marriage:-
(1) Colonel Edward Alexander Pope DSO (1876-1919) of the South Wales Borderers : said to have been born 3rd Jan 1876 (GRO Ref 5a/354 1st qtr 1876) bap All Sts Dorchester 21st Feb 1876; Age 5 C1881; Married after banns read at Christchurch West Fordington 13rd/17th Apr 904 to Sybil Aline BIGGS at parish of St Mary castletown Durham. Member Grand Lodge Freemasons from Oct 1906. Probate died 9th Apr 1919 buried Stratton; Effects £18145
(2) George Clement Pope (1877-1931) bap All Sts 6th Mar 1877 : Age 4 C1881; C1901 Surrey Barnes, Articled Clerk age 24 Single; Married 18 Dec 1907 a Solicitor living in Johannesburg father Alfred Pope, to Margaret Emily LANGHORNE age 30 spinster of Buckland St Mary where they married. 1911 living Chittlehamholt Devon with in laws had 4 children; Probate died 11 Jan 1931 of Rodlands Dorchester. Effects £55137
(3) Captain Charles Alfred Whiting Pope RAMC (1878-1917) : bap All Sts 28th Mar 1878 : Age 3 C1881: C1891 Scholar Charterhouse Godalming Surrey ; C1901 Age 23 Medical Student unmarried . Married Marion Ruth GRAVENER (1885-1958) age 23 of Avenue House Fordington at FStG 14th Apr 1909; Drowned at Sea from SS Transylvania 4th May 1917. Probate Effects £4129
(4) Elizabeth Kate Pope (1879-aft 1911) bap All Sts 22nd July 1879: Age 2 C1881: Age 11 Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 21 single; 1911 age 31 single;
(5) Violet Mary Pope (1881-1950) bap All Sts 17th Jan 1881 : Age 6 months C1881: Age 10 Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 20 single; She married Lieutenant Colonel Alan Roderick Haig BROWN DSO aged 29 a Schoolmaster at Lancing College at Holy Trinity Church in Dorchester on 9th April 1907. Probate he died on active service 25th Mar 1918 on France or Belgium. Effects £166. Violet died 30th Sep 1950 at 20 Roehampton Close London SW 15 effects £8,830
(6) Sub Lieutenant William Eldridge Pope (1882-1901) bap All Sts 17th Jan 1882 : Age 9 Wrackleford C1891; Died Nov 1901 of acute pneumonia
(7) Percy Paris Pope (1882-1915) bap All Sts 2nd Jan 1883: Age 8 Wrackleford C1891;
(8) Hilda Pope (1883-1965) born 27th July 1883 - bap All Sts 25th Nov 1883: Age 7 Wrackleford C1891; Student Cheltenham Age 17 C1901; C1911 aged 27 single; She married FStG 3rd Feb 1918 to Herbert Henry LEVY [LEAS] aged 39 a Lieutenant in HM Navy Living at Wandsworth 1939 Census. Died Putney Nov 1965
(9) Godfry Pope (1886-1966) bap All Sts 21 Feb 1886: Age 6 Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 15 single; Married Henrietta Sybil SMIRKE 18th July 1925 Kandy Central Sri Lanka Died 10 July 1966 Winward Downs Wood Epsom Downs Surrey Probate £74581
(10) Evelyn Grace Pope (1886-1963) bap at Sts 24th Apr 1887: Age 5 Wrackleford C1891; Student age 14 C1901; She married Rev. Richard Grosvenor BARTELOT MA FSA Vicar of St Georges Church 20th Nov 1907. She died 15th Oct 1963 Effects £2720
(11) Lieutenant Albert Victor Pope (1888-1976) 14th Kings Hussars; bap All Sts 17th Jun 1888: Age 4 Wrackleford C1891; 1911 age 23 single; He married FStG 8th Apr 1928 to Barbara SHAW. Albert Victor died 26th May 1977 Probate £25,389
(12) John Allen Pope (1888-1959) Born 12th Dec 1888; bap All Sts 31 Mar 1889: Age 3 Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 12; He married Sophia Ruth BADDELEY at Croydon St Matthew Surrey 19th Sep 1925 ; Godstone RD Surrey 1939 War Census ; Probate died 27 Jan 1959 Limpsfield Surrey Effects £54164
(13) Captain Decimus Pope (1889-1963) 8th Hussars : Born 30th Dec 1889 ; bap 11 May 1890 [Note:- Decimus = 10th son including 1st by his first wife] Age 2 Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 11; Married Elspeth Fraser McEWAN St Margaret's Westminster 26th Apr 1924 Died Dec 1963 Yeovil St Mary the Virgin
(14) Cyril Pope (1891-1965) bap Charminster Church recorded at Stratton 4th Oct 1891; Age 3 weeks Wrackleford C1891; C1901 South Court Dorchester aged 9; C1911 At University age 20 single; Married 1938 Hove Sussex to Ida Hilda WEST, Buried Stratton
Genealogical Notes:-
(1). Dorset County Chronicle Thurs 10 Feb 1910 Page 5 Article Dorchester Grammar School Sixth Old Boys Dinner : Mr Alfred POPE on the Schools History: " I think I am quite the oldest Old Boy present, and this year is the jubilee of my leaving the school".
(2). The History of the Eldridge Pope Brewery is the subject of a separate account on this site. For more information follow link provided